Vinyl Review: Roxette – Don’t Bore Us – Get to the Chorus! (30th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue)

For Roxette fans, Don’t Bore Us – Get to the Chorus! holds a place of near-reverence. If The Immaculate Collection is Madonna’s definitive hits chronicle, and HIStory represents Michael Jackson at his peak, this 1995 compilation is that milestone for the Swedish duo who are only second to fellow pop heavyweights ABBA when it comes to Swedish international success. While Roxette continued releasing excellent singles long after its debut, and despite multiple greatest-hits collections in the years since, Don’t Bore Us – Get to the Chorus! remains the holy grail. It’s the album that captured lightning in a bottle, preserving Roxette at their commercial and creative zenith.

One of the many key parts of its enduring magic lies in the four previously unreleased tracks that opened and closed the original release. Even now, songs like the bubblegum-bright summer anthem June Afternoon, the Desmond Child co-write I Don’t Understand Me, the roaring guitar-driven She Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and the gorgeous, aching ballad I Don’t Want to Get Hurt feel like rare jewels. These tracks gave the compilation a sense of exclusivity no subsequent greatest-hits package has ever matched.

Earlier this year, when we spoke with Per Gessle about Roxette’s return to touring, we were proud to be among the first to confirm that this landmark album would finally receive a 30th Anniversary vinyl reissue. Beyond celebrating a milestone, this release rescues a once-rare collector’s item from obscurity. The original vinyl pressing was so limited that it quickly became one of Roxette’s most sought-after artifacts. For fans who missed it the first time around, this is a long-overdue chance to own a piece of pop history.

The artwork alone is a wave of nostalgia. The iconic photograph of Per and Marie, their casual stance, the height contrast, Marie’s charisma, was burned into my teenage memory during long drives around New Zealand with the album on repeat. The neon track-listing added extra charm. That image resonated so strongly that this review and life-long Roxer eventually had it tattooed on his leg so seeing it restored on vinyl now is genuinely special.

This 30th Anniversary edition is available on standard black vinyl and a striking limited-edition purple. It gathers the essentials from Roxette’s most successful era, spanning Look Sharp!, Joyride, and Crash! Boom! Bang!, along with soundtrack contributions and the four exclusive tracks. Naturally, all the heavy-hitters are present: The Look, Joyride, Dangerous, Spending My Time, and the global phenomenon It Must Have Been Love, which has recently surpassed 900 million streams on Spotify. Roxette’s place as one of Sweden’s most successful musical exports, over 75 million albums sold and more Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s than any other Swedish act, is unmistakable.

That said, this reissue isn’t without quirks. The inclusion of the Brian Malouf US single mix of Joyride is puzzling, as it’s noticeably thinner than the original album version, lacking the fullness that made the track iconic. Longtime fans will immediately hear the difference. Likewise, adding Wish I Could Fly and Milk and Toast and Honey from later albums, Have a Nice Day (1999) and Room Service (2001), interrupts the 1988–1995 focus that made the original compilation so cohesive. Even the reshuffled track numbering slightly chips away at the nostalgia for those who memorized every detail of the original running order. Small issues, but for dedicated “Roxers,” they matter. Don’t get me wrong – these two songs are masterpieces and I am especially find of Wish I Could Fly as I regard their techo-tinged Have A Nice Day album as my all-time favourite album, but they seem out of place here.

Yet these quibbles barely dent the significance of the release. Don’t Bore Us – Get to the Chorus! wasn’t just a greatest-hits compilation, it was a global phenomenon, selling over seven million copies and cementing Roxette’s legacy. To have it back in print decades after the original vinyl vanished is cause for celebration, especially as Per returns to the stage under the Roxette name for the first time in over ten years.

This 30th Anniversary reissue is more than a simple re-release. It’s a reunion, with memories, with melodies, and with the unmistakable spark of Per and Marie’s songwriting chemistry. For longtime fans, it’s a treasured keepsake; for newcomers, it’s the perfect entry point. And for the Roxette legacy, it’s a reminder of just how enduringly these songs resonate.

Brendon Veevers

::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.