The Pop Hits

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The Pop Hits is the third greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 24 March 2003 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol Records. It was the second in a two-part series of "best of" albums released by the duo in quick succession, and was preceded by The Ballad Hits in November 2002. The album was not as commercially successful as its predecessor, although it did peak within the top twenty of various Scandinavian record charts. It was also certified gold in Brazil.

Recording and promotion

Per Gessle originally planned to record two new songs for The Pop Hits.<ref name="pop"/> "Opportunity Nox" was written by Gessle, and first recorded at his Tits & Ass Studios in Halmstad on 4 March 2002.<ref name="sven">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Recording later took place at EMI Studios in Stockholm in October 2002, a month after vocalist Marie Fredriksson's diagnosis of a brain tumour.<ref name="look">Template:Cite book</ref> Due to her illness, the track features very little of Fredriksson's vocals. Her illness also affected the recording of another song intended to appear on the compilation: "I Like It Like That", which Gessle said "was never recorded because Marie got ill, so there was no chance to record it." The track later appeared on Gessle's 2005 album Son of a Plumber.<ref name="sven"/> Instead, the compilation concludes with "Little Miss Sorrow", a re-recording of an outtake from the duo's 1999 album Have a Nice Day.<ref name="pop"/> "Opportunity Nox" was issued as the compilation's first and only single on 25 February 2003, with an animated music video for the song being directed by Jonas Åkerlund and Kristoffer Diös.<ref name="rox-dvd">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Limited edition units of the compilation contained a bonus EP of three more previously unreleased recordings, along with a song which had previously been released as a b-side on their 1999 single "Stars", "Better Off on Her Own". The EP also included another Have a Nice Day outtake, "Makin' Love to You", which was recorded in January and February 1998. A further two outtakes from the sessions of their 2001 album Room Service are also featured. "Stupid" had originally appeared as the album opener on Per Gessle's 1997 solo album The World According to Gessle, and appears on this album in a slightly re-recorded (in November 2000) form, while "Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla (You Broke My Heart)" was recorded January 2000.<ref name="pop"/>

Critical reception

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Although Heather Phares from AllMusic gave the album a positive review, she wrote that "casual fans will have their needs better-met by a Roxette collection that features their classic ballads as well". She went on to call The Pop Hits "an exhilarating collection of their sugar-buzz pop moments."<ref name="AM"/> Tina Kindler of Laut.de said that the album contained "earworm-like pop songs which have a high recognition factor", but lamented the absence of other singles such as "Fingertips '93" and "Fireworks", and was critical of the songs on the bonus disc for not "fitting in to the overall concept. With the exception of "Stupid", the bonus tracks are all very quiet and slow, and would have been better placed on The Ballad Hits." She went on to say that "because Roxette made relatively simple pop music, it wasn't 'cool' to admit to liking Roxette. But it was a completely different story behind closed doors, of course, otherwise one can hardly explain the incredible success of the two Swedes." She summarised by saying: "People who only briefly flirted with Roxette will be overjoyed with this album. And people who enjoy this album no longer need to feel ashamed. Honestly."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Track listing

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Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Pop Hits.<ref name="pop">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Roxette are Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson
Recorded in various studios in Sweden, Italy and Spain between May 1988 and October 2002.
All songs produced by Clarence Öfwerman, except tracks 1 and 14 by Öfwerman, Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson; tracks 12 and 15 by Fredriksson, Gessle, Öfwerman and Michael Ilbert; track 13 by Fredriksson, Gessle and Öfwerman with backing track co-production by Ilbert.
Mixed by Ronny Lahti, Clarence Öfwerman and Per Gessle at Polar Studios, Stockholm.
Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound Studios, New York City in January 2003.

Musicians

Marie Fredriksson — lead and background vocals; piano (track 12); mixing
Per Gessle — lead and background vocals; guitars (tracks 1, 9–11, 13–15); harmonica (track 7); kazoo (track 11); engineering; programming and mixing
Per "Pelle" Alsing — drums (tracks 2, 7, 8)
Anders Herrlin — bass guitar (tracks 7–11); background vocals (track 4); engineering and programming (tracks 2–10)
Michael Ilbert — synthesizer (track 12); engineering, programming and mixing (tracks 11–13, 15)
Jonas Isacsson — guitars (tracks 2–8, 10, 14, 15); harmonica (track 6)
Christer Jansson — drums (tracks 13–15)
Christoffer Lundquist — background vocals (tracks 12, 14, 15); bass guitar (tracks 1, 14, 15); electric guitar (tracks 1, 14)
Clarence Öfwerman — keyboards (tracks 2–10, 13–15); background vocals (track 4); string arrangement (track 11); engineering, programming and mixing
Staffan Öfwerman — background vocals (tracks 6–9); percussion (track 8); choir conducting (track 12)
Mats "MP" Persson — electric guitar (tracks 1, 11); drums (track 9); keyboards and tremolo guitar (track 14); engineering (tracks 1, 8)
Alar Suurna — tambourine (track 9); engineering and mixing (tracks 2–10)

Additional musicians and technical personnel Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break

Jonas Åkerlund — art direction and design layout
Micke "Nord" Andersson — drums and tambourine (track 11); acoustic guitar (track 12)
Vicki Benckert — background vocals (track 8)
Karla Collantes — choir vocals (track 12)
Marie Dimberg — management
Mattias Edwall — photography
Malin Gille — choir vocals (track 12)
Cecilia Grothén — choir vocals (track 12)
Mats Holmquist — string arrangements and conducting (tracks 10, 11, 13)

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Henrik Janson — talkbox (track 4)
Ronny Lahti — engineering (tracks 1, 13, 14)
Sven Lindström — liner notes
Chris Lord-Alge — mixing (track 3)
Jalle Lorensson — harmonica (track 4)
Paulina Nilsson — choir vocals (track 12)
Björn Norén — strings and horns recording engineer (track 11)
Jackie Öfwerman — choir vocals (track 12)
Janne Oldaeus — slide guitar (track 4)
Darina Rönn-Brolin — choir vocals (track 12)

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Sarah Sheppard — art direction and design layout
Shooting Star — programming (tracks 13, 14)
Per "Pelle" Sirén — electric guitar (track 9)
Stockholm Session Strings— orchestration (track 13)
Stockholms Nya Kammarorkester (credited as SNYKO) — orchestration (tracks 10, 11)
Sveriges Radios Symfoniorkester — woodwind quartet (track 11)