Few pop ballads have had the enduring emotional impact of It Must Have Been Love, the song that transformed Roxette from a successful European pop duo into global superstars. Decades after its release, the track remains one of the most recognisable love songs of the late 20th century, its melancholy melody and raw sincerity continuing to resonate with listeners around the world.
For Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, the duo behind Roxette, the song’s journey was anything but straightforward. It Must Have Been Love began life not as a sweeping pop anthem, but as a quiet, seasonal track written for a Swedish Christmas film. At the time, neither artist imagined it would one day define their international legacy.
The original version was gentle and understated, performed in Swedish and tied closely to the film’s winter setting. It carried a sense of loss and reflection, but it was not designed to dominate global charts. That changed when Roxette’s growing international profile caught the attention of Hollywood.
In the late 1980s, Roxette were riding a wave of success following hits such as The Look and Listen to Your Heart. Their blend of pop hooks and emotional storytelling appealed to a worldwide audience, particularly in the United States. When filmmakers behind the romantic comedy Pretty Woman went searching for a song to underscore the film’s emotional climax, Roxette were an unexpected but perfect fit.
To adapt the track for the film, the duo made several changes. Seasonal references were removed, the lyrics were translated into English, and the arrangement was expanded to give the song a broader, more cinematic feel. What emerged was a bittersweet ballad that perfectly captured the tension between love found and love lost.
The result was extraordinary. When Pretty Woman was released, It Must Have Been Love became inseparable from the film’s emotional core. The song shot to the top of charts around the world, cementing Roxette’s place in pop history and introducing Marie Fredriksson’s powerful, expressive voice to millions of new listeners.
With success came intensity. Roxette’s rise to global fame was accompanied by relentless touring, media attention, and fan devotion that often crossed into chaos. Fans camped outside hotels, chased tour buses, and took souvenirs whenever they could. Stories from that period include clothes stolen from dressing rooms and even parts taken from cars, such as aerials removed as keepsakes.
Despite the frenzy, the duo remained grounded in their creative partnership. Per Gessle’s songwriting and Marie Fredriksson’s vocal interpretation formed a balance that gave Roxette their distinctive sound. While Gessle often crafted melodies and lyrics, Fredriksson brought emotional depth and vulnerability that elevated the songs beyond standard pop fare.
It Must Have Been Love stood apart even within their own catalogue. Unlike many of their upbeat hits, the song allowed space for restraint and sadness. Its success proved that mainstream pop audiences were willing to embrace vulnerability and heartbreak alongside danceable optimism.
Over time, the song became a fixture of weddings, breakups, films, and personal memories. Its universal theme — the quiet ache of a love that once felt certain — ensured its longevity far beyond the era that produced it.
For Marie Fredriksson, the song held particular significance. Known for her commanding stage presence, she also carried a deep emotional sensitivity that shaped her performances. Her delivery on It Must Have Been Love remains one of the defining vocal moments of her career, marked by control, warmth, and aching restraint.
The later years of Roxette’s story were shaped by profound challenges. Fredriksson’s health struggles led to periods away from the spotlight, forcing the duo to slow down and eventually step back from touring. Through it all, It Must Have Been Love remained a constant, a reminder of both their greatest success and the emotional honesty that fueled it.
Following Fredriksson’s death, the song has taken on new meaning for fans and for Gessle himself. What was once a fictional reflection on romantic loss now feels intertwined with real grief and remembrance. Performances and re-releases are often accompanied by tributes, underscoring how deeply the song is tied to Fredriksson’s voice and presence.
Looking back, the creation of It Must Have Been Love feels almost accidental — a modest song reshaped by timing, collaboration, and cultural moment. Yet its endurance suggests something more deliberate at work: a rare alignment of melody, lyric, and emotional truth.
Today, the song stands as a reminder that pop music’s greatest moments are not always born from grand ambition. Sometimes, they emerge quietly, shaped by vulnerability and circumstance, and grow into something far larger than their creators ever expected.
In the end, It Must Have Been Love is more than a soundtrack hit or a chart-topping single. It is a testament to Roxette’s ability to capture human emotion with simplicity and sincerity, and to the power of a song that continues to speak softly — and honestly — to generations of listeners.
