ONE HIT WONDERLAND: "Take On Me" by A-Ha

[@muticere]

Easily the best idea Todd had early on. This show helped him ride through the difficult pop landscape of the mid 2010s and stay relevant. It’s so easy to go back and rewatch these, too

[@ImJesseHart]

I go back and binge watch some of these sometimes and they feel basically timeless

[@JimmyC1994]

Same here, way more interested in the history of a song/artist then hearing thoughts of new stuff

[@andresdelgado9433]

This comment is what made realize this was the first of the series, can’t believe there was a time when he didn’t do this or train wrecks

[@purefoldnz3070]

what a complete and utter twat. Aha had many many many hits.

[@iainkilcar7463]

I quite like how one hit wonderland also shows snippets of parts of their other songs so you can get an idea of their other music.

[@MysteryMan852]

''Take on me'' is the direct translation of ''Tag på mig'' in norwegian and danish, which is a way of saying ''Touch me'' or more literally ''Grab me'' in a sexual manner.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

Undefined Genderguy so those high notes are us hearing him orgasm?

[@Lrozzie]

Funny thing I noticed is that he sort of corrects his grammar in "The sun always shines on TV" by using the grammatically correct "Touch me"

[@timtee145]

Undefined Genderguy and Swedish

[@Grautwok]

Hey, Norwegian here! I can confirm this, as it directly translates "Ta på meg" (2 letter difference 1 year late, but who cares?)

[@ethanpfeiffer7403]

Tag må pig means Grab me? Weird.

[@kingchuckfinley]

Their acoustic rendition of this is honestly one of the most beautifully sad things I have ever heard in my entire life. It’s utterly incredible

[@TheIronDuke9]

Agreed

[@kabpoetry]

That whole MTV Unplugged was brilliant. The version they did of The Sun Always Shines on TV with Ingrid Helene Havik was amazing...and it was great to discover her, and her incredible band Highasakite. If you haven't listened to them, do yourself a favor and do so.

[@SpenceIsAChef]

I honestly tear up every time I hear it. It’s a completely different song than the original

[@Danielsworlds]

Yeah the unplugged version is so heartbreaking and filled with greaf. It's the main way I think of the song now

[@dbillings]

Thanks for turning me onto the acoustic version. I'll be listening to this on and off for the rest of my life.

[@zyxaqc]

Fun Fact, Morten Harket once held the record for longest single note, for a male vocalist, in a song, holding a note in A-ha's song "Summer Moved On" for 20.2 seconds. That record would be overtaken by Sahaj Ticotin from the band Ra, who held a note for 24 seconds during a live performance of the song "Skorn".

[@nikolaos9652]

Summer Moved On is such a great song. I am surprised it didn't get a mention in the video

[@ahkkariq7406]

The record applies to songs from the UK hit 40, so it still stands.

[@timbeaton5045]

FWIW, that's not too difficult a task. My Friend Anton Browne, (who you won't have heard of) is not only a good instrumentalist, but mainly a great singer, and moreover a great vocal coach (Teaches at the Brit school in London, if you're interested) can do this trick. effortlessly. He mainly does Jazz gigs around London, apart from his teaching stuf, and I've seen him live many times. And when he wants to show off (which he rarely does!) he can hold notes that make you gasp for breath just watching him. I know he could easily outdo any of the above timings! And if you're really into singing, he has a great series of vocal instruction videos on KZbin, which you can easily find. Well worth a watch if you want to know how to improve your singing voice.

[@ElanurMH]

Morten held the note much longer in many live performances.

[@codybaird8811]

I'm just amazed to see a reference to the band Ra in the wild. He's a good vocalist as far as what I've heard

[@Timliu92]

I personally love Take On Me a lot. The melody is simple but memorable as heck, the synth riff is iconic, the arrangement is rich, and it is definitely a million times better than many of the modern pop hits Todd has reviewed. Oh, and Morten Harken's falsetto - still absolute badass until this day.

[@EmoBearRights]

They recently toured doing accoustic versions of all their old hits and on a Comic Relief one off gig featuring 80s acts blew everyone else out of the water doing an accoustic version of Take On Me. I love Duran Duran but they couldn't have done that. Also Mags as he was known in the UK still looks amazing too.

[@robinchesterfield42]

Even more impressive when you realise he can also hit really _low_ notes. Dude has RANGE.

[@bareakon]

RIP Benny Harvey. Used to headbang along with Manhattan Skyline with him back in the day. He was skeptical at first since we're both massive metalheads and he's like "A-ha? Really?" Still think of him whenever I hear them. Gone but not forgotten. Miss ya big man.

[@liquidmoleman7676]

Very niche.

[@TakeMeOffYourMailingList]

'sthat A-ha?

[@MalditoMendoza]

You got a reaction out of me, I've got to give you that.

[@Englebert3rd]

Met him at a charity do once. Very down to earth and very funny

[@oldladytrexarms]

NOOO! I refuse to believe the couple didn't make it! *covers ears* blah blah I can't hear you! I totally shipped them ever since I saw the video as a kid.

[@Dreigonix]

+No One That video James Pattersoned me. I refuse to acknowledge it as canon!

[@nope1018]

I refuse to acknowledge James Patterson as canon in reality.

[@RubberyCat]

I wonder how no one knows that the ending to "Take on me" was ripped from a movie named "The Experiment" back in the early 80s ....? But then, it was weird.

[@RubberyCat]

khymera915 () "Altered States" you say ..... (Checks it up) YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is the one I was referring to! I knew it as "The Experiment", probably due to that the movies in my country used to have "translated" Titles.

[@patricklauer4452]

nope holy crap I love JP I read some books that he has written and I love

[@SirAlanOD]

Ah-ha, so that's the fisrt song that started the OHW series. Awesome!

[@Launchpad05]

Still a better love story than 'Twilight'.

[@KanjoosLahookvinhaakvinhookvin]

+Alan O. D. *a-ha

[@Shaymin00000]

+Kanjoos “ProJared 2” Lahookvinhaakvinhookvin That's what we in the industry call a "pun"

[@FSEThompson]

Damn he is a dreamboat! Look at that jawline, you could cut diamonds with it!

[@MarioWendorf]

You sound like Frieza from TFS talking about Goku's abs

[@Helios8170]

Just wait till you see my buddy BJ Blazkowicz

[@scisalafaku]

Friedrich Sarah E. Thompson no you could mine diamonds with it

[@emmaduncan2991]

European guys with toothpick arms, should not go sleeveless.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

Eh. He ain’t my type. I like women.

[@Rocketboy1313]

Felt more for this couple than those in "The English Patient". Solid gold humor.

[@dukbass1197]

In January in 2020 I went to see A-ha live on their big tour. They were absolutely fantastic. Morten Harket still somehow has those killer cheekbones.

[@rubberwoody]

I thought they broke up

[@buckleygeneration]

I love Timothy Dalton as Bond, and will defend him forever.

[@Becka_Harper]

I know this was posted a long time ago, but I right there with you. Timothy Dalton did a for the time quite gritty, and definitely nastier Bond. Half the crap Craig's been lauded for Dalton did first. He is without a doubt my favourite Bond.

[@michaelfarrow5817]

The problem wasn't Dalton, the problem was the shitty budgets

[@boesvig2258]

Dalton is definitely in the running for best Bond, such a shame we only got two movies. If anything, The Living Daylights is one of the Bond movies you shouldn't skip, especially considering the Bonds Dalton is sandwiched between. Roger Moore was more of a campy spoof of Bond than actual Bond, and Brosnan was never more than painfully mediocre. Compared to those two, Dalton's movies are gems.

[@michaelfarrow5817]

@@boesvig2258 If Dalton had made Goldeneye when it was offered, he'd be fondly remembered.

[@Hubabuba258]

He also reminds me the Bond from the books more than any other actors. I do love Bonds with Dalton.

[@socraticparadox7518]

just watching snippets of their music videos made me want to cry. THEY. TURNED INTO BUTTERFLIES:"(

[@WobblesandBean]

+Socratic Paradox Right? It's kinda poetic, though. I like seeing all these video though. It's so cool remembering how once upon a time, music videos were a legit art form. It's how Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze both got their start as directors! Then again, so did Michael Bay...

[@Cheesypotato57]

Any idea where I can find that music video?

[@kydaper8089]

+Potatrobot search "a-ha Butterfly Butterfly"

[@MaricaAmbrosius]

Was that Forever Not Yours?

[@ahkkariq7406]

@@MaricaAmbrosius The video is "Butterfly Butterfly", which was ment to be their farewell song/video. Later on they came back.

[@archer1949]

Timothy Dalton was criminally underrated as Bond. And the theme was awesome.

[@SpyHunter89]

I'm with you on Timothy Dalton. He was actually my favourite just before Daniel Craig came along. The song itself... not so much. It tried too hard to copy Duran Duran's theme from "A View to A Kill", but with worse lyrics.

[@txcforever]

Maybe the actor was underrated in the role but I really didn't like his movies. I mean, most other actors gave their own spin and flavor in portraying the character, but I honestly don't remember anything at all from the movies Dalton played Bond. The only thing stuck with me is him getting married and his wife getting killed almost instantly after.

[@SyxxPunk]

Really? I found him to be somewhat psychopathic compared to the others.

[@archer1949]

SyxxPunk Read the original Ian Fleming novels and stories. He's basically a cold blooded killer.

[@franohmsford7548]

Uh that was George Lazenby and On Her Majesty's Secret Service! Licence to Kill had CIA Agent Felix Leiter getting married with Timothy Dalton's Bond as his Best Man. Oh and Todd is very very wrong - The Living Daylights is outright the best Bond Movie not to star Roger Moore and the third best Bond Movie of all time behind The Spy Who Loved Me and Live and Let Die. P.S. A-Ha's The Living Daylights is superior to Duran Duran's A View to a Kill too {Not to mention that prior to Quantum of Solace only Octopussy was a worse Bond Movie than A View to a Kill! - Prior to Daniel Craig Roger Moore had the worst two Bond Movies as well as the best two!}.

[@DokkaChapman]

Todd........ do you and A-Ha need to get a room?

[@commentfreely5443]

zero hit wonders!!

[@Flowtail]

Comment Freely Is that a bad joke, or am i just wooooshing?..

[@juliusuzutunda]

😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@aboody8618]

1000th like

[@AndreNDP]

Hell nah, he wants it to be public and nasty.

[@Spudcore]

Take On Me is an undeniable classic, and what an incredible video! However, I personally prefer The Sun Always Shines On TV. It's slightly darker and rockier and has some really nifty synth work. A-Ha were flipping great! Fine analysis, Todd, nicely done.

[@the_architect..]

Adam Power I don't know in what world A-Ha are one hit wonders. Sure, Take On Me is without a question their biggest hit, but songs like the Sun Always Shine On Tv, Cry Wolf or You Are the One are also songs most people recognize. Sure, they may not know they're the same band, but they're all famous songs.

[@silverbane8065]

Was wondering that myself actually. But maybe it's a USA vrs EU thing. I mean nearly every Brit over 25ish knows 'the living daylghts' from the James bond movies right? I duno if I could pick a fave of mine from there, tho at a guess, 'stay on these roads' manly because when I hear that I instantly think of my fave game at that time (illusion of time,also known as illusion of ghia in us and Japan) as I used to listen to aha and nick Kershaw while playing it ^^

[@olivercuenca4109]

Adam Power I actually use the phrase “the sun only shines on tv” all the time as a short hand for when people say that they wish life was more like stuff they’ve seen in the media.

[@applemask]

They're Norwegian. They couldn't permit a happy ending.

[@RobRandomVids]

Oh hey, I've seen you before!

[@NUBF]

Feels like you’re mixing them up with Finns 😂 the depressed Scandinavian brother ❤

[@Allerdyne]

About the karaoke thing . . . yes. I chose on a whim to sing that in a Korean karaoke parlor on a date once. After I had finished butchering the song, all I had to say for myself was "That was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

[@OsKarMike1306]

The trick is to git gud

[@huey13player]

Maaaann I can't even act like I didn't sing this hammered with my buddy drunk one night

[@AllenJohn]

I hope your date said the same 🤣

[@andrewgrant6516]

Two songs to never sing at Karaoke: Take On Me, and Twist And Shout. Throat wreckers.

[@billbombshiggy9254]

Morten is such a beautiful specimen. He's still gorgeous at 62. I'd be his DDS. Also take on me 1984, at the end, you can hear him belt. He's not drowned out by the synthesizers

[@ninaj6051]

Doctor of dental surgery? Diaminodiphenyl sulfone? What is DDS?

[@billbombshiggy9254]

@@ninaj6051 actually it's "designated dick sucker."

[@purdster83]

"I want to know more about these bands." Yeah, me too, right on. "Gotta find something good to kick this series off with." Awesome - wait - Kick off? Series? Checks posted date: 2015 Hell yessss.....

[@awookieandagerman]

Oh dude, One Hit Wonderland is the great oasis of KZbin.

[@sufferedsage]

R.I.P. Benny Harvey. Miss ya big man. Gone but not forgotten.

[@RoonMian]

Here in Germany A-Ha had a respectable comeback in the '00s with "Summer Moved On" and "Minor Earth Major Sky"

[@glennpagemusic]

RoonMian I love the latter.

[@cactuskaktus6734]

RoonMian minor earth major sky is so god. They were always big in Norway btw

[@nakenmil]

I love Summer Moved On.

[@marystone1526]

Enthused Norseman So do I.

[@RY30DM]

I love Minor Earth Major Sky! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHvbenxneJWEoK8

[@JaesadaSrisuk]

Apparently the "The Sun Always Shines On TV" music video was filmed in the Temple of the Many Faced God in Braavos. #ValarMorghulis

[@richsackett3423]

Great song.

[@Cheesypotato57]

And if anyone's asking, the cover at the end of the video is by Reel Big Fish.

[@zenonella]

+Potatrobot thank you

[@chicagoakland]

+Potatrobot That reminds me, I need to see BASEketball again.

[@IndyX]

Lil Davie H. Them or Rancid's "Time Bomb"

[@Aster_Risk]

IndyX I don't think they'd count since they also had Ruby Soho .

[@Aster_Risk]

Potatrobot I think that's my favorite cover song besides Cake's version of I Will Survive. It's so good.

[@jamessmith1269]

in Europe A-Ha weren't a one hit wonder, absolutely not. they were big enough to record a bond theme in "living daylights" and before they broke up, they performed for the King of Norway. not to mention that all of them were given titles by the king. they must have had at least five major hits. and I shouldn't comment before watching a full video either.

[@DALILABOECHAT]

Yesssss

[@EmeraldZion]

The living daylights is an amazing song

[@dorientjewoller113]

And forgetting to mention their best track of all: Hunting High And Low.

[@iaincowell9747]

@@dorientjewoller113 Stay on these roads, The sun always shines on TV

[@larae.5553]

I was so confused? Aha a one hit wonder? Hell, I am going on an Aha concert in November.

[@kit2tails]

They are still making music. I discovered they are even putting out a new album this year (2022), according to something KZbin suggested for me. And their music continues to be good. And they are all just as handsome as they were when I was a kid. Thank you for telling everyone about “Crying in the Rain” though.

[@emilymcplugger]

Their second album “Scoundrel Days” is an 80’s synth-pop, anxt master-class. The exceptional production on “Scoundrel Days” makes it even better than the first album “hunting high and low” in my opinion.

[@Hagledesperado]

Agreed, it's a mature, solid pop album with very few, if any, weak songs. Their best, IMO. Hardly any hits though, but who really cares about hits when there are so many good albums to listen to?

[@Nhileishere]

"Im gonna need a really good one to kick this project off with.. a-ha!" me: ...

[@DinobotTM2]

"Hunting High and Low" is also pretty awesome.

[@ackbarfan5556]

What about Manhattan Skyline. Holy crap, that rocks!

[@grindmaster7433]

And "Cry wolf"

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

The Sun Always Shines On TV was a UK #1 … They are hardly One Hit Wonders ...

[@georgeprout42]

@@MatthewJohnCrittenden also still touring, with UK dates later in Nov 2020. Definitely not a one hit wonder, nor are they forgotten.

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

@@georgeprout42My Aussie wife (I'm English) says they are a one hit wonder and not heard the other tracks, must be a regional thing!

[@julesakers3051]

"The Sun Always Shines On TV" was a bigger hit than "Take On Me" here in the UK.

[@EclecticoIconoclasta]

He did mention that

[@yellowstalk6653]

That "Aha!" pun is the stupidest fucking pun and I love it.

[@anastasiawasylinko5482]

My mom LOVED A-Ha when she was a teen in Europe - she mentioned that she would blast their music REALLY loud when her family wasn't at home!

[@birdie1285]

one of my favorite bits of trivia about a-ha is that the sun always shines on tv inspired the title of the show it's always sunny in philadelphia! the show was originally going to be called it's always sunny on tv (cause it was gonna be about a group of struggling actors in la, but when that changed they changed the title of the show too). Me and all my friends are huge fans of the show and the song! i'm always a little suprised that more people aren't fans of that song, it's so underrated!

[@gustavedore1073]

A-ha's version of Crying in the rain is still one of my favourite songs from 80's

[@gabe_s_videos]

Oh god, their cover of "Crying in The Rain." Because that song wasn't already miserable.

[@Alexander1868]

I like that song..

"Take On Me" was a perfect audio-visual storm of awesomeness, but these guys kept the quality going for years to come. "Minor Earth, Major Sky"... Simply briliant.

[@saullular.phone1]

Lifelines is also a great one

[@Skreezilla]

Weird part for me growing up in England is many of the one hit wonders are either people that had shit ton of hits in europe or we never heard of :p

[@Dr.Quarex]

I mean they had more hits in the U.S. too, but somehow it does not count because they never hit the top 10 again

[@leaffinite2001]

Thats kinda how it is. Either they had only one good song and therefore are unheard of outside their home country, or they had to have enough domestic success to get one decent hit outside their home country.

[@leaffinite2001]

​@@Dr.Quarexi guarentee 90% of americans, 99.9% of americans under the age of 45, have never heard a song from them other than take on me. Definitely dont remember any.

[@alexnauru7692]

A-Ha are honestly such a good band, they deserve more credit then just a one hit wonder.

[@fastbowler]

Shoutout for a-ha's cover of "Crying In the Rain"! Even the video for it is awesome… great show-don't-tell storytelling…

[@schleepy6362]

I wanted the couple to make it too, Todd. Now I'm all depressed 3:

[@dvt1393]

Ahh, here it is. The first One Hit Wonderland. I've been binge watching my way through this series after discovering Todd In the Shadows a few days ago. And I have to say that this is now one of my favorite music analysis series ever. And Todd has quickly become one of my favorite music critics in any medium. His Pop Song Analysis and Trainwrecords series are both also excellent. Deep analysis, quick wit, and dry humor all add up to a channel that I am loving exploring, and now look forward to every upload. Thank you, Todd.

[@magnushmann]

- Take on Me - Stay on These Roads - Forever Not Yours - Touchy! - The Sun Always Shines on T.V. - The Living Daylights

[@bennytodts7391]

Hunting high and low

[@pmcmahon2493]

I really like "The Living Daylights." It's one of my favorite Bond themes. I'd also say that the a-ha studio version is much better than the movie version. I like John Berry's orchestrations, but the rest of it is so low energy.

[@rzeka]

damn, his voice is incredible

[@ruthmeow4262]

Okay, I haven't heard The Sun Always Shines on TV since the 80's and I can still sing the chorus. And he still has dreamy eyes.

[@ccdiamond308]

As a European kid of the 90s, it's so strange to me when someone refers to A-Ha, Scatman, Vidas, Modern Talking or Dr Alban as one-hit wonders, they pretty much defined my childhood

[@TheNoSuchThingPodcast]

I never get sick of this song. Sun always shines makes me bleed with nostalgia

[@mangrove]

The Sun Always Shines On TV got lots of play on MTV. I actually liked the song. When my wife and I were living in South Korea a few years ago, I saw a ladies t-shirt with "The Sun Always Shines On TV" on it, and bought it for my wife.

[@prufrockj.a8532]

To everyone who loves this song: listen to a-ha's MTV Unplugged version. It's the slowed down acoustic version (no it does not sound like a white guy with a guitar song) and it is heartbreakingly, hauntingly, unbearable beautiful and poignant. I fell in love with the song all over again. The singer's voice is still amazing and you might just find out that there are a few lyrics to this song that you never knew existed.

[@maryannvalerio9869]

The acoustic cover of this song in Deadpool 2 was truly moving and had me near tears. Didn't realize that they were kinda replicating the video in the scene where they used it too!

[@TheNoSuchThingPodcast]

My god your right. I’m not even that emotional dammit and it had me choking up wishing there was a happy ending to this song

[@apoplexiamusic]

I really hope U2 gave A-ha royalties for Beautiful Day sounding so much like The Sun Always Shines On TV

[@rct3isepic]

also, these guys just had a performance at the nobel peace prize concert. AND IT KICKED ASS!!!

[@WobblesandBean]

+rct3isepic Oooo I'll have to look that up, I wanna see!

[@rct3isepic]

yeah. they played a tropical house remix of take on me with kygo as well

[@DeadshotDivinityFan]

+rct3isepic that's dope

[@jaymz010]

Morten Harket - Prettiest white boy on the planet!

[@FFVison]

Sebastian Bach back in the day I think has him beat.

[@girliboi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnm6aYyjf72miKs

[@AirKangLocker]

Nope George Michael

[@ketchakik]

You clearly haven’t seen me

[@robinchesterfield42]

Fun (?) fact, I went through a phase years ago where I went around drawing rock/pop people, because I had this #1 Hits book with all these cool pictures in that made good reference material. So when I was drawing Morten Harkett (because why not) and somebody walked by and saw it, they immediately asked if that was my boyfriend. XD ...I didn't know whether to be more annoyed or flattered. :P

[@bladeobrian2144]

I have all of their albums, including the ones not released in the USA! They’re so much more than Take On Me.

[@strangeland4062]

I agree!

[@bladeobrian2144]

Strangeland yeah! I can’t wait to see them in LA this fall! I’ll be traveling down there from Seattle! Hopefully this virus is done by then.

[@strangeland4062]

Blade O’Brian awesome! I wish they were coming to the east coast!

[@christopherscorner]

While living in Germany as an exchange student in 1986, I Purchased the “Scoundrel days“ album and my brother and I still listen to that album today… It’s delicious to the ears!

[@Bikewithlove]

7:24 Ouch! Brutal. I can see that, which is why I related deeply to A-Ha and still do. In fact, the problem isn’t that the English is bad - it’s that the lyrics are too poetic. Not a lot of people express themselve like that because people alienate you when you think outside the box. It’s no wonder A-Ha’s music over their entire career is all about that isolation and loneliness.

[@ahkkariq7406]

Finally someone who got it. If you listen to interviews with the band from 1985, you can hear that their English is impeccable. I have read many Brits commenting that they spoke better English than most Brits, presumably because they spoke without slang or dialect. Oxford English was a school subject in Norway even back then. Paul, the main songwriter, read meters of classic literature in English before they left Norway precisely to perfect his English, as well as to become a better poet.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

The Sun Always Shines On TV is one of my favourite songs. It's such a strange beautiful song

[@arturslunga3415]

"Hunting high and low" was a big hit in the UK in 1986.

[@fugithegreat]

One of my all-time favorite songs.

[@shawnfields2369]

Same here.

[@milenski26]

I remember listening to "Crying in the rain" a lot on the radio. I never knew it was A-ha.

[@pmberry]

Incredibly for an effects-heavy music video pushing 40 years old, it still holds up today! What a great song to start a series with, which I'm belatedly getting into just now.

[@ktee1403]

I loved Sun Always Shines On TV. I remember always lifting the needle on the record to repeat that song.

[@omgsolikevalleygirl]

wow - Harket and A-HA are some of the best musicians Europop has ever brought to chart success... all their albums are genius and well worth listening to. Sometimes great music doesn't make it to chart success always, but A-HA went on to have countless hits in Europe. Their last big one was "live by the foot of the mountain" and "forever not yours". Give them a listen - they're fantastic!

[@shadowlinkbds]

Ah the very first one hit wonderland. I really love this segment of your show Todd. To this day Take On Me remains my favorite one hit wonder. It's just a fantastic catchy song.

[@desktopkitty]

the NOT one hit wonder, Take On Me... because a-ha has had several hits... just not in The United States. They got back together in 2015, and to this day are still making music and touring. Though have sadly had to cancel several concerts because of the corona virus. Thank you for pointing out how freaking great this band is! (edit: by the way, I once told Magne Furuholmen that "take on me" didn't make sense. He said, "that's why it worked". He's so funny.)

[@ButtersCCookie]

Can't believe you've been around for 6 years and just found you a week or so ago. Love, love, love your channel. Thank you.

[@unique_mushroom]

way longer than 6 years bud

[@karolineblubber]

Okay, the fact that Todds door is ajar creeps me out.

[@heehoproductions8590]

Isn't it weird that one of A-ha's new songs is called "Door Ajar"

[@stephonethejerk1944]

Eric Darden I love you

[@Gnug215]

A-Ha had sooo many other good songs. I was a massive fan back in the day when I was a kid, and I loved the first 3 albums. (After that, they kinda dropped off the map for a while, as they - their music - kinda seemed to mature faster than I did, but I've since re-visited some of their music.) But some favorites of mine include: Hunting High and Low, Hurry Home, Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, October, Out of Blue Comes Green, Soundrel Days, The Swing of Things, The Weight of the Wind, This Alone is Love, Touchy. And more recently, Forever not Yours was a bit of a comeback hit for them (ok, that's a while back now, but still.) So in my world, they we're never anything that remotely resembled a onee hit wonder.

[@laurabjork]

I would say they are still big not only in Norway but a lot of parts of Europe. The are one of best live performers and they re so good.

[@cynzix]

Laura Bjork I've seen them twice In the last decade here in Argentina

[@qwertyTRiG]

Pick any of their songs on KZbin and observe that most comments are in Portuguese. They're big in Brazil.

[@MarioWendorf]

You know what's awful Todd? I attached a big pile of 80s songs to a relationship that failed. Attached in that we listened to this stuff together, rediscovering it for me and the first time for her. The songs shown here hit me right where I live man.

[@tommackevich1810]

Would never have thought of A-ha as a one hit wonder. They had quite a few memorable songs. I remember many of them playing on the radio when I was in school. Can remember at least five from the top of my head still. Todd overshot with this one..

[@MCSMeister]

I wouldn't say that. They're still considered a one-hit wonder by most Americans, and most can't name a song other than Take on Me.

[@MCSMeister]

Yes, I know that. Todd seems to pick these one-hit wonders from America's perspective, though. Same reason he did a video on Midnight Oil - they only had one big US hit but remained popular in Australia.

[@leaffinite2001]

Not really. He literally opens asking "are these songs really one hit wonders" as one of his questions the whole one hit wonderland series is meant to answer

[@chuckbatman5]

I've gotta listen to more of A-ha's music, every snippet of song you played from them sounded really great

[@neilscole]

The entire East of the West of the Moon album is pure amazing.

[@jackwells8107]

I'm one of those weird people who would hear a song on the radio and go buy the entire album. I always loved Living a Boys' Adventure Tale.

[@Mark-zu6oz]

Blue Sky and Train of Thought

[@villehytonen7279]

I will never understand people who are calling A-Ha a one hit wonder. Most of their albums are great and Take On Me is just one great song in their catalog. "They were the band"? They still are.

[@mariaquiet6211]

I suppose he's talking to a perspective of what present day Americans remember. A lot of these bands had multiple hits in Europe and are cult acts in America with a legacy but most Americans just remember the one hit.

[@EyesOfFrozenMeat]

They are incredibly talented. They have hours worth of good music and perform very well live.

[@jackulstrom9150]

Hunting High and Low is seriously the single best pop album of all time. Every song from that record deserved to be as big as Take On Me.

[@No1SamSmithHater]

The sun always shines on TV and Manhattan Skyline are fantastic songs

[@camerondodge2070]

Personally, my top A-ha songs are "Hunting High And Low", "Summer Moved On", and "Lifelines". Also, if you want top-notch A-ha, check out the albums "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon", "Minor Earth, Major Sky", "Lifelines", and "Cast In Steel", which is their 2016 reunion album. As it turns out, they reunited not long after this video and are still together.

[@MaikuWotaharu]

My issue with this is that you got the instruments wrong. Pal Waaktaar is the guitarist and Magne Furuholmen handles the keyboards (sometimes guitar). Apart from that, it's alright.

[@mainsmain]

Touch meeeeee the sun always shines on the TV Hunting high and low, so not just a one hit wonder

[@rowana5607]

I always end up comfort rewatching one hit wonderland every so often.

[@artexjay]

A-Ha is still going strong honestly, releasing new albums still, still releasing bangers, Take On Me is a very good song

[@MilanFelix]

A freind of my used to be a really huge fan of a-ha, manhattan skyline was his favorite song of theirs. RIP Benny Harvey miss you big man.

[@robinisomaa]

I think "take on me" is a bad translation of "ta på meg", which means "touch me".

[@ireallylikeclouds989]

grab me. actually (lenny face but i dont feel like finding and copying and pasting it.)

[@Victoria-dv2nv]

@@ireallylikeclouds989 Å ta can mean to grab, but å ta på means to touch.

[@kalleguld]

And "take me on"? Ta meg på = wear me?

[@hieutruong7456]

The line is fucking iconic tho

[@kpk33x]

This song is 1 of 2 that completely captures the 80s in my head - innovative video that got big play on MTV, lots of synthesizer, was big right in the middle of the decade. The other is "It's My Life" by Talk Talk.

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Nobody cares what you think

[@crazy4orlando2]

"Please don't ask me to defend the shameful lowlands of the way im drifting gloomily through time" is one of my favorite song lyrics of all time.

[@13Wolfie13]

The slow, acoustic version of this song is beautiful.

[@scidididi9564]

honestly, i like the sun always shines on tv *WAY MORE* than take on me

[@danpreston564]

Saw a-ha live a few years ago, the crowd attempting to sing the high note was just joyful. They fucking rocked, by the way.

[@MsHildur90]

As an norwegian I find your pronunciation of their names hilarious xD

[@jenniferkubik8686]

I love the synthesizers on this song and it is so 1985! The video and song were both cool back in the day. Had to have been there to experience it when it was new. Take On Me is still a favorite of mine. Love The Sun Always Shines on TV too. 80's kids got all this. 👍 Both are great songs.

[@arothmanmusic]

Correction - Pal (Paul) plays guitar and Magne plays keys. You can see that in the videos. :) Also, the girl in the video (Bunty Bailey) was Morten’s actual girlfriend at the time. a-Ha has a ton of great songs. Every one of their albums had at least one killer hook (and a fair amount of filler in some cases). Their MTV Unplugged is great. There’s a feature documentary about them out this year.

[@waziotter]

In 2020 Morten Harket took part in the UK version of the Masked Singer. He sang Take on Me. British people who were teenagers in the 80s will never be able to discuss him without calling him Morten Horten Sortin Fnorten Harket. Any 80s teen will immediately know why.

[@wolfenstarnice4821]

TAAAAAAKE MEEEEEE OOOOOOON! TAKE ON ME! TAKE OOOOOOON MEEEEEEEE! TAKE ON ME! I love this song.

[@stephenharris5532]

I was going to say "The Sun Always Shines On TV" is their other hit and was my favorite song for a loooong time. It's such a good song.

[@taylor29ish]

Stay on these roads is a beautiful song by them.

[@ZOB4]

It is most certainly the best music video of all time, and you can tell that to Kanye West.

[@palaguin]

Personally, my favorite A-Ha song is "Cry Wolf".

[@glennpagemusic]

Bedford Crenshaw Great tune!

[@sakuraglenn]

12" version is ace

[@cathylindeboo.9598]

This is deja vu for me back to when I lived in Atascadero with my baby and abusive husband, who died of AIDS in 1986, and left his daughter and I with nothing. But I/we SURVIVED him, thank God!!!!