Charm School (Roxette Album)
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''Charm School'' is the eighth studio album by Swedish pop duo
Roxette Roxette is a Swedish pop rock duo originally consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, both of whom were already established musicians in Sweden prior to the band's formation. Fredriksson had released a number of successful solo albums, ...
, released on 11 February 2011 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol. It was their first studio album since 2001's ''
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'', and their first since vocalist
Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist, and lead vocalist of pop-rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo achieved international success in the late 1980s an ...
's brain tumour diagnosis in 2002. " She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" preceded the album as its
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
, which became the duo's highest-peaking single in almost two decades in territories such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The song also entered ''
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''s
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—making Roxette the only duo who appeared on that chart in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. The album received mixed reviews, particularly from the Swedish press, who criticised it for being too similar to the band's earlier work, although others commended it for mixing various styles from throughout their discography. International reception was more positive; it was chosen as
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's 'Album of the Week'. The record was a commercial success upon release, becoming their first number one album since the early 1990s in countries such as Germany and Switzerland. It was certified gold in the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland, and platinum in Germany. Within a year of release, the album sold over of 500,000 copies worldwide. On 28 November 2011, the record was re-released as ''Charm School Revisited'', with a bonus disc containing demo versions of every song from the album, plus remixes of "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" and subsequent single "
Speak to Me "Speak to Me" is the first track on English rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', on which it forms an overture. Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track, though recollections differ as to the reas ...
". " Way Out" was also released as a single, while "No One Makes It on Her Own" was issued as a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
. The album was promoted by " The Neverending World Tour", which ran until 2016, when Fredriksson was advised by doctors to cease touring activity due to poor health.


Background

Roxette Roxette is a Swedish pop rock duo originally consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle, both of whom were already established musicians in Sweden prior to the band's formation. Fredriksson had released a number of successful solo albums, ...
released their seventh studio album, ''
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'', in 2001, and it was promoted by their first concert tour in six years. On 11 September 2002, vocalist
Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist, and lead vocalist of pop-rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo achieved international success in the late 1980s an ...
collapsed in her bathroom; the impact of the fall fractured her
cranium The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
, and she had an
epileptic seizure A seizure is a sudden, brief disruption of brain activity caused by abnormal, excessive, or synchronous neuronal firing. Depending on the regions of the brain involved, seizures can lead to changes in movement, sensation, behavior, awareness, o ...
.
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indicated she had a brain tumour in the back of her head. The diagnosis led to the cancellation of Roxette's planned performance at the 2002
Night of the Proms Night of the Proms is a series of concerts held annually in Belgium (since 1985), the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg. Regularly there are also shows in France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Denmark, the United States and Sweden. The c ...
concert series. After waiting several weeks for the fracture to subside, she underwent successful surgery to remove the
malignant Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse; the term is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous benign tumor, ''benign'' tumor in that a malig ...
tumour, followed by months of
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
and
radiation treatment Radiation therapy or radiotherapy (RT, RTx, or XRT) is a treatment using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer therapy to either kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is normally delivered by a linear particle ac ...
. Fredriksson was unable to speak for a considerable period of time afterward, remained unable to read, and was left blind in one eye; she also had limited hearing and mobility. Despite this, she collaborated with her husband Mikael Bolyos to release two solo albums over the proceeding years: '' The Change'' in 2004 and '' Min bäste vän'' – an album of Swedish covers – in 2006. Roxette's other permanent member,
Per Gessle Per HÃ¥kan Gessle (; born 12 January 1959) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the male half and primary songwriter of the pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was disbande ...
, also released several critically and commercially successful solo albums during this period, including '' Mazarin'' (2003) and '' Son of a Plumber'' (2005), as well as
Gyllene Tider Gyllene Tider (; "Golden Times") is a Swedish pop group fronted by Roxette singer, guitarist, and songwriter Per Gessle. They are one of the best-selling Swedish bands ever and have had numerous hits in Scandinavia, starting with their break ...
's '' Finn 5 fel!'' (2004). All of Gessle's albums were produced by him alongside collaborators Clarence Öfwerman and Christoffer Lundquist. In June 2006, Roxette, together with Öfwerman and Lundquist, reconvened to record two new songs – " One Wish" and " Reveal" – for their
greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
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'' A Collection of Roxette Hits: Their 20 Greatest Songs!''. Following this, Fredriksson featured as a guest vocalist on multiple tracks of Bolyos' collaborative album '' A Family Affair'', released in June 2007, and issued the compilation ''
Tid för tystnad ''Tid för tystnad – Marie Fredrikssons ballader'' (''Time for Silence – Marie Fredriksson's Ballads'') is a compilation album by Swedish singer-songwriter Marie Fredriksson, released on 28 November 2007 by Capitol Records in conjunction with ...
– Marie Fredrikssons ballader'' five months later, as well as the non-album single " Där du andas" in 2008. Later that year, she took part in the "Stjärnklart" series of concerts, which saw her performing an abbreviated set alongside other vocalists in Swedish
concert hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage (theatre), stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention ...
s. She also curated
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of her artwork in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
and
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, while Gessle released two more solo albums: '' En händig man'' in 2007 and ''
Party Crasher Party Crasher may refer to: * ''Party Crasher'' (album), a 2008 album by Per Gessle * Party crasher, a person who attends invite-only events without an invitation * '' Partycrasher'', a 2013 album by A Wilhelm Scream * "Party Crasher" (''Modern F ...
'' in 2008. On the 4 May 2009 date of Gessle's " Party Crasher Tour" in
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, he and his band were joined on-stage by Fredriksson to perform renditions of "
The Look "The Look" is a song by Swedish pop duo Roxette. It was released in early 1989 as the fourth single from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). It became an international hit, and was one of the most successful singles of 1989. It t ...
" and "
It Must Have Been Love "It Must Have Been Love", originally "It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted)", is a song written by Per Gessle and performed by the Swedish pop duo Roxette. The power ballad became the duo's third number one hit in the Unite ...
". Immediately after this gig, Gessle announced to Swedish publication ''
Aftonbladet (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish language, Swedish daily tabloid newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lar ...
'' that Roxette would perform at the 2009 edition of Night of the Proms, which began on 23 October 2009 and consisted of 42 dates in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. On the same date that this tour began, Swedish newspaper ''
Expressen (''The Express'') is one of two nationwide evening newspapers in Sweden. Describing itself as independent liberal, was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and its slogans are "it stings" or " to your rescue". The newspaper awards the cultu ...
'' reported that Roxette were recording new songs, with Gessle confirming that he had been working on material for a new Roxette album since May 2009.


Recording and production

Sixteen songs were recorded for ''Charm School'', twelve of which appear on the album. Gessle and his Gyllene Tider bandmate Mats "M.P." Persson recorded demos for the album at their Tits & Ass recording studio in
Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational urban areas of Sweden, city at the mouth of the Nissan (river), Nissan river, in the provinces of Sweden, province of Halland on the Sweden, Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat ...
between 2009 and 2011, with the exception of "Happy On the Outside", which was demoed in August 2005. Backing tracks were recorded in Christoffer Lundquist's converted barn studio in Vallarum in the south of Sweden – The Aerosol Grey Machine – while Fredriksson's vocals were recorded in Atlantis Studios in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. Gessle's intention with the album was to "re-create the classic Rox ttesound, without being too nostalgic. There are certain interesting things happening when Marie and I start to sing together. We love that. But we don't want to repeat ourselves too much." Every song on the record was composed solely by Gessle, making it the first Roxette studio album to not feature writing contributions from either Fredriksson or Persson. Despite this, Gessle said of "No One Makes It on Her Own": "I wrote it with the intention of Marie singing it, but when she did tart singing the lyricI thought, 'Wow! This is spot on!'. Marie was really telling the story of her life, and that was all done subconsciously. I hadn't thought of that. hereally made that song erown." The album does not include a title track; "Charm School" later appeared on the duo's next studio album, '' Travelling'' (2012), under the title "Touched By the Hand of God". Several songs contained on the album were originally written several decades before they were released. "Only When I Dream" was written in 1998 and first recorded during sessions for the duo's 1999 album '' Have a Nice Day''. "In My Own Way" and the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...
of album closer "Sitting on Top of the World" were written in the early 1980s. "In My Own Way" had previously been recorded by two other artists. In 1989, a Swedish version of the song – titled "En gång i livet" ("Once in a Lifetime") – had been released as the title track to a studio album by singer-songwriter
Niklas Strömstedt Bo Anders Niklas Strömstedt (born 25 July 1958) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and actor. Early life Bo Anders Niklas Strömstedt was born on 25 July 1958 in Lund, Sweden, to Gunhild Margareta (née Henriksson) and Bo Eugén Strömstedt. S ...
. An English version of the song would later appear on
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
singer
Jill Johnson Jill Anna Maria Johnson (born 24 May 1973) is a Swedish country and pop singer, songwriter and TV-host. She performed in the Melodifestivalen 1998 contest, winning with the song " Kärleken är" ("Love Is"), and represented Sweden at the Euro ...
's 1996 album '' Sugartree''.


Release and promotion

" She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" preceded the album as its
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
when it was released in January 2011. The song became a substantial hit in continental Europe, and was their most successful single in Germany since 1992's " How Do You Do!", where it peaked at number ten and spent over five months on the
German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official charts for music, home video, and video games in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on be ...
. It peaked at number nine in Austria, making it their highest-peaking single there since 1994's "
Sleeping in My Car "Sleeping in My Car" is a song by Swedish pop music duo Roxette, released on 7 March 1994 by EMI Records as the lead single from the duo's fifth studio album, '' Crash! Boom! Bang!'' (1994). The song was composed by Per Gessle in under an hour, a ...
". The song reached number nineteen in Switzerland—their highest-peaking single in that country since " Wish I Could Fly" in 1999. It also peaked at number 30 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s
Adult Contemporary Chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stati ...
, making Roxette the only duo to appear on that chart during each of the last four consecutive decades. The album was issued on CD and
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
formats – and via
online music store A digital music store is a business that sells digital audio files of music recordings over the Internet. Customers gain ownership of a license to use the files, in contrast to a music streaming service, where they listen to recordings withou ...
s such as
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– throughout Europe from 11 February 2011, with a release in the United Kingdom following on 28 March, and in the United States in July. Deluxe CD editions of the album included a bonus disc of 12 live tracks, recorded in
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,
Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational urban areas of Sweden, city at the mouth of the Nissan (river), Nissan river, in the provinces of Sweden, province of Halland on the Sweden, Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat ...
and
Stavanger Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...
during their 2010 tour. "
Speak to Me "Speak to Me" is the first track on English rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, ''The Dark Side of the Moon'', on which it forms an overture. Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track, though recollections differ as to the reas ...
" and " Way Out" were issued as subsequent singles, although they both failed to appear on any international sales charts, peaking instead on numerous airplay charts. "No One Makes It on Her Own" was issued as a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
in late 2011, while an animated music video created by fan Tanya Rush became the song's official video when it was uploaded to the band's YouTube channel. On 28 November 2011, the album was re-released under the title ''Charm School Revisited''. This edition included a bonus disc containing demo recordings of every song on the original album, plus remixes of "Speak to Me" and "She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio)" by Bassflow,
Adrian Lux Prinz Adrian Johannes Hynne, better known as Adrian Lux (born 1 May 1986), is a Swedish disc jockey and music producer. His biggest chart success is " Teenage Crime". Adrian Lux released his debut album on the 3rd of April, 2012. The self-titled a ...
and Adam Rickfors. The record was promoted by the "Charm School World Tour", a leg of the long-running concert series " The Neverending World Tour", which ran until 2016 when Fredriksson was advised by her doctors to cease all touring activity due to poor health.


Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews from the Swedish press. Anders Nunstedt from ''Expressen'' described it as "a clear return to the successful sound from when Roxette's name was recognisable all over the world. Just a little more boring, and without the previous charm." He summarised his review by saying: "''Charm School'' is typical, middle-of-the-road pop at 70
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with no specific destination. Consistent, but not adventurous. If you've heard three songs, you've heard the whole record." This sentiment was echoed by '' Västerbottens Folkblad'', who wrote that it contained "the same straight and easily accessible pop that made them famous all over the world. With the difference now that it is a little less compelling." They also criticised the record for an absence of obvious hit singles, as did the ''
Göteborgs-Posten (), abbreviated GP, is a major Swedish language, Swedish-language daily newspaper published in Gothenburg, Sweden. History and profile was first published in 1813, but ceased publication in 1822. It re-appeared in 1850. Publication seven day ...
'', who complained that "above all, the music feels dated. With a few exceptions, it sounds like the Roxette I remember from 1991." ''
Svenska Dagbladet (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily List of Swedish newspapers, newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the 1900s the pap ...
'' gave a scathing review, scoring the album one star and writing: "Often I found myself thinking about how there is too much pop music, to ever be able to find a single reason for this album's existence." ''
Dagens Nyheter (, ), abbreviated ''DN'', is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It is published in Stockholm and aspires to full national and international coverage, and is widely considered Sweden's newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major nationa ...
'' was more positive, calling the album "impressive". Ulf Gustavsson from ''
Upsala Nya Tidning ''Upsala Nya Tidning'' or ''UNT'' (meaning ''Upsala New Newspaper'' in English) is a regional daily newspaper published in Uppsala (archaically spelled Upsala), Sweden. History and profile ''Upsala Nya Tidning'' was established in 1890. The dist ...
'' commended ''Charm School'' for mixing various styles from Roxette's discography, from the "early
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
model 'The Look', and also their less popular but musically more adventurous mid-term, as well as drawing on Per Gessles romantic
psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...
on issolo project, ''Son of a Plumber''." He went on to call it one of Roxette's best albums while praising Fredriksson's vocals. Although they gave the album a mixed review, a writer for ''
Nöjesguiden ''Nöjesguiden'' (Swedish language, Swedish for "the entertainment guide") is a Nordic free-of-charge young adult monthly magazine, available in the major cities in Sweden, which was established in 1982. It is also published in a similar format ...
'' also complimented Fredriksson's voice, highlighting "I'm Glad You Called" as the album's best song; they were critical of Gessle's singing, saying the record would have been better had Fredriksson sang lead vocals on every track. ''
Östgöta Correspondenten ''Östgöta Correspondenten'', commonly known as ''Corren'', is a daily Swedish language newspaper in Linköping, Sweden. History and profile ''Östgöta Correspondenten'' was first published in Linköping in 1838. The founder of the paper was H ...
'' praised Gessle's songwriting for incorporating elements of 1960s rock and roll, 1970s R&B and other contemporary influences. Conversely, the album's international reception was generally positive. It was chosen as
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's 'Album of the Week' for the week commencing 21 March 2011. It received a positive review from
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
critic Chris Roberts, who commented: "''Charm School'' is loaded with punchy, hook-riddled anthems that can only be described as absolute belters. From the opening surge of 'Way Out', a sonic sibling to
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
's '
I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker (musician), Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows (British band), Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ...
' only even bigger, louder and dumber, this album consummately achieves its goals and then some." Brandon Veevers of
Renowned for Sound ''Renowned for Sound'' is an Australian online magazine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print ...
called the album "a truly inspiring collection of all that we love about Roxette." The AU Review gave a mixed review, writing that the album "is, sporadically, as advertised: charming in sections, but barely as charming as that which we've come to expect from the duo."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote: "Roxette may be a band out of time on ''Charm School'' but, well, that's their charm: they're still unapologetically big pop, they still celebrate melody over everything else." ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' magazine rated ''Charm School'' the 15th best pop album of 2011.


Commercial performance

The record performed well commercially upon release, topping the charts in numerous territories including the Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland. The album was certified gold in each of these countries, indicating shipments in excess of 5,000, 100,000 and 15,000 units respectively. The record spent over six months on the
German Albums Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official charts for music, home video, and video games in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on be ...
, and by the release of Roxette's next studio album, ''Travelling'', the following year, ''Charm School'' had been certified platinum by the
Bundesverband Musikindustrie The ( English: Federal Music Industry Association), or simply BVMI, represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 280 labels and music industry related enterprises, which comprise 90% of the music i ...
for shipments of over 200,000 copies. It ended 2011 as the 26th best-selling album in the country, and was the 19th best-selling album of the year in neighbouring Switzerland. It also performed well in the duo's native Sweden, peaking at number two and eventually being certified gold by the
Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF) (English: Swedish Recording Industry Association), was an organisation representing the music recording industry of Sweden. It compiled and published the official record charts for the Swedish music recordi ...
for shipments in excess of 20,000 units. It peaked at number two in Austria as well, and finished 2011 as the 56th best-selling album in that country. The album also performed well internationally, peaking within the top twenty in Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Spain. It peaked at number 49 on the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
to become Roxette's first top fifty studio album in Australia since 1994's '' Crash! Boom! Bang!''. However, ''Charm School'' underperformed in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 122. As of January 2012, the record has sold over half a million copies worldwide.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Charm School''. * Roxette are
Per Gessle Per HÃ¥kan Gessle (; born 12 January 1959) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the male half and primary songwriter of the pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was disbande ...
and
Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist, and lead vocalist of pop-rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo achieved international success in the late 1980s an ...
* Recorded at Tits & Ass Studio in
Halmstad Halmstad () is a port, university, industrial and recreational urban areas of Sweden, city at the mouth of the Nissan (river), Nissan river, in the provinces of Sweden, province of Halland on the Sweden, Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat ...
, The Aerosol Grey Machine in Vallarum and Atlantis Studio in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden between May 2010 and September 2011 * All songs mixed by Ronny Lahti, except tracks 3, 4, 8 and 12 by Christoffer Lundquist *
Mastered Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will be ...
by Tom Coyne at
Sterling Sound Studios George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...
, New York City Musicians * Marie Fredriksson – lead and
background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
* Per Gessle – lead and background vocals, guitars, record producer * Jens Jansson – drums * Christoffer Lundquist – bass, guitars, keyboards, programming,
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
, production,
string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
arrangements * Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards, programming, production, string arrangements Additional musicians and technical personnel * Mikael Bolyos – photography * Emil Carlsson – violin * Marie Dimberg – artist management * Tomas Ebrelius – violin * Gabriel Gessle – photography * Lennart Haglund – assistant studio engineer * Ulf Magnusson – photography * Ekaterina Melinkaya – photography * Mats Nilemar –
business management Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...
* Mats "M.P." Persson – demo recording engineer * Important Pete – photography * Lotta Weber Sjöholm – cello * Johanna Skoglund –
viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
* Pär Wickholm – album cover and sleeve design


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications

, - !scope="row", Czech Republic (
ÄŒNS IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
) , Gold , 5,000^ , - !scope="row", Worldwide , , 500,000 , -


Release history


References

Notes Citations


External links

* * * {{Authority control 2011 albums Roxette albums Capitol Records albums