"Listen to Your Heart" is a song by Swedish rock duo Roxette, originally released in Sweden in September 1988 by Parlophone and EMI as the second single from the duo's second studio album, Look Sharp! (1988). It was written by Per Gessle with former Gyllene Tider guitarist Mats "M.P." Persson, and produced by Clarence Öfwerman. The song went on to become one of the most successful singles of 1989, reaching number one in both the United States and Canada around November 1989. The track was the first song to reach number one in the US without a commercially released 7-inch single.
"Listen to Your Heart" originally peaked at number 62 in the UK when it was released there in October 1989. However, following the success of "It Must Have Been Love", the track was reissued as a double A-side with "Dangerous" in August 1990, upon which it reached a chart peak of number six on the UK Singles Chart. Its accompanying music video was directed by Doug Freel and filmed in Sweden. In 2005, Belgian trance act DHT released a remixed version of the song featuring Edmée for their album Listen to Your Heart, which became a top-10 hit in numerous territories, including France, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
Composition and style Per Gessle described "Listen to Your Heart" in the liner notes of Roxette's 1995 greatest hits compilation Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus! as "The Big Bad Ballad. This is us trying to recreate that overblown American FM-rock sound to the point where it almost becomes absurd. We really wanted to see how far we could take it." Its lyrics were inspired by a close friend of Gessle's, who was in "emotional turmoil, stuck between an old relationship and a new love. A year later, I call him up in the middle of the night after a few too many glasses of champagne, saying 'Hey, you're number one in the States.'"
According to Ultimate Guitar, the track is an alternative rock ballad, with a moderately slow tempo of 86 beats per minute. The verses are made up of three repeating sequences of Bm–G–A and one additional sequence of Bm–G–Em. The first two choruses are composed of two repetitions of a Bm–G–D–A sequence, followed by an extended sequence of D–A–G–D–Bm–G–A–Bm. The bridge consists of E–C♯m–B–A–B–C♯. The final chorus has been modified up by two full tones it consists of two repetitions of D♯m–B–F♯–C♯, followed by a sequence of F♯–C♯–B–F♯–D♯m–B–C♯–D♯m–B, with the final four notes being repeated for the outro.
Seven different versions of the song were released: the original album version; the "Swedish Single Edit", a slightly edited version included on subsequent greatest hits compilations; the "US Remix", used in the music video; the "AC Mix", which is similar to the "US Remix" but with the guitar in the bridge replaced by a saxophone; shorter edits of the aforementioned 2 versions, which cut some parts from the last refrain; and the 7-inch single version, which fades out shortly after the last refrain, omitting most of the outro.
Critical reception In his review of the Look Sharp! album, Bryan Buss from AllMusic felt the song is "bland" and "overproduced". Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Already doing well in the US, this semi-ballad has all the ingredients of a major worldwide hit. This time it seems that the Swedes have beaten the Americans at their own game." In 1990, David Giles from Music Week called it "another big hit", adding that "this single is anything to go by — it made history by reaching number one despite being available on cassette only."
Music video Doug Freel directed the song's music video, which was filmed during a live performance at the Borgholm Castle ruin on the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Öland. Freel and the video's production crew believed the ruin to have been created especially for the video. Gessle said: "It took some time to convince them that the place actually was for real." On 14 February 2025, Roxette released a 1080p remastered version of the music video to their official YouTube channel; the remaster uses a different mix of the song from the original version.
The song has been performed on all of Roxette's concert tours. On the Look Sharp! Live Tour and Join the Joyride! Tour, it was performed in its original, power ballad style, although it has been performed in an acoustic version on all tours since the Crash! Boom! Bang! Tour in 1994.
Formats and track listings All lyrics were written by Per Gessle. All music was composed by Gessle except "Listen to Your Heart" by Gessle and Mats Persson and "Half a Woman, Half a Shadow" by Marie Fredriksson.
European 7-inch single (Sweden 1363237 · UK EM108) European cassette (UK TCEM108) "Listen to Your Heart" – 5:12 "(I Could Never) Give You Up" – 3:59
US 7-inch single (B-50223) US cassette (4JM-50223) "Listen to Your Heart" – 5:12 "Half a Woman, Half a Shadow" – 3:33
CD single (UK CDEM108) "Listen to Your Heart" (single mix) – 5:14 "Dressed for Success" (new radio mix) – 3:56 "(I Could Never) Give You Up" – 3:58 "Neverending Love" (live) – 3:31
CD single (1990 UK and Ireland reissue) (UK CDEM149) "Listen to Your Heart" (Swedish single version) – 5:12 "Dangerous" – 3:46 "Listen to Your Heart" (US mix) – 4:53 "Dangerous" (U.S. club edit) – 3:46
Credits and personnel Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Ballad Hits.
Recording Recorded in August 1988 at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden) Mixed at EMI Studios (Stockholm, Sweden)
Musicians Marie Fredriksson – lead and background vocals Per Gessle – background vocals, guitar, mixing Per "Pelle" Alsing – drums Anders Herrlin – programming, engineering Jonas Isacsson – electric guitar Clarence Öfwerman – keyboards, programming, production, mixing Alar Suurna – mixing, engineering
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1988–1990)PeakpositionCanada Retail Singles (The Record) 1Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 15Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 12Italy (Musica e dischi) Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Roxette". 8Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)Radio Luxembourg Singles. 26 August 1990. 2Spain (AFYVE) 17US Cash Box Top 100 1US Adult Contemporary (Gavin Report) 4US Top 40 (Gavin Report) 1US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records) 2US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records) 1 Chart (2019)PeakpositionAustralian Digital Tracks (ARIA) 31France (SNEP) 114
Year-end charts Chart (1989)PositionAustralia (ARIA) 74Canada Top Singles (RPM) 29Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 73Netherlands (Single Top 100) 75US Billboard Hot 100 22US Cash Box Top 100 19US Adult Contemporary (Gavin Report) 27US Top 40 (Gavin Report) 25US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records) 58US Contemporary Hit Radio (Radio & Records) 9 Chart (1990)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 98Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 99Germany (Media Control) 45
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Sweden27 September 1988ParlophoneUnited Kingdom9 October 1989EMI13 November 1989CassetteJapan24 January 1990CD
DHT version
Belgian dance group DHT recorded a dance cover of "Listen to Your Heart" with vocals from Belgian singer Edmée. It was initially released on 30 November 2003 as the first single from DHT's debut studio album Listen to Your Heart (2005).
By June 2005, the song had reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart and the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eight in August. Worldwide, the cover reached the top 10 in the Czech Republic, France, and the United Kingdom while becoming a top-twenty success in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and Norway. The same year, the group also released the "Edmée's unplugged vocal edit", an acoustic ballad version of the song, which also received substantial airplay.
Composition The Furious F. EZ version of the song is in the key of B minor with a tempo of 145 beats per minute.
Track listings Belgian CD single (2003) "Listen to Your Heart" (DHT Hardbounze single edit) – 3:32 "Listen to Your Heart" (Furious F. EZ radio edit) – 3:52 "Listen to Your Heart" (Edmée's unplugged vocal edit) – 4:32
US CD single (2004) "Listen to Your Heart" (Furious F. EZ radio edit) – 3:48 "Listen to Your Heart" (Hardbounze single edit) – 3:30 "Listen to Your Heart" (Edmée's unplugged vocal edit) – 4:28 "Listen to Your Heart" (Furious F. EZ extended mix) – 4:54 "Listen to Your Heart" (Hardbounze extended mix) – 4:45 "Listen to Your Heart" (Hardstyle extended mix) – 4:32
Charts Weekly charts Chart (2003–2006)PeakpositionCanada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)3Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)17Ireland Dance (IRMA)1US Billboard Hot 1008US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)6US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)13US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)3US Hot Dance Airplay (Billboard)1US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)1
Year-end charts Chart (2005)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)78France (SNEP)34Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)37Netherlands (Single Top 100)34UK Singles (OCC)160US Billboard Hot 10035US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)22US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)9US Hot Dance Airplay (Billboard)1 Chart (2006)PositionAustralia (ARIA)91Australian Dance (ARIA)10UK Singles (OCC)160
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Belgium30 November 2003Australia21 November 2005CDMinistry of SoundUnited Kingdom5 December 200512-inch vinylData
Yuridia Spanish version "Habla El Corazón", a Spanish version of the song, was released in March 2007 by Mexican artist Yuridia, who covered the track for her second album of the same name. This version peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
References