"Dressed for Success" is a song by Swedish

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

duo Roxette, released in Europe, on 3 August 1988 as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut 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. Release s ...

from their second studio album, '' Look Sharp!'' (1988). Following the international success 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. I ...

" – the album's third single in their home country, but the first to be released outside of Sweden – "Dressed for Success" was re-issued internationally in 1989 and became a worldwide hit, most notably in Australia, where it peaked in the top three and was certified platinum by

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...

(ARIA).

Recording

The recording of the song was marked by a dispute between the band members, but this apparently contributed to the strength of Marie's performance.

"I was so mad when I did it. Everything about that session went wrong, we argued about the arrangement, we changed the key, I was dead tired of the song when I went in to do a guide vocal. Did it in one blast and suddenly realized, 'hmm... this is it'." —
Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, who was best known internationally as the lead vocalist of pop rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo ...
, ''
Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! ''Don't Bore Us - Get to the Chorus! Roxette's Greatest Hits'' is the first greatest hits compilation album by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 30 October 1995 by EMI. The record contains the duo's four number ones from the US ''Billboard' ...
'' liner notes.

Critical reception

In an ironic review of 15 July 1989 the Johnny Dee, observer of British music newspaper ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'', placed it into "thumbs-down section" but expressed regret by saying that "isn't all that bad". As per him song has "a nifty beat". Bryan Buss from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

described the song as "punchy" and "hopeful". '' Music & Media'' commented, "Another relentless pop song from the Swedish duo. Reminiscent of

but this time the emphasis is more on Marie Frederiksson's vocals".

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for the song mostly revolves around the duo performing together in "nightclub ruins" (similar to those featured in their previous video, "

", also directed by Peter Heath) as several dancers and groups of party-goers sway to the song.

Formats and track listings

All songs were written and composed by

Per Gessle Per Håkan 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 Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, which he formed with Marie Fredriksson in 1986 and which was ...

. * US 7-inch and cassette single (50204; 4JM-50204) # "Dressed for Success" – 4:19 # "

" (album version) – 4:11 * Swedish and UK 7-inch single (1363207; EM96) * UK cassette single (TCEM96) # "Dressed for Success" – 4:19 # "The Voice" – 4:16 * Sweden 12-inch single (1363216) # "Dressed for Success" (The Look Sharp! remix) – 7:50 # "Dressed for Success" (instrumental) – 4:13 # "Dressed for Success" (7-inch version) – 4:13 # "The Voice" – 4:16 * UK 12-inch single (12EM96) # "Dressed for Success" (remix) – 6:30 # "The Look" (Big Red mix) – 7:32 # "The Voice" – 4:16 * US CD single (DPRO-04295) # "Dressed for Success" (7-inch version) – 4:16 # "Dressed for Success" (Look Sharp! mix) – 4:52 * UK CD single (CDEM96) # "Dressed for Success" (7-inch version) – 4:13 # "The Look" (7-inch version) – 3:57 # "Dressed for Success" (remix) – 6:30 # "The Voice" – 4:16

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''

The Rox Box/Roxette 86–06 ''The Roxbox (Roxette 86-06)'' is a boxed set compilation by Swedish pop duo Roxette, released on 18 October 2006 by Roxette Recordings and Capitol. It is an expanded companion piece to the single-disc greatest hits album '' A Collection of Ro ...

''. * Recorded between May and June 1988 at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden) * Mixed at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden) * Single version mixed The Grey Room, Los Angeles Musicians *

Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, who was best known internationally as the lead vocalist of pop rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo ...

– lead and background vocals *

– lead and background vocals, mixing * Anders Herrlin – programming,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

* Jonas Isacsson – electric and acoustic guitars *

Clarence Öfwerman Clarence Öfwerman (born 22 November 1957) is a Swedish record producer, best known as the longtime producer of Roxette, having been with the band from their debut album '' Pearls of Passion'' in 1986 through to 2016's '' Good Karma'', Roxette ...

– keyboards, programming,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

, mixing * Alar Suurna – mixing, engineering *

Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...

(single version)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dressed For Success 1988 songs 1988 singles EMI Records singles Roxette songs Songs written by Per Gessle