Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - A
    Artists - A Music - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    A-ha

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    The trio at the heart of A-ha met in 1980 in Oslo, Norway, and decided to concentrate on producing a commercial form of music. Travelling to England in 1982, Waaktaar and Furuholmen tried (unsuccessfully) to secure a record deal.

    Undaunted, the trio located to London in 1983 where they shared a flat and continued to work on original material and record demos.

    While recording one such demo at Rendezvous Studios, they came to the attention of former record company executive Terry Slater, who became their manager and arranged a series of showcase auditions for record companies at a London rehearsal studio. By Christmas, they were signed to a worldwide contract by Warner Brothers.

    Take On Me was released in the UK in October 1984 (after a successful Norwegian release). It sold approximately 300 copies.  In 1985, the band remixed the single with a different producer and re-released it in the UK, but it failed to chart once more.

    Disillusioned, the trio elected to spend the northern summer in Oslo. Meanwhile, Warner released Take On Me in the USA, deciding to spend $100,000 on a ground-breaking semi-animated video to help secure airplay on MTV.

    By October 85, Take On Me had topped the US chart and (on the third attempt in Britain) hit #2 in the UK. Their debut album (Hunting High and Low) reached #2 in the UK and #15 in the US.

    aha_002

    The album highlighted the band’s melodic synth-based pop style and Harket’s distinctive, smooth (often falsetto) voice.

    Over the next five years, A-ha toured the world, won numerous awards (primarily for their videos) and racked up 13 consecutive Top 30 singles, including their theme to the 1987 James Bond movie The Living Daylights.

    But by the mid-90s the band had all but ceased to exist, with the original trio moving on to a number of (far less successful) musical ventures.

    In 2000, the trio got back together for their first new album in seven years, Minor Earth, Major Sky.

    Morten Harket 
    Vocals
    Mags Furuholmen 

    Keyboards
    Pal Waaktaar 

    Guitar 

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Christians, The
      Christians, The
      Brothers Garry and Russell Christian - formerly an a cappella soul trio with Roger, another sibling from their family of…
    • Anti-Nowhere League
      Anti-Nowhere League
      In good punk tradition, the Anti-Nowhere League formed in Kent, England, in 1980 out of sheer boredom. The band members…
    • Pale Fountains, The
      Pale Fountains, The
      Formed in Liverpool in the early 80s, these 60s-influenced melodic pop/rockers had an unusual instrumental line-up and were probably best…
    • Railway Children, The
      Railway Children, The
      The Railway Children formed in 1985 in Wigan, Lancashire. After a batch of demo tapes, the four 19-year-olds found themselves…
    • Singles, The
      Singles, The
      Australian band The Singles were formed late in 1979 by Andrew Campbell and Rod Brunell with Geoff Smith and Tony…
    • Real Life
      Real Life
      Guitarist/vocalist Dave Sterry and synthesizer player/violinist Richard Zatorski had been members of the final line-up of 70's Australian band Kush.…
    • Sam Brown
      Sam Brown
      Samantha Brown was born on 7 October 1964, in Stratford, east London, England. She is the daughter of musician Joe…
    • Utopia
      Utopia
      After five solo albums released between 1970 and 1974, Todd Rundgren put together the band Utopia. The band was originally, in effect,…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAgitation Free
    Next Article Alabama

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Asphyx, The (1972)
      The Asphyx is – in ancient Greek mythology – the […]
    • Soldier Blue (1970)
      Like Billy Jack (1971), who passionately hated killing but did […]
    • Radiohead
      It is a well-known fact that the weight of just one hit single […]
    • Strider
      Taking their name from Lord of the Rings, Strider was formed by […]
    • California Suite (1978)
      Four groups of visitors stay at the swanky Beverly Hills Hotel […]
    • World of Suzie Wong, The (1960)
      The hero Robert Lomax (William Holden) is a poor starving […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.