Drawing inspiration from 1950s American rock & roll alongside 1970s British pub rock, the Refreshments formed as a Swedish rock band known for relentless touring and a steady run of Top Ten albums at home. The group came together in 1989 in Gävle, Sweden, with a lineup featuring Joakim Arnell on bass and vocals, Micke Finell handling sax, vocals, and guitar, Mats Forsberg on drums, Robin Olsson on guitar and vocals, and Johan Blohm on piano and vocals. Earlier members included guitarist Tord Eriksson, drummer Niklas Aspholm, and Rockpile veteran Billy Bremner on guitar.
After hearing the then-unknown outfit from the modest coastal city of Gävle, Bremner arranged to produce their debut full-length Both Rock 'n' Roll (1995) and returned to helm the follow-up Trouble Boys (1997), where he filled the guitar role vacated by Tord Eriksson. Bremner next brought in his former Rockpile bandmate Dave Edmunds for a tour that yielded the live recording A Pile of Rock (1997); issued under the billing Dave Edmunds & the Refreshments, the album captured a club performance in Gävle. Bremner made one final appearance with the band on guitar for Are You Ready (1999), their strongest release yet, marking their first entry on the Swedish albums chart and introducing the hit single "Miss You Miss Belinda."
Robin Olsson stepped into the guitarist position for Musical Fun for Everyone (2000), the same album that welcomed pianist Johan Blohm into the fold. Popularity climbed further with Real Songs on Real Instruments (2001), driven largely by the hit single "One Dance, One Rose, One Kiss," prompting the quick release of the best-of collection Here We Are (2001). Momentum held strong as On the Rocks (2003) became their first album to reach the Top Ten, climbing to number five, while the holiday set Rock 'n' Roll X-Mas (2003) advanced all the way to number one. Later releases—Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Put Down (2004), 24-7 (2006), It's Gotta Be Both Rock 'n' Roll (2006), Christmas Spirits (2007), and Jukebox (2008)—maintained the pattern, each landing inside the Top Ten and several inside the Top Five.
