Roxette’s “How Do You Do!”: A Sun-Kissed Pop-Rock Greeting
“How Do You Do!” burst into summer 1992 as the lead single from Roxette’s fourth studio album, Tourism. Penned by Per Gessle and produced by Clarence Öfwerman, this uptempo pop-rock anthem was recorded between April and May of that year at Tits & Ass Studio in Halmstad and EMI Studios in Stockholm. Its irresistible three-minute-and-nine-second runtime opens with a jaunty guitar riff and Per’s playful vocal hook, setting the tone for a track that feels as bright and breezy as a road trip with the windows down.
Clocking in at 121 beats per minute in common time, “How Do You Do!” follows a signature Roxette formula: the verses roll through a C–F–G–F progression before the pre-chorus amps up with power chords (Am–G–F–C–Em), and Marie Fredriksson’s lead vocal lifts the chorus two keys higher into E♭. The bridge offers a catchy Cm–A♭ power-chord refrain, and the final chorus even shifts into F for an extra burst of energy. Sprinkled throughout is a cheeky nod to American novelty singer Tiny Tim, whose name pops up in the lyrics and adds to the song’s playful charm.
Beyond Gessle and Fredriksson’s dynamic vocal interplay, the track features a tight band line-up: Per “Pelle” Alsing on drums, Anders Herrlin on bass and programming, and Jonas Isacsson on electric guitar, all anchored by Öfwerman’s keyboards. After its single release on July 3, several remixes by Swedish duo BomKrash (Jacob Hellner and Carl-Michael Herlöfsson) expanded its dance-floor appeal, with extended 12-inch versions finding their way onto club playlists across Europe.
“How Do You Do!” became a bona fide European smash. It soared to No. 1 in Norway and hit No. 2 in Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. In the U.K., it peaked at No. 13 and spent seven weeks on the Official Singles Chart, while in the U.S. it reached No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking one of the duo’s rarer transatlantic chart entries.
Directed by Anders Skog and filmed in Stockholm, the music video for “How Do You Do!” is a playful collage of archival footage—Louis Armstrong swinging his trumpet, Charlie Chaplin’s signature walk, Danny Kaye’s comic flair, Jayne Mansfield’s glamour and Mickey Rooney’s exuberance—intercut with bright performance clips of Marie and Per. The mash-up of 20th-century icons and Roxette’s own on-stage energy underscores the song’s message: every hello carries echoes of countless hellos before it, making your own greeting feel both timeless and fresh.
“How Do You Do!” remains a fan favorite, its sunny chorus still lighting up ’90s pop-rock retrospectives and greatest-hits collections. The track’s blend of hook-driven songwriting, polished production and a wink at pop-culture history showcases Roxette at their most effervescent—proof that sometimes the simplest question can make the best song.