Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” is forever tied to Pretty Woman. But before it became one of the most iconic movie songs of all time (and the band’s greatest song of all time), the emotional ballad had a very different origin: It was actually a Christmas song.
In a TikTok posted to the official page of the Swedish pop-rock group, guitarist Per Gessle reveals the surprising backstory.
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@roxetteofficialWe couldn't have imagined that “christmas song” would end up as our biggest hit! ? #roxette #itmusthavebeenlove
♬ It Must Have Been Love (From the Film "Pretty Woman") - Roxette“It was a request from a record label in Germany who couldn't get Roxette on the radio in Germany,” he shares. “So they suggested that I should write a Christmas song, which I did.”
Originally titled “It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken-Hearted),” the song was reworked for the big screen when Hollywood came calling.
Fresh off the global success of their Look Sharp!album — which produced hits like “The Look” and “Listen to Your Heart” — the band was approached to contribute music to a new romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and “new girl calledJulia Roberts.”
Rather than write something new, Gessle suggested revisiting their holiday tune waiting in the wings. The lyrics were adjusted, seasonal references removed, and the rest is sweeping ballad history.
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“Before we knew it, the movie was huge,” Gessle says. “So, of course, this song was a big, big song for us.”
The gamble paid off. “It Must Have Been Love” climbed the Billboard Hot 100, hitting No. 1 on June 16, 1990. Marking their third U.S. No. 1 hit, it stayed at the top spot for two weeks, thanks to the film’s May 1990 release, and became one of the defining songs of the decade.
Pretty Woman, a modern take on the star-crossed lovers story, stars Gere as a wealthy executive who hires a sex worker, played by Roberts, to spend a week with him — only to fall for her. Roxette’s hit underscore the characters’ farewell, as say their goodbyes — and, ahem, settle their bill — both left alone before the grandeur storybook ending, of course.
What began as a little-known Christmas tearjerker ultimately became a global hit and one of the most recognizable movie songs ever recorded. What a gift.
Related: 2004 Film Ranked Among Best Movies Ever Returns With New Version on Streaming
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