AGREED. The 80s had music icons like-Madonna,Janet Jackson,Prince,George Michaels,Boy George,Whitney Houston,Mariah Carrey,etc,etc,.and so many others.
You're mad that song was over?? I'm mad the 80's are over. Best decade ever. You have no idea how amazing it was. This song is just the tip of the iceberg.
Please watch the video where the lead singer sings this song live ( back in the 80s ) he sounds-AWESOME-live !!! Hitting all those different notes too. The guy has pipes.
Genre was called New Wave. The 80's Pop music waved in an era with lots of 1 or 2 hit wonders. For the same vibe also try: Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon. Duran Duran - Hungry Like A Wolf. ❤❤❤❤
They did a live "unplugged" version a few years back and it's insane. It has a totally different vibe and it's definitely worth a watch. It's on their channel here on YT: ua-cam.com/video/-xKM3mGt2pE/v-deo.html
Fun fact: A-ha recorded some 5 different versions of Take on Me - one being the one they performed unplugged live. Also that was the basis for the version they used in The Last of Us II
This in my opinion is STILL one of the best videos ever made. If not THE best. Bar none. From ANY time period. The song is awesome. The story in the video is awesome. And the concept and execution of how to tell the story are STILL amazing.
One hit wonder in the US. BIG in Europe and elsewhere! Their concert in Brazil in ‘91 drew 200,000 people (World Record). Check out the follow up: The Sun Always Shines on TV!
Yes indeed.And the attendance of people who gathered there in that concert wasn't for free.Cause as far as i know , people paid to step in that gig and that kinda counts double.
It's wonderful, Mia, that you are giving another listen to great songs from the '80s. You have a good ear! The synths used to produce "Take On Me" were the Roland Juno-60 and the Yamaha DX7. Those synths were the workhorses of '80s pop music. They are still used today, either as the original synth or as a software plug-in.
St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) - John Parr. Mia, this is another piano syth pop energetic banger that was a #1 huge hit in 1985 around the same time as A-Ha. Though it was the theme song for St Elmo’s fire, the song is actually about an athlete that got injured and instead of feeling sorry he in his wheelchair wheeled across Canada and became a local hero for perseverance. Love to see you react to it!
That piano the guy was playing is a "keyboard" with a "synthesizer" (or synth) in it. Basically, you can program synths to create entirely new sounds electronically, or even to sound like regular instruments. (Although early synth instruments sounded only vaguely like real instruments.) The synth powered the New Wave music movement but was so popular it was used in nearly all 80s music. Synths are still used in music today, but they're so advanced, it's hard to tell if they're being used unless you know what to listen for, or unless they're using a retro sound.
This record is now 40 years old ! Music and artists were without doubt better than 90% of the music produced today. There is still great music being produced today , but not on the level that it used to be back then.
You're reaction to this was too cute lol. The 80s were known for being too much. This song is undoubtedly well sung and thought out. The video alone is a masterpiece. Great reaction Mia. Almost to 50k. Knew it would be quick too. Congrats 👏
I miss the 80s. In a big way it was a simpler time. The movies, the music, the fashion. The movie you were referring to was The Breakfast Club. Iconic film. When it comes to music you’ll never go wrong with the 80s.
Can i just say?? I am 57 and i lived through the best decade ever. 1980 i was 13 and 1990 i was 23. Best years ever❤ there were a lot of synthesizer in the 80s
for me the 80's were 8 to 18, and then the 90's were obviously 18 to 28. I'm not sure I could have been born any more perfectly to enjoy popular music at its absolute height. if you wanted, 50's/60's/70's music was there for you, just had to tune to the right station, then we got all the 80's stuff... new wave, goth, metal, the birth of rap, then the 90's came and we hit the pinnacle of metal, gained alternative/college rock, grunge, and saw the birth of what would become numetal and rap/metal... those two decades back to back were a thing to behold!
Fun fact- this song was on their first album and it bombed. The record company suggested they re-record it and added a few synths and it was released as a single on the second album.
Love your channel. As an 80’s kid I love that you’re reacting to a lot of 80’s music. This video was ground breaking when it came out. It was always played on MTV when they actually played music videos lol
Genre of "Take On Me": synth-pop. And there are a lot of great synth-pop songs made in the 80s... but this is definitely one of the very best (and I'm a huge synth-pop fan that grew up in the 80s). So happy you insta-loved it too :)
The song that could easily define the 80s. AHA.. great band and timeless song. The video was considered one of the greatest music videos of all time. It played all the time on MTV. The magic of the 80s comes through again and I am a teenager once more. Perhaps the one of greatest keyboard opening rifts of all time (alongside "Final Countdown" from Europe).. this is pop rock/new wave that is so iconic for the 80s.
I think they called this style "New Wave" back then which is the precursor to today's "Synthwave" sound. A lot of Weeknd's songs borrow from this style. Enjoyed the reaction video! I subbed!
Despite what people are saying when this song was first released, it flopped in 1984 failing to chat in the UK under the band name Bridges and again in 1985 adding vocalist Morten Harket and now going by A-Ha, witched only charted at 137, the band was going for a Doors punky kind of vibe, the keyboard riff although catchy was deemed to bubblegum for them on the second release it was pushed to background, the band was given one more chance later in 1985 with a different producer and BAM Smash hit, he pushed them to lean in to the synth/pop sound of the riff and the rest is History.
Speech at start, paraphrasing: 'Whether I like it or not, I'll do me, and let you know. Byiii, if you don't like that...' This, followed by a song, that could not fail to be liked! ✌😄🔥
A-Ha is from Norway. 'Take on me' is the first video from the '80s to reach 2B. More recently they have re-done 'Take on me' but with a different tempo. The new version is: 'a-ha-Take on me (live from MTV Unplugged)' 109M views. The first version you focus more on the beat, the music and the vocals. The second version you are more aware of the lyrics and feelings.
HI, I lived this period being a teenager in the 80s was special, we did not have the internet at the time nor cell phones, but we had music with very creative groups and artists, Every month we had new music that made us happy.
A-Ha is a Norwegian band belonging to a genre called synth-pop, and as one of a number of European bands that found some mainstream success in the US. They had three top-50 singles in the US, and in fact they're the ONLY Norwegian band to reach the top of the US billboards. They also contributed the title track to the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights. Take On Me itself reached #1 on the US billboards, and is probably one of THE most 80s videos ever. 1:27 that will increase the page views, lol. The actress in the video is Bunty Bailey, who was one of several actresses who auditioned for the role of Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation (a role that ultimately went to Denise Crosby, granddaughter of legendary crooner and actor Bing Crosby). This video has the dubious distinction of being the very first target of the "Literal Video" parody genre, where an existing music video has its lyrics replaced with those that actually describe what's happening in the video. That version by DustoMcNeato can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/8HE9OQ4FnkQ/v-deo.html&pp=ygUadGFrZSBvbiBtZSBsaXRlcmFsIHZlcnNpb24%3D and it's worth a look just for the giggles.
Yes, this band became huge. They have sold over 100 million records in their career and hold the record for largest live audience at 198,000 during their Rio concert. They even sang the title song to a James Bond movie - The Living Daylights. What a voice, huh?
I thought this was corny as a kid but as I got older, I learned to appreciate a good love story and this was a good one for a video. God bless you. You look Amazing as always.
People can disagree and argue all they want. But when it comes to output, innovation, and quality, 78 to 92 was the best time for the musical arts. The world over and across all genres. Of course there were some lead-ins to 77 and some hold-overs post 92 that belong as well.
You love it, because it’s 80ies sound. With more than just 40 chords, real musicians, no autotune, but real singing - and the video was a pain to make backbone the day, before this could have been done with a computer. This is all hand drawn! (today some app would do it in 3 sec…) And what you call „the piano“ is actually a synthesizer! (A must have element of almost every 80ies song!)
One of the biggest songs of the 80s, one of the most popular videos ever made, and it longevity shown by the fact 40 yrs later even the most recent generation also loves this song.
The other huge hit they had here in the uk was, the sun always shines on tv. The music video for that song begins where this one ends, if memory serves me correctly.
This video and song are absolutely emblematic of the 80's. Weezer did a pretty good cover of this, using Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), and his former band, Calpurnia, in the video. The singer actually datedthe actress, for a while.
I was born in 1980 so I was just a little kid in the 80's but I remember it like yesterday. The music, the movies, the fashion, Nintendo, the mall, arcades. It was a pop culture gold mine and a really fun time to grow up.
I would call this sound synthpop, and it was very popular in the 80s, and this song was one of the best examples of it, but A-Ha was a one hit wonder,. They released 5 albums in the US between 1985 and 1993, with only their follow up single, "The Sun Always Shine On TV" charting, but not making the top 40. The video for that song actually followed up on the story, of this one, and I think they way the continued it is why they never had another hit. If you know you know. If you don't... Spoiler They actually reversed the happy ending of this video, they had the singer turn back into a cartoon, and go back into the drawing making it the ending of a cheesy 50s style b movie, being watched on late night tv. and that's just the first 15 seconds of the video...
"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was a huge hit, and it even peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, so the band actually was not a one hit wonder i US. It also went Top 5 in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, as well as in the band's home country of Norway. The single reached number one in Ireland and on the UK Singles Chart which was a higher chart position there than for "Take On Me". Only Americans consider a-ha a one hit wonder, and the reason is that "Take on me" was so huge. Their song Cry Wolf also charted in America, and reached number 50.
2:45 - As others have noted, the movie you're probably thinking of is "The Breakfast Club." The song most likely associated with that movie is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds.
Most people who didn't grow up in the 1980s don't get the reference at the end of the video, where the lead singer, Morten Harket, is slamming himself against the walls to transform himself from cartoon to human. It's a reference to the final scene from the 1980 sci-fi thriller Altered States with William Hurt.
I was 10 in 1985 when this song came out from Norwegian band Ah-Ha their only big hit in North America but back in Norway they had a bunch and almost 40 years later i still love this song. The girl in the video was also in the video for Your Love by the Outfield as the painter girl.
Written by a-ha. They are from Norway 🇳🇴 Originally performed 40 years ago 🎂. It did not satisfy the record company. Thus, another producer had a-ha rework the song. This is the video release. Much better than the original recording! 😃 This song was sampled by Pitbull. He rapped. Christina Aguilera sang backing vocals. Morten Harket of a-ha sang the chorus on a live performance 🎭. Suggested video 📹: Pitbull, Christina Aguilera and Morten Harket perform Feel This Moment live.
I never heard the name of the band before, but when the song started... I recognized the intro, I heard it a million times 😂 Beautiful song, it seems 60s rock, even from the video, good reaction and good job finding them!
You will probably love a lot of the 80s mainstream stuff, Mia. Especially New Wave and the like - lots of synthesizers (keyboards/piano), and drum programming - two instruments you expressed being your favorites. In addition to a-ha (The Sun Always Shines On TV is a great song to check out - much more energy and faster tempo), other artists include : - Power Station : Get It On (Bang A Gong) _T-Rex cover_ - Frankie Goes To Hollywood : Relax - Tears For Fears : Shout, Head Over Heels, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Mad World - The Thompson Twins : Doctor Doctor, Hold Me Now, Lay Your Hands On Me - Eurythmics : Here Comes The Rain Again (Like Lovers Do), Who's That Girl, Sweet Dreams, Love Is A Stranger (I Want You) - Animotion : Obsession - Human League : Don't You Want Me - Duran Duran : Planet Earth, Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, New Religion, Save A Prayer, The Chauffeur, New Moon On Monday, Union Of The Snake, The Reflex, A View To A Kill - Platinum Blonde : Standing In The Dark, It Doesn't Really Matter, Situation Critical, Crying Over You, Somebody Somewhere - Honeymoon Suite : Burning In Love, Stay In The Light, New Girl Now, Wave Babies, What Does It Take - Gowan : Criminal Mind, Cosmetics, Strange Animal, Moonlight Desires - The Romantics : Talking In Your Sleep - Split Enz : I Got You - Glass Tiger : Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone - Simple Minds : Don't You Forget About Me - Crowded House : Don't Dream It's Over - Nik Kershaw : Wouldn't It Be Good - Howard Jones : Things Can Only Get Better - The Outfield : Your Love - Idle Eyes : Tokyo Rose - Cutting Crew : I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight - Mr Mister : Broken Wings, Kyrie - Bronski Beat : Smalltown Boy - A Flock Of Seagulls : I Ran So Far Away - When In Rome : The Promise (I Will) - Ultravox : Reap The Wild Wind - Naked Eyes : Always Something There To Remind Me, Promises Promises - Kajagoogoo : Too Shy - Depeche Mode : Enjoy The Silence (Words) - Corey Hart : Sunglasses At Night, It Aint Enough, Never Surrender - Bryan Adams : Summer Of `69, Somebody, Heaven, Run To You, One Night Love Affair, Cuts Like A Knife That should keep you good and busy, lol.
This video was groundbreaking when it came out. We had never seen anything like it before. If memory serves, this group didn't speak a word of English. They were a one hit wonder here in the states but more popular in Europe.
I haven’t heard this group in so long I forgot about them. This is an 80s group . This is definitely 80s Pop and the movie you thinking up is the breakfast club.😍🎶
After you've listened to this song enough times to have it firmly embedded in your brain, go listen to the Weeknd's song "City Lights". There's a reason why "City Lights" is the most played song on Spotify.
80s is one of the most magical times in music and I stand by that 💯💯
Me too say that
'80s music was amazing, but I think '90s was better. Especially if you liked West Coast rap.
@rubelsisneros9637 ice ice baby and mc hammer 😉😉
@ I like the 90s it was amazing just the sense of magic was 80s in a sense 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Everyone thinks the time when they were young was the best.
Even by today's standards, this video is just amazing and still holds up.
Also, the '80s are immortal. There will never be another era like it.
AGREED. The 80s had music icons like-Madonna,Janet Jackson,Prince,George Michaels,Boy George,Whitney Houston,Mariah Carrey,etc,etc,.and so many others.
A-Ha is a new wave music band from Norway. This video is one of the best videos that came out of the 1980's.
Warms my heart to see GenZ show love for the music I grew up on. Thanks Mia!
You're mad that song was over?? I'm mad the 80's are over. Best decade ever. You have no idea how amazing it was. This song is just the tip of the iceberg.
Promising days to grow up.
The 90:s up to now came with more threats and difficulties.
Was the GOAT. Last innocent decade before technology took over. Never locked my door once
Please watch the video where the lead singer sings this song live ( back in the 80s ) he sounds-AWESOME-live !!! Hitting all those different notes too. The guy has pipes.
I was a teen in the 80s. Boy was that a good time to be alive and young!
2:56 the movie you are thinking of Mia is "the breakfast club"
When this video came out on MTV it was considered ahead of its time and the lead singer Morten Harket who is 65 can still hit that high note
Genre was called New Wave. The 80's Pop music waved in an era with lots of 1 or 2 hit wonders. For the same vibe also try: Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World. Culture Club - Karma Chameleon. Duran Duran - Hungry Like A Wolf. ❤❤❤❤
all the bands you just named have at least 5 or ten big hits to their name in europe. Aha was no one hit wonder.
@boowonder888 IN EUROPE. They didn't get play like that here but more power to them.
In addition they had 'Train of Thought' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' seeing rotation on MTV in the states .@@MorrisB3
1 or 2 US hit wonders - here, I corrected it for you, no need to thank me.
@jaba9960 no need at all because it's not that serious. Lol
A-Ha the band of my teenage years and you're talking about The Breakfast Club.Being a teen in the 80's was the best.
If you liked that, you'll like "The Sun Always Shines on TV" from the same album.
They did a live "unplugged" version a few years back and it's insane. It has a totally different vibe and it's definitely worth a watch. It's on their channel here on YT: ua-cam.com/video/-xKM3mGt2pE/v-deo.html
One I prefer over this version.
Though that doesn’t mean I don’t love this one, too
Mia wouldn't like it. Too slow. She'd probably fall asleep. Definitely an amazing unplugged performance, though.
Love, love the unplugged version
Fun fact: A-ha recorded some 5 different versions of Take on Me - one being the one they performed unplugged live. Also that was the basis for the version they used in The Last of Us II
They are still making records and their latest release was " True North " in 2022
Old guy here proud of having lived though the 80s... best music ever!
I remember the old guys in the 80's saying today's music sucks and 60's was best. In the 60's the old guys said it was all noise and 40's was best.
This in my opinion is STILL one of the best videos ever made. If not THE best. Bar none. From ANY time period. The song is awesome. The story in the video is awesome. And the concept and execution of how to tell the story are STILL amazing.
80's Synth and New Wave dominated the early 80's
One hit wonder in the US. BIG in Europe and elsewhere! Their concert in Brazil in ‘91 drew 200,000 people (World Record). Check out the follow up: The Sun Always Shines on TV!
Yes indeed.And the attendance of people who gathered there in that concert wasn't for free.Cause as far as i know , people paid to step in that gig and that kinda counts double.
@@christianoazzuro6711 You’re absolutely right😊 Guinnes World Record for largest paying audience to a concert👍
@@timwinter13 YEAh!now i remember!Thanx for confirming this my friend!.
It's wonderful, Mia, that you are giving another listen to great songs from the '80s. You have a good ear! The synths used to produce "Take On Me" were the Roland Juno-60 and the Yamaha DX7. Those synths were the workhorses of '80s pop music. They are still used today, either as the original synth or as a software plug-in.
A-ha did a bond theme song - Living Daylights. It's one of my favourite Bond songs.
Yes that was a hit in the mid/late '80s, at least here in Europe.Single was different version to the album's.And what a fine album btw.
Mija this is pure 80’s!!
You should listen to their unplugged version of this song. It’s featured on Deadpool part two.
The unplugged version is definitely amazing
Widely considered the greatest music video ever made.
St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) - John Parr. Mia, this is another piano syth pop energetic banger that was a #1 huge hit in 1985 around the same time as A-Ha.
Though it was the theme song for St Elmo’s fire, the song is actually about an athlete that got injured and instead of feeling sorry he in his wheelchair wheeled across Canada and became a local hero for perseverance. Love to see you react to it!
A-HA is a Norwegian band that broke out with this super 80's hit.
It's not the piano it's the synthesizer.
The video won many awards back then.
A timeless 80's cult classic... you have so much more to discover Mia
List from 80s is very long😉😉
That piano the guy was playing is a "keyboard" with a "synthesizer" (or synth) in it. Basically, you can program synths to create entirely new sounds electronically, or even to sound like regular instruments. (Although early synth instruments sounded only vaguely like real instruments.) The synth powered the New Wave music movement but was so popular it was used in nearly all 80s music. Synths are still used in music today, but they're so advanced, it's hard to tell if they're being used unless you know what to listen for, or unless they're using a retro sound.
Oh my childhood! I used to watch this video on MTV so much when I was a kid. Reel Big Fish does a fun cover of this as well.
This record is now 40 years old ! Music and artists were without doubt better than 90% of the music produced today. There is still great music being produced today , but not on the level that it used to be back then.
You're reaction to this was too cute lol. The 80s were known for being too much. This song is undoubtedly well sung and thought out. The video alone is a masterpiece. Great reaction Mia. Almost to 50k. Knew it would be quick too. Congrats 👏
Reached billboard top 100 on Oct 1985.... Can see why was and still is a great song/ video
I miss the 80s. In a big way it was a simpler time. The movies, the music, the fashion. The movie you were referring to was The Breakfast Club. Iconic film. When it comes to music you’ll never go wrong with the 80s.
Simpler time... Thought that was the fifties.. I guess if you were a kid any decade was simple.
80s filled with synths and upbeat energy! Awesome time!
Can i just say?? I am 57 and i lived through the best decade ever. 1980 i was 13 and 1990 i was 23. Best years ever❤ there were a lot of synthesizer in the 80s
for me the 80's were 8 to 18, and then the 90's were obviously 18 to 28. I'm not sure I could have been born any more perfectly to enjoy popular music at its absolute height. if you wanted, 50's/60's/70's music was there for you, just had to tune to the right station, then we got all the 80's stuff... new wave, goth, metal, the birth of rap, then the 90's came and we hit the pinnacle of metal, gained alternative/college rock, grunge, and saw the birth of what would become numetal and rap/metal... those two decades back to back were a thing to behold!
Watch the video for The Sun Always Shines on TV from A-Ha next. It’s a sequel to this song
Fun fact- this song was on their first album and it bombed. The record company suggested they re-record it and added a few synths and it was released as a single on the second album.
No it was released on their first album. It was released as a single twice. The second one, this one is the one that is on the first album.
80s is the best decade of music start to finish so many different sounds and styles! So many great bands but even more one hit wonders! 🕺🏽
And remember this is waaaay before autotune that Taylor Swift and every other modern vocalist relies on
This is one of the greatest songs and videos of the 1980s. Absolutely iconic.
A-ha even did a song for a James Bond 007 song ‘the living daylights’
I love how much you enjoyed this. So much fun to watch your reaction.
This video was way ahead of it's time absolute classic
This video won several awards
Thank you Mia this was the song and music video I requested ❤ This was my late mothers favorite song
This song was hitting the charts when I was in 9th grade it's a good one
Love your channel. As an 80’s kid I love that you’re reacting to a lot of 80’s music. This video was ground breaking when it came out. It was always played on MTV when they actually played music videos lol
Man, blown away by a synthesizer.
Ahh when MTV was music television
The music video is a work of art that’s stood the test of time. They still tour! Also, Tears For Fears is a good 80’s band to explore
There a few moments in life where things shift. When I first saw this video on MTV at 10 was one of them.
I am of the class of 84 and I got to enjoy all that great music of that time.💯👍🕺
The song "Take on Me" is not classified as rock music; it is considered part of the New Wave genre.
Genre of "Take On Me": synth-pop. And there are a lot of great synth-pop songs made in the 80s... but this is definitely one of the very best (and I'm a huge synth-pop fan that grew up in the 80s). So happy you insta-loved it too :)
This "rotoscoping" form of animation was cutting-edge high-tech for its time.
Love your reactions. They are so spontaneous. This song is so catchy and absorbing.
The song that could easily define the 80s. AHA.. great band and timeless song. The video was considered one of the greatest music videos of all time. It played all the time on MTV. The magic of the 80s comes through again and I am a teenager once more. Perhaps the one of greatest keyboard opening rifts of all time (alongside "Final Countdown" from Europe).. this is pop rock/new wave that is so iconic for the 80s.
I think they called this style "New Wave" back then which is the precursor to today's "Synthwave" sound. A lot of Weeknd's songs borrow from this style. Enjoyed the reaction video! I subbed!
Yes, it is. More please!
Definitely New Wave. I was totally into that as kid back then
This song and video is forever.
Despite what people are saying when this song was first released, it flopped in 1984 failing to chat in the UK under the band name Bridges and again in 1985 adding vocalist Morten Harket and now going by A-Ha, witched only charted at 137, the band was going for a Doors punky kind of vibe, the keyboard riff although catchy was deemed to bubblegum for them on the second release it was pushed to background, the band was given one more chance later in 1985 with a different producer and BAM Smash hit, he pushed them to lean in to the synth/pop sound of the riff and the rest is History.
Bridges never released any music in UK. All the releases of Take on me was by a-ha, including Morten. The version of Bridges was named Miss Eerie.
1985....Big tune...this 80s uk pop/rock
Speech at start, paraphrasing: 'Whether I like it or not, I'll do me, and let you know. Byiii, if you don't like that...' This, followed by a song, that could not fail to be liked! ✌😄🔥
A-Ha is from Norway. 'Take on me' is the first video from the '80s to reach 2B. More recently they have re-done
'Take on me' but with a different tempo. The new version is: 'a-ha-Take on me (live from MTV Unplugged)'
109M views. The first version you focus more on the beat, the music and the vocals. The second version you
are more aware of the lyrics and feelings.
Breakfast Club movie vibes ... you're right it does have those vibes. This song's from 1984 ... Breakfast Club was from 1985
The band A-ha are from Norway led by Morten Harket on lead vocals , Magne Furuholmen on keyboards and synthesisers and Pål Waaktar on guitars.
HI, I lived this period being a teenager in the 80s was special, we did not have the internet at the time
nor cell phones, but we had music with very creative groups and artists,
Every month we had new music that made us happy.
I got married in 1984, and I had two babies, 1985 and 1987 . We had two more in the 90’s
A-Ha is a Norwegian band belonging to a genre called synth-pop, and as one of a number of European bands that found some mainstream success in the US. They had three top-50 singles in the US, and in fact they're the ONLY Norwegian band to reach the top of the US billboards. They also contributed the title track to the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights. Take On Me itself reached #1 on the US billboards, and is probably one of THE most 80s videos ever.
1:27 that will increase the page views, lol.
The actress in the video is Bunty Bailey, who was one of several actresses who auditioned for the role of Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation (a role that ultimately went to Denise Crosby, granddaughter of legendary crooner and actor Bing Crosby).
This video has the dubious distinction of being the very first target of the "Literal Video" parody genre, where an existing music video has its lyrics replaced with those that actually describe what's happening in the video. That version by DustoMcNeato can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/8HE9OQ4FnkQ/v-deo.html&pp=ygUadGFrZSBvbiBtZSBsaXRlcmFsIHZlcnNpb24%3D and it's worth a look just for the giggles.
One of the greatest songs all time! Great reaction! You belong in 80’s MIA.. take on me ;)
Yes, this band became huge. They have sold over 100 million records in their career and hold the record for largest live audience at 198,000 during their Rio concert. They even sang the title song to a James Bond movie - The Living Daylights. What a voice, huh?
I thought this was corny as a kid but as I got older, I learned to appreciate a good love story and this was a good one for a video. God bless you. You look Amazing as always.
People can disagree and argue all they want. But when it comes to output, innovation, and quality, 78 to 92 was the best time for the musical arts. The world over and across all genres. Of course there were some lead-ins to 77 and some hold-overs post 92 that belong as well.
Hilarious timing at 1:27 - "you're gonna keep watching me - and to prove it, I'm gonna give these puppies some air" xD
This is my favorite song and music video of all times. The song was released in 1985 and the video was ahead of its time.
A-Ha is New Wave Rock, from the 1980s! There are lots of cool, fun, quirky New Wave bands from this time period! Fun stuff!
You love it, because it’s 80ies sound. With more than just 40 chords, real musicians, no autotune, but real singing - and the video was a pain to make backbone the day, before this could have been done with a computer. This is all hand drawn! (today some app would do it in 3 sec…) And what you call „the piano“ is actually a synthesizer! (A must have element of almost every 80ies song!)
Not to detract from what you're saying, but don't you mean "more than just 4 chords" instead of 40? 40 chords would be *a lot*!
One of the biggest songs of the 80s, one of the most popular videos ever made, and it longevity shown by the fact 40 yrs later even the most recent generation also loves this song.
Your reactions are SO GENUINE!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤.....Big fan from Brazil
The other huge hit they had here in the uk was, the sun always shines on tv. The music video for that song begins where this one ends, if memory serves me correctly.
Another 80's band along the lines of this song .... ABC is the band and "Look of Love"
And "Be Near me"
This video and song are absolutely emblematic of the 80's.
Weezer did a pretty good cover of this, using Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), and his former band, Calpurnia, in the video.
The singer actually datedthe actress, for a while.
I was in 11th grade when this came out. The video was groundbreaking.
The video still amazing to watch even today. Great to see your reaction
Best reference to this song was when family guy used it in a cutaway 🤣🤣🤣 iykyk
I was born in 1980 so I was just a little kid in the 80's but I remember it like yesterday. The music, the movies, the fashion, Nintendo, the mall, arcades. It was a pop culture gold mine and a really fun time to grow up.
I would call this sound synthpop, and it was very popular in the 80s, and this song was one of the best examples of it, but A-Ha was a one hit wonder,. They released 5 albums in the US between 1985 and 1993, with only their follow up single, "The Sun Always Shine On TV" charting, but not making the top 40. The video for that song actually followed up on the story, of this one, and I think they way the continued it is why they never had another hit. If you know you know.
If you don't... Spoiler
They actually reversed the happy ending of this video, they had the singer turn back into a cartoon, and go back into the drawing making it the ending of a cheesy 50s style b movie, being watched on late night tv. and that's just the first 15 seconds of the video...
"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." was a huge hit, and it even peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, so the band actually was not a one hit wonder i US.
It also went Top 5 in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, as well as in the band's home country of Norway. The single reached number one in Ireland and on the UK Singles Chart which was a higher chart position there than for "Take On Me". Only Americans consider a-ha a one hit wonder, and the reason is that "Take on me" was so huge. Their song Cry Wolf also charted in America, and reached number 50.
2:45 - As others have noted, the movie you're probably thinking of is "The Breakfast Club." The song most likely associated with that movie is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds.
Most people who didn't grow up in the 1980s don't get the reference at the end of the video, where the lead singer, Morten Harket, is slamming himself against the walls to transform himself from cartoon to human. It's a reference to the final scene from the 1980 sci-fi thriller Altered States with William Hurt.
I was 10 in 1985 when this song came out from Norwegian band Ah-Ha their only big hit in North America but back in Norway they had a bunch and almost 40 years later i still love this song. The girl in the video was also in the video for Your Love by the Outfield as the painter girl.
Back in Europe they had a bunch of hits, actually.
The Pitball, featuring Christina Aguilera song, ‘Feel this moment’ has a sampling of the synths made famous from Take on Me.
A couple of artists spent 16 weeks hand drawing ~3,000 frames for the animation. A brilliant music video by any measure.
Great song and definitely gonna keep watching you
Written by a-ha. They are from Norway 🇳🇴
Originally performed 40 years ago 🎂. It did not satisfy the record company. Thus, another producer had a-ha rework the song. This is the video release. Much better than the original recording! 😃
This song was sampled by Pitbull. He rapped. Christina Aguilera sang backing vocals. Morten Harket of a-ha sang the chorus on a live performance 🎭.
Suggested video 📹: Pitbull, Christina Aguilera and Morten Harket perform Feel This Moment live.
This is one of the many classics from the 80s. Check out Everything Counts by Depeche Mode. I think you'll like it
As Gen X, this is just a little bit of what we mean when we talk about how awesome growing up in the 80s was, in so many ways.
I never heard the name of the band before, but when the song started...
I recognized the intro, I heard it a million times 😂
Beautiful song, it seems 60s rock, even from the video, good reaction and good job finding them!
One of my favorite songs and videos from the 80s one of the most watched videos in history
I love your reactions....a-ha amazing band... super epic... more pls... 👍👍👍👍
You will probably love a lot of the 80s mainstream stuff, Mia. Especially New Wave and the like - lots of synthesizers (keyboards/piano), and drum programming - two instruments you expressed being your favorites. In addition to a-ha (The Sun Always Shines On TV is a great song to check out - much more energy and faster tempo), other artists include :
- Power Station : Get It On (Bang A Gong) _T-Rex cover_
- Frankie Goes To Hollywood : Relax
- Tears For Fears : Shout, Head Over Heels, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Mad World
- The Thompson Twins : Doctor Doctor, Hold Me Now, Lay Your Hands On Me
- Eurythmics : Here Comes The Rain Again (Like Lovers Do), Who's That Girl, Sweet Dreams, Love Is A Stranger (I Want You)
- Animotion : Obsession
- Human League : Don't You Want Me
- Duran Duran : Planet Earth, Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, New Religion, Save A Prayer, The Chauffeur, New Moon On Monday, Union Of The Snake, The Reflex, A View To A Kill
- Platinum Blonde : Standing In The Dark, It Doesn't Really Matter, Situation Critical, Crying Over You, Somebody Somewhere
- Honeymoon Suite : Burning In Love, Stay In The Light, New Girl Now, Wave Babies, What Does It Take
- Gowan : Criminal Mind, Cosmetics, Strange Animal, Moonlight Desires
- The Romantics : Talking In Your Sleep
- Split Enz : I Got You
- Glass Tiger : Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone
- Simple Minds : Don't You Forget About Me
- Crowded House : Don't Dream It's Over
- Nik Kershaw : Wouldn't It Be Good
- Howard Jones : Things Can Only Get Better
- The Outfield : Your Love
- Idle Eyes : Tokyo Rose
- Cutting Crew : I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
- Mr Mister : Broken Wings, Kyrie
- Bronski Beat : Smalltown Boy
- A Flock Of Seagulls : I Ran So Far Away
- When In Rome : The Promise (I Will)
- Ultravox : Reap The Wild Wind
- Naked Eyes : Always Something There To Remind Me, Promises Promises
- Kajagoogoo : Too Shy
- Depeche Mode : Enjoy The Silence (Words)
- Corey Hart : Sunglasses At Night, It Aint Enough, Never Surrender
- Bryan Adams : Summer Of `69, Somebody, Heaven, Run To You, One Night Love Affair, Cuts Like A Knife
That should keep you good and busy, lol.
This video was groundbreaking when it came out. We had never seen anything like it before. If memory serves, this group didn't speak a word of English. They were a one hit wonder here in the states but more popular in Europe.
Gen X... we had fun.
So did the late boomers like me.
I haven’t heard this group in so long I forgot about them. This is an 80s group . This is definitely 80s Pop and the movie you thinking up is the breakfast club.😍🎶
1:26 let the dogs out Mia 😂
Que rico..😅
After you've listened to this song enough times to have it firmly embedded in your brain, go listen to the Weeknd's song "City Lights". There's a reason why "City Lights" is the most played song on Spotify.
KILLER KEYBOARD SOLO! 🔥