Photo: Marie Dimberg (Dimberg Management), Per Gessle, Mike McCormack 

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed a worldwide administration deal (excluding Nordic Region and Baltic States) to represent Per Gessle for the entire Roxette catalogue (with Marie Fredriksson), along with certain other songs. 

Per Gessle is one of Scandinavia’s all-time most successful artists and songwriters. With a gift for catchy hooks, both musically and lyrically, he has composed chart-topping pop hits for more than three decades. He found global recognition as a songwriter and artist through his collaboration with singer Marie Fredriksson in Roxette. The winning combination of Gessle’s songs and Fredriksson’s voice led to huge worldwide success - selling over 75 million records and making them one of Sweden’s most commercially successful bands, second only to ABBA. 

In making the announcement, UMPG UK Managing Director Mike McCormack said: "Roxette’s phenomenal song collection has a place in the hearts of music lovers across generations, with a longevity that has few comparisons. Per wrote all of his and Roxette’s massive worldwide hits almost exclusively on his own, which is extremely rare in the pop marketplace where multiple writers are usually involved in each song. This gives the songs real personality and a sense of fun – and always with a killer chorus. We’re incredibly honoured and excited to have been selected to represent the catalogue.”

Roxette have had 4 US No. 1 singles, 6 UK top 10s, and an incredible run of hit singles and albums resulting in staggering record sales and multiple Platinum certifications worldwide. The duo’s second album ‘Look Sharp!’ (1988) earned Roxette worldwide acclaim and paved the way for a continuous string of hits: ‘The Look’, Listen To Your Heart’, ‘Dressed For Success’, ‘It Must Have Been Love’ (famously featured in the Pretty Woman soundtrack), ‘Joyride’, ‘Fading Like A Flower’ and many more. Third album ‘Joyride’ became their bestselling LP, and the accompanying tour was the first of several worldwide arena tours. Almost 30 years after they first tasted chart success, their last tour (2016) sold out arenas across the globe - testament to the quality and power of the songwriting.