Almost Unreal
Encyclopedia
"Almost Unreal" is a pop song performed by Swedish
duo Roxette
. The song was released in May 1993 and is featured on the soundtrack of Super Mario Bros
.
"Almost Unreal" became a summer hit especially in Europe, where it hit Top 10 and Top 20 in many countries, including the UK where it reached #7, and the video received a heavy rotation on music channels. The song proved to be unsuccessful in US where it peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart.
The song's inclusion on the Super Mario Bros.
sound track angered songwriter Per Gessle
as it was originally written for Walt Disney
's 1993 fantasy-comedy "Hocus Pocus" starring Bette Midler
, but was never used.
called the song "awful"; and wrote, "...not only does it sound like corporate pandering, but it’s probably the most forced smash hit wannabe Roxette ever created."
CD Maxi
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
duo Roxette
Roxette
Roxette are a Swedish pop music duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act from the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp!...
. The song was released in May 1993 and is featured on the soundtrack of Super Mario Bros
Super Mario Bros. (film)
Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 American action film directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Based on the Super Mario Bros.video game and its entire franchise, the film features Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis. It tells the story of the Mario brothers, Mario and...
.
"Almost Unreal" became a summer hit especially in Europe, where it hit Top 10 and Top 20 in many countries, including the UK where it reached #7, and the video received a heavy rotation on music channels. The song proved to be unsuccessful in US where it peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart.
The song's inclusion on the Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. (film)
Super Mario Bros. is a 1993 American action film directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel. Based on the Super Mario Bros.video game and its entire franchise, the film features Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper and Samantha Mathis. It tells the story of the Mario brothers, Mario and...
sound track angered songwriter Per Gessle
Per Gessle
Per Håkan Gessle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonicist. He is the lead singer of the Swedish pop group Gyllene Tider and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson...
as it was originally written for Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's 1993 fantasy-comedy "Hocus Pocus" starring Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, but was never used.
Reception
Roxette themselves were dismissive about the song, "Not one of our most inspired moments.", Fredriksson said. While Gessle stated: "I still like the song in a way... but if you wanted to make a parody of Roxette, it would probably sound something like this." Mike Schiller from PopmattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the song "awful"; and wrote, "...not only does it sound like corporate pandering, but it’s probably the most forced smash hit wannabe Roxette ever created."
Track listing
CD single (cardsleeve)- "Almost Unreal"
- "The Heart Shaped Sea"
CD Maxi
- "Almost Unreal"
- "The Heart Shaped Sea"
- "Fingertips '93"
- "Almost Unreal" (A/C Mix)
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Sweden Single Charts Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
8 |
| UK Single Charts | 7 |
| United States Single Charts Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
94 |
| German Single Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
20 |
| Australian Single Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
17 |
| Swiss Single Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
15 |
| Norwegian Single Charts VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
6 |
| Dutch Single Charts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
31 |
| Austrian Single Charts Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
20 |