a-ha

It’s impossible to talk about ‘80s pop music without mentioning a-ha, who conquered the world with their shimmering synth-pop, gravity-defying hair and, of course, the classic “Take On Me”. Fronted by the well-coiffed Morten Harket and rounded out by multi-instrumentalists Pål Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, the group formed in Oslo in 1982 and left for London soon after, immersing themselves in the city’s music scene. After releasing their 1985 debut album, Hunting High & Low, a-ha struck platinum with the LP’s lead single, “Take On Me”, an irresistible pop gem with an unforgettable falsetto-enhanced chorus. While the song is memorable enough in its own musical right, it was the groundbreaking video, which paired penciled animation with real-world action, that pushed “Take On Me” into the stratosphere. Though they haven’t replicated that track’s enduring success, the band’s follow-up single, “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.”, was another big hit, and, in 1987, they recorded the James Bond theme song, “The Living Daylights”. In 1993, a-ha took a five-year break before reforming to release five more LPs, as well as their acclaimed 2017 acoustic set, MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice, showing the world that there’s much more to love about this trio than their most famous hit.