This is widely acclaimed as one of the best music videos ever. It took 4 months to draw the 3,000 illustrations by hand. The video, in heavy MTV rotation, arguably helped make this song #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The illustration style is called rotoscoping and has been around since the early 1900's. Walt Disney used it extensively in their early movies and The Beatles used it for the movie "Yellow Submarine".
Frontman Morten Harket is a Nordic God.His vocal range and colour is heavenly.Both strong and masculine but equally tender, warm,angelic.A rare diamond.
As a girl who loves books, this is THE dream! I would do anything to be able to dive into the unknown, just go with the flow, and experience the story myself. Give me that hand asap!🤗
One of the best videos of 80s and I think of all times. This song is from 1985 and is is one of my favorites. A-HA is from Norway. After almost 40 years, young people love this song.
It doesn't seem like an australian would write lyrics like "take on me, take me on". 😅 It makes sense in Norwegian (and Swedish, which I am), but it's like a direct translation so it doesn't really work in English. What they were going for is probably "touch me", that's basically what it means. 👍
Take on me was the beginning of my love of a-ha 's Music: Hunting high and low, The sun always shines on tv, Manhattan skyline, The living daylights, The blood that Moves the body, Crying in the Rain ( great cover), Sycomore leaves, Memorial Beach, Summer moved on ( record of Morten Harket), Analogue,ButterflyButterfly, ...I'm in
Same here, I think my favourite of all is Hunting high and low. And I love they are still playing and doing new music, like Lifelines. Their music have been with me soon for 40 years ❤
This is such a favorite of mine. My mother would turn it on before bedtime every night. And when she would tuck me in she would sing and hum this song acapella until I slept.
I can tell you, as a young adult of the 80s, this song was huge. This video was evolutionary. And I watches it's popularity grow over time. This is one of those songs that will live on long past the band, long past most of us, as long as their a medium to share it on. Two side notes. 1: The end of the video was inspired by the 1980s William Hurt film, Altered States. 2: The band Weezer not only covered the song on their album Teal, but they also copied the idea of this video with their own version. A story of young teens who dream of being rock stars, imagine they're in a music video of the same type. Great cover, by the way. You guys might want to check it out one day.
The animation technique you are talking about is called rotoscoping. Even disney used it in some of the early feature films to capture the complex movement of dancing and flowing cloth.
It was all over the Greek radio and the tv, the MTV and everywhere 24/7. The best band of the 80s and one of the most talented. Morten, Mags and the genius Pal.
A-HA vocalist Morten Harket has a 5 octave range to his voice and can still hit the high notes at 63 years of age. The band did a slowed down live version of Take on me for the mtv summer solstice concert and it sounds like an entirely different song it’s amazing. 😘🏴
_laughing_ We did have cable back in the olden days of 1985 (I'm 63 now). Many years later, when I first learned about UA-cam, this was the first thing I watched on it. I still watch it at least once a week. So when I saw this pop up in my feed... CLICK!
Haha, aww! I love that you did and do that! I'm born 1987, and I can say this song and music video just still goes on being loved throughout the decades. I remember seeing this video as a teen (and of course I'd heard it on the radio before), and I was SO enamored by the singer. This is the kind of song and music video that it doesn't matter how much time passes, it's always going to be loved. And I mean, if neither you or me has tired of the song yet, it's gotta be pretty good, no? ;)
This is one of the best video ever!!!So you have to listen the next video from “Take on me” called “The sun always shines on Tv”… I love everything on that song.His voice,the orchestra,the synths,the video!!!
A-ha were pioneers in matter of music videos. those clips still look awesome today. so artististic and unique. a-ha had definitely some of the best music videos ever made
The animation style is called rotoscoping. I work for an animation company and we do a lot of work in advertising. We still occasionally get requests for this style. It comes back into style every now and again. There are computer programs that mimic it but it's still best when done by hand drawing over the footage.
"He's like pretty." 🤣 That pretty well describes most 80's singers. Lol I was in my early teens when this came out and yes, the video was a big deal at the time. Very groundbreaking as was Dire Straits video for Money For Nothing.
Hi, I’ve berm an A-HA fan for the past 40 years since this song came out in 1985. I was just about to turn 16 and i’m 55 now and still an A-HA fan. This band have produced the soundtrack to my life. What i love most is that their music is always evolving and changing and no two songs of theirs sound the same. Take on me comic book video took 6 months to make and two artist hand drew 3,000 line drawings then combined them with live action using rotescopy . The video still holds up today as it did back in the 80’s. A-HA are still together and have produced 11 albums. The trio come from Oslo, Norway. The keyboard riff in take on me was written by A-HA’s keyboard player when he was 13 years old and still at school with school friend A-HA guitarist and chief songwriter Paul in their old band called Bridges. The song back then was called the juicy fruit song and can be found on youtube. A-HA have two guinness world records, the first is for a song called Summer Moved On which came later in their career and it’s for the longest note held during a live performance it can be found on youtube live at the Oslo Spektrum 2010 Ending on a high note tour and the second was for the biggest audience at a gig. A-HA are more than Take on Me but it’s the only song most people know which is sad. They have a huge back catalogue of amazing music to choose from. Take care 😘🏴 ❤️🇳🇴❤️A-HA FOREVER❤️🇳🇴❤️ 🥇🥇🥇
My daughter just had to do a report on this song for music class. I helped her so we had to listen to this song over and over. Its funny that yall are reacting to this.
One of the best pop songs ever!!! I remember buying the 7" vinyl and playing it over and over. ❤❤ The girl from the video ended up dating Morten after they met on the set for the video. I think he picked her for the part from a selection of pics of models. He obviously had the hots for her and thought "she will be mine!" Haha. ❤❤
At this stage I think Mike is obsessed with Australia! In other news - that hand with its' come hither was too soon for me, I'd definitely start with a hi five first.
I remember Morten Harket being on season 2 of The Masked Singer UK dressed as a viking, and he kinda tricked the judges by singing a stripped down version of this in one episode, cause they didn't think about that someone would sing their own song, so they got really surprised, when he was revealed.
@@Ramonafloyd Absolutely agree.Debut more bright,SD darker yet haunting.I remember first time i heard the single i got a seductive sense of euphoria.When i heard the whole debut album while its spinning in my turntable(all 10 songs) i couldn't believe ma damn ears.I fell in love with this record.Easily a Greatest hits on its own.
my song one for the books a pivotal song of the 80s😍 from the cinematography , looks scenery everything one of the best songs and him hitting all those notes!!
I was in the hospital because of an asthma attack the day before them playing in Stockholm in 1987 I think, and I was sobbing my eyes out and I still have the dramatic notes I wrote to read.😂 16 yo me was so weak, but I went to that concert wearing bleached jeans because that was mandatory for an A-ha fan. My crush hugged me from behind the whole concert. 😅Didn't realise that was sucha awesome memory. 🎉
I remember washing my Dads car with this on the radio when this song first came out. It was my fave. Still have the Hunting High and Low cassette somewhere. Love seeing people in 2024 enjoy it.
Morten Harket sang on the show ," The Masked Singer ". He sang a few songs in a large viking costume that the judges had to try to figure out who was singing. His last song to sing on the show was " Take On Me ". Look it up, it's fun.
You can watch the making of Take On Me on the a-ha channel. It took months! The follow-up (2nd single off the Hunting High & Low album) is "The Sun always Shines on TV" - fantastic song. A-ha is Norwegian!!! Morten Harket has an insane voice and a-ha is one of the best bands you would ever see live. They were prolific and have 11 studio albums. 🌹🕊
There SO many iconic 80s songs, but ideally, at least IMO, "Take on Me", "Careless Whisper" by Wham and "Wonderful Life" by Black are the most representative (along with Madonna's True Blue or Like a Prayer)
Grab the hand for sure. Big fan of fantasy and adventure media. They are known as a one hit Wonder in USA but it is unfair. They are a lot of great songs that were hits in Escandinavia and other parts of Europe.
Australia????? Er try Norway 😂 Morten Harket was (and still is) utterly beautiful. I think Harry Styles stole a little bit from this song for As It Was. It feels very similar.
They have many more hits. Most weren't presented to the USA unfortunately. I was able to find their other albums to purchase. They did an MTV Unplugged from Norway. Morten Harket is still looking good in 2024.
I’d probably go: Sun always shines Hunting high and low Manhatten skyline Summer moved on (for the world record breaking long note) and Minor Earth Major Sky (because I love the song and great video too!)
Other fun fact, the bad guy with 13 on his helmet that Morten punches, was the actor who played the criminal who attacks luke skywalker in the cantina in Star Wars
The ending where he is banging the walls in the hallway is stolen from the movie Altered States where William Hurt’s character is caught between 2 states of reality and each bang changes state.
A-ha are from Norway, not Australia. But in this video, the scenes in the diner were filmed in Australia, so maybe that's where the confusion comes from.
No they weren’t filmed in Australia…they were filmed in a real cafe in London where a-ha were based since 1982 when they came over from Norway…it was called The Savoy Cafe.
If Joe's hand were to stick out of a comic book, I'd grab it. Had a crush on you for quite a while. I don't care even if he yanked me into the unknown. Lol!
The video was based on a William Hurt movie called Altered States. The song has been ripped off by The Weeknd (Blinding Lights) and Harry Styles (As It Was).
This is widely acclaimed as one of the best music videos ever. It took 4 months to draw the 3,000 illustrations by hand. The video, in heavy MTV rotation, arguably helped make this song #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The illustration style is called rotoscoping and has been around since the early 1900's. Walt Disney used it extensively in their early movies and The Beatles used it for the movie "Yellow Submarine".
The more you know! 😊
Wow so interesting. Thanks for telling us
Frontman Morten Harket is a Nordic God.His vocal range and colour is heavenly.Both strong and masculine but equally tender, warm,angelic.A rare diamond.
A god?
@@user-bj2lu9qt3o Nordic(literally)god(metaphorically).
Yes, this video blew our minds when it came out. Obviously you'd grab the hand - it's Morten Harket!
They’re from Norway
Yes. True.
But we loved them in Australia! ❤ Aha was huge in Australia!
@@jkjk_4186 I think they were huge everywhere, werent they? MAybe just America not thaaat big?
If it was Morten's hand I'd be grabbing it anytime, any place! Back in the 80's and until this day :) LOL
One of the DEFINING hits of the 80s.
Louder for the children please.
One of the most viewed videos of all time.
And the lead singer is 65 now and still ridiculously handsome.
As a girl who loves books, this is THE dream! I would do anything to be able to dive into the unknown, just go with the flow, and experience the story myself. Give me that hand asap!🤗
Are you a booktok girlie??🥰
@@Bella_Ari Yes!
@@elina0301 Nice! Mee too :) I’m currently reading Ugly Love by Colleen. How ‘bout you?💕
@@Bella_Ari Cool, I loved Ugly Love by her!! It made me ugly cry tho💔🥺 rn I’m reading The Acotar Series!!
@@elina0301 The Acotar Series has been on my TBR for at least a month now tbh :) Is it worth the hype?💕
One of the best videos of 80s and I think of all times. This song is from 1985 and is is one of my favorites. A-HA is from Norway. After almost 40 years, young people love this song.
The way you were so sure about they were Australian is funny 🤩🤩🤩
😆
It doesn't seem like an australian would write lyrics like "take on me, take me on". 😅
It makes sense in Norwegian (and Swedish, which I am), but it's like a direct translation so it doesn't really work in English.
What they were going for is probably "touch me", that's basically what it means. 👍
..and Morten Harket (lead vocal) is still good looking at age 65 in 2024. 😊
Which is amazing because pretty usually doesn't age well.
Not to mention his voice
@@thebeardedseeker5633 It's a hard fall if they don't 😅
@@josefinelagerstrom2643 That's so true!!!
Take on me was the beginning of my love of a-ha 's Music: Hunting high and low, The sun always shines on tv, Manhattan skyline, The living daylights, The blood that Moves the body, Crying in the Rain ( great cover), Sycomore leaves, Memorial Beach, Summer moved on ( record of Morten Harket), Analogue,ButterflyButterfly, ...I'm in
Me too! Been a fan since the very beginning ❤ love them! ❤
Same here, I think my favourite of all is Hunting high and low. And I love they are still playing and doing new music, like Lifelines. Their music have been with me soon for 40 years ❤
A couple of years ago a-ha did an acustic version of the album. Beautiful!
This is such a favorite of mine. My mother would turn it on before bedtime every night. And when she would tuck me in she would sing and hum this song acapella until I slept.
a-ha is from Norway.
Ah this song! So 80s♥️
I can tell you, as a young adult of the 80s, this song was huge. This video was evolutionary. And I watches it's popularity grow over time. This is one of those songs that will live on long past the band, long past most of us, as long as their a medium to share it on.
Two side notes. 1: The end of the video was inspired by the 1980s William Hurt film, Altered States.
2: The band Weezer not only covered the song on their album Teal, but they also copied the idea of this video with their own version. A story of young teens who dream of being rock stars, imagine they're in a music video of the same type. Great cover, by the way. You guys might want to check it out one day.
I believe this won video of the year that particular year at the MTV Awards. Yes, GRAB THE HAND! 😊
They won 6 Mtv Awards for Take on Me and 2 with The Sun Always Shines On Tv
The animation technique you are talking about is called rotoscoping. Even disney used it in some of the early feature films to capture the complex movement of dancing and flowing cloth.
It was all over the Greek radio and the tv, the MTV and everywhere 24/7. The best band of the 80s and one of the most talented. Morten, Mags and the genius Pal.
Rotoscoping. Drawing over live performances. Makes it so realistic.
A-HA vocalist Morten Harket has a 5 octave range to his voice and can still hit the high notes at 63 years of age. The band did a slowed down live version of Take on me for the mtv summer solstice concert and it sounds like an entirely different song it’s amazing. 😘🏴
Norway pride! Guitarist and keyboardist grew up right around the corner from where I live 😎
_laughing_ We did have cable back in the olden days of 1985 (I'm 63 now). Many years later, when I first learned about UA-cam, this was the first thing I watched on it. I still watch it at least once a week. So when I saw this pop up in my feed... CLICK!
Haha, aww! I love that you did and do that! I'm born 1987, and I can say this song and music video just still goes on being loved throughout the decades. I remember seeing this video as a teen (and of course I'd heard it on the radio before), and I was SO enamored by the singer. This is the kind of song and music video that it doesn't matter how much time passes, it's always going to be loved. And I mean, if neither you or me has tired of the song yet, it's gotta be pretty good, no? ;)
This is one of the best video ever!!!So you have to listen the next video from “Take on me” called “The sun always shines on Tv”… I love everything on that song.His voice,the orchestra,the synths,the video!!!
Love this! One of THE most iconic videos of ALL time. I'd definitely grab that hand!
The best song to come out of the 80s !! My favourite ❤ and this video is iconic you can’t tell me otherwise 💁🏻♀️
A-ha were pioneers in matter of music videos. those clips still look awesome today. so artististic and unique. a-ha had definitely some of the best music videos ever made
Take Morten's hand? Sure! The live, slowed down acoustic done in 2018 is also stunning.
The animation style is called rotoscoping. I work for an animation company and we do a lot of work in advertising. We still occasionally get requests for this style. It comes back into style every now and again. There are computer programs that mimic it but it's still best when done by hand drawing over the footage.
After 30 something years...LOVE THE SONG...ABSOLUTELY AM NOT GRABBING THE HAND...I'M OUTTA THERE😂
right🤣
That was always an instant banger!So potential and charismatic both song and video grabs your attention at once.
If the main Character was from Norway and looked like him, I'm grabbing his hand❤😂❤😂❤😂❤
"He's like pretty." 🤣 That pretty well describes most 80's singers. Lol
I was in my early teens when this came out and yes, the video was a big deal at the time. Very groundbreaking as was Dire Straits video for Money For Nothing.
Hi, I’ve berm an A-HA fan for the past 40 years since this song came out in 1985. I was just about to turn 16 and i’m 55 now and still an A-HA fan. This band have produced the soundtrack to my life. What i love most is that their music is always evolving and changing and no two songs of theirs sound the same. Take on me comic book video took 6 months to make and two artist hand drew 3,000 line drawings then combined them with live action using rotescopy . The video still holds up today as it did back in the 80’s. A-HA are still together and have produced 11 albums. The trio come from Oslo, Norway. The keyboard riff in take on me was written by A-HA’s keyboard player when he was 13 years old and still at school with school friend A-HA guitarist and chief songwriter Paul in their old band called Bridges. The song back then was called the juicy fruit song and can be found on youtube. A-HA have two guinness world records, the first is for a song called Summer Moved On which came later in their career and it’s for the longest note held during a live performance it can be found on youtube live at the Oslo Spektrum 2010 Ending on a high note tour and the second was for the biggest audience at a gig. A-HA are more than Take on Me but it’s the only song most people know which is sad. They have a huge back catalogue of amazing music to choose from. Take care 😘🏴 ❤️🇳🇴❤️A-HA FOREVER❤️🇳🇴❤️ 🥇🥇🥇
I'm so glad you enjoyed this week. 😁
This is pure gold, the best of 80s 💖My favourite music video of all time, if I should pick just one 😅
right😍
I'm new here but I already love you 2. Such a breath of fresh air and funny as heck. Thank you for making my day better.
My daughter just had to do a report on this song for music class. I helped her so we had to listen to this song over and over. Its funny that yall are reacting to this.
This was incredibly innovative when it came out and the song was great.
One of the best pop songs ever!!! I remember buying the 7" vinyl and playing it over and over. ❤❤
The girl from the video ended up dating Morten after they met on the set for the video. I think he picked her for the part from a selection of pics of models. He obviously had the hots for her and thought "she will be mine!" Haha. ❤❤
An amazing classic. Great reaction.
I was 11 years old when this song came out and it was the most listened to song on the radio.
At this stage I think Mike is obsessed with Australia! In other news - that hand with its' come hither was too soon for me, I'd definitely start with a hi five first.
I remember Morten Harket being on season 2 of The Masked Singer UK dressed as a viking, and he kinda tricked the judges by singing a stripped down version of this in one episode, cause they didn't think about that someone would sing their own song, so they got really surprised, when he was revealed.
Those clips still makes your day on a bad day.
The Sun always shines is their best song on thus album and Hunting High and Low
These songs are Masterpieces 💎
Whole debut a pure masterpiece imo.
I don't think there is any song on that album that ,I don't like truthfully .I would say that Scoundrel Days is also a masterpiece
@@Ramonafloyd Absolutely agree.Debut more bright,SD darker yet haunting.I remember first time i heard the single i got a seductive sense of euphoria.When i heard the whole debut album while its spinning in my turntable(all 10 songs) i couldn't believe ma damn ears.I fell in love with this record.Easily a Greatest hits on its own.
@Ramonafloyd "Hunting high and low" has a fine video."The sun..." is also a great follower to Take On Me and is such a good song. and production.
my song one for the books a pivotal song of the 80s😍 from the cinematography , looks scenery everything one of the best songs and him hitting all those notes!!
We are so going to have many many random 80s weeks to come.
What a great song.
I was in the hospital because of an asthma attack the day before them playing in Stockholm in 1987 I think, and I was sobbing my eyes out and I still have the dramatic notes I wrote to read.😂 16 yo me was so weak, but I went to that concert wearing bleached jeans because that was mandatory for an A-ha fan. My crush hugged me from behind the whole concert. 😅Didn't realise that was sucha awesome memory. 🎉
They have a lot of great songs.
Im grabbing the hand. Lol.
I remember washing my Dads car with this on the radio when this song first came out. It was my fave. Still have the Hunting High and Low cassette somewhere. Love seeing people in 2024 enjoy it.
Morten Harket sang on the show ," The Masked Singer ". He sang a few songs in a large viking costume that the judges had to try to figure out who was singing. His last song to sing on the show was " Take On Me ". Look it up, it's fun.
Low-key...my jam
If I saw a hand come out of a book, I'd grab it by the pinky.
What a lovely channel you have here. I subscribed. God bless.
Morten Harket is one of the best singers ever to walk this world. You have to see "Summer Moved On".
Thanks, guys... this video was very progressive at the time.. won awards.. the song is also a lot of fun.. look forward to more reactions...
You can watch the making of Take On Me on the a-ha channel. It took months! The follow-up (2nd single off the Hunting High & Low album) is "The Sun always Shines on TV" - fantastic song.
A-ha is Norwegian!!!
Morten Harket has an insane voice and a-ha is one of the best bands you would ever see live.
They were prolific and have 11 studio albums. 🌹🕊
its so ahead of its time this clip
The video was groundbreaking in its time and 40 years later it still gets a WOW 🤯 reaction from new viewers of it.
Great reaction!! Love the song!
There SO many iconic 80s songs, but ideally, at least IMO, "Take on Me", "Careless Whisper" by Wham and "Wonderful Life" by Black are the most representative (along with Madonna's True Blue or Like a Prayer)
yesssss😍
Grab the hand for sure. Big fan of fantasy and adventure media.
They are known as a one hit Wonder in USA but it is unfair.
They are a lot of great songs that were hits in Escandinavia and other parts of Europe.
Morten Harket is one of the most beautiful men ever. Ive loved him from a far for forty years.
Like #1 song my freshman year in college 1985
A-ha week anyone?
YES! YES! YES! The trouble will be in picking only five songs 🤔
PLEASE
OF COURSE!
Yes!!! This MUST happen!!!!
There’s a few a-ha lists to choose from that are on their most recent little video.
Morten presented the Eurovision in Oslo, 1996, good times
He also sang his Heaven's not for Saints 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@@Elena-in6uwhe did! Did an amazing job of it too!
take on me was in family guy, deadpool 2, the last of us it’s been everywhere
Australia????? Er try Norway 😂 Morten Harket was (and still is) utterly beautiful. I think Harry Styles stole a little bit from this song for As It Was. It feels very similar.
They have many more hits. Most weren't presented to the USA unfortunately. I was able to find their other albums to purchase. They did an MTV Unplugged from Norway. Morten Harket is still looking good in 2024.
Check out the MTV acoustic version from 2017 it's amazing - I'd still take Mortens hand!
Morten is the most handsome lead vocalist also one of the best voices of all time and he is part of the best band ever ❤
Love it 🥰
They have so many other great songs! Maybe it’s time to make a list for Saturday. Would anyone vote for it though….🤷♀️
Forever Not Yours ❤
I’d probably go:
Sun always shines
Hunting high and low
Manhatten skyline
Summer moved on (for the world record breaking long note) and
Minor Earth Major Sky (because I love the song and great video too!)
Other fun fact, the bad guy with 13 on his helmet that Morten punches, was the actor who played the criminal who attacks luke skywalker in the cantina in Star Wars
This is considered one of the best music videos in existence, it only comes second to Mandy Moore’s Candy. ❤
Glad Joe cleaned that up cos I about to drag him for spreading misinformation. 😆
😅
We were all 😍
Of course grab the hand✋
Over 2 billion views on UA-cam now. Rotoscope is the type of animation. It is the most viewed video from the 80’s.
This video was a big hit when it came out.
Fun fact they are technically not a one-hit wonder in the u.s but this their are best known song
The ending where he is banging the walls in the hallway is stolen from the movie Altered States where William Hurt’s character is caught between 2 states of reality and each bang changes state.
A-HA are the viking invasion of 1985. A-HA are Norwegian.
You definitely should react to the sun always shines on tv, the start of the video is a little follow up to the take on me video.
A-ha are from Norway, not Australia. But in this video, the scenes in the diner were filmed in Australia, so maybe that's where the confusion comes from.
No they weren’t filmed in Australia…they were filmed in a real cafe in London where a-ha were based since 1982 when they came over from Norway…it was called The Savoy Cafe.
She's getting some comic man tonight.
Joe is normally stellar with his Google re-search. What happened? 😂
Can you guys do a deep dive of Selena! Her English and Spanish 😊❤🎉
Joe easily could be a AHA member, bro is 80s handsome.
If Joe's hand were to stick out of a comic book, I'd grab it. Had a crush on you for quite a while. I don't care even if he yanked me into the unknown. Lol!
of course it’s Morten Harket
Australia! No, they are from Norway, I believe. Are you confusing them with INXS (in excsess),who had a good looking lead singer, Michael Hutchence?
Absolutely Norwegian!
Give us Britney week we've been waiting for too long!!
What made you think they were from Australia? 😂
The video was based on a William Hurt movie called Altered States. The song has been ripped off by The Weeknd (Blinding Lights) and Harry Styles (As It Was).
Norway not Australia!lead singer Morton harket has the same eye shape as the good looking Kurt Russell.
T hey are from Norway guys!