Gyllene Tider (Swedish:[ˈjʏ̂lːɛnɛˈtîːdɛr]; "Golden Times") is a Swedish pop group fronted by Roxette singer, guitarist, and songwriter Per Gessle. They are one of the best-selling Swedish bands ever and have had numerous hits in Scandinavia, starting with their breakthrough song "Flickorna på TV2", in 1980. Since breaking up in 1985, the band has held regular reunions, with the latest one taking place in 2023.
In 1976, Per Gessle met Mats Persson, a member of the band Audiovisuellt Angrepp, and they formed the duo Grape Rock. They were joined by Micke Syd Andersson, Anders Herrlin, and Göran Fritzon, and the quintet was born. They changed their name to Gyllene Tider, an allusion to Mott the Hoople's song "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll". In 1980, they released their self-titled debut album, which became a success in Sweden. "Flickorna på TV2" was the record's biggest hit.
The band's second album, released in 1981 under the name Moderna Tider, also enjoyed success and was followed by a national tour. The following year, Gyllene Tider issued Puls, which included the hits "Sommartider" and "Flickan i en Cole-Porter-sång". In March 1985, the group broke up after releasing the English-language album The Heartland Cafe. Per Gessle continued with a solo career and formed Roxette with Marie Fredriksson in 1986.
Since Gyllene Tider's breakup, several Platinum-selling compilation albums have been released, and a number of live reunions have taken place, starting with the Återtåget tour, in 1996. In 2004, the band celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with the first new album in over twenty years and a summer tour in July and August.
Gyllene Tider reunited again on 14 August 2010 as a surprise encore during Roxette's concert in Halmstad, both bands' hometown. They performed a three-song set consisting of "Juni, Juli, Augusti", "Sommartider", and "När alla vännerna gått hem", with Marie Fredriksson and Roxette's backing band joining onstage for the last number.[1] In January 2013, the group announced a new album and summer tour in Sweden, both called Dags att tänka på refrängen. The record was released on 24 April 2013.
In January 2019, Gyllene Tider announced a farewell tour to celebrate forty years together. They released the album Samma skrot och korn the same year. In 2023, the band announced another tour as well as a new double album, titled Hux Flux, released in June.
