A-Ha
a-ha is a Norwegian pop music band. The trio, composed of Pål Waaktaar, Magne Furholmen and Morten Harket formed in 1983, and left Norway for London in order to make a career in the music business. "Take on Me", their debut single, was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1985 (see 1985 in music); sales were aided in the US by an innovative video on MTV which utilized stop-motion photography. In spite of the single's greater popularity in the US, the album, Hunting High and Low, sold better in the UK. Critics at the time mostly dismissed the band as bubblegum pop.
a-ha's second album was Scoundrel Days (1986 in music), and it stunned critics with its step towards alternative rock and Waaktaar's burgeoning skills as a songwriter. Stay on These Roads (1988 in music) received more mixed reviews than the previous albums. In spite of a drastic decline in sales in the next few years, a-ha continued to record two more albums, East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon (1990 in music) and Memorial Beach (1993 in music).
a-ha split up in 1993, their members focusing on solo activities. After a very well-received one-off performance at the Nobel Prize awards in 1999, the threesome returned to the studio and recorded 2000's (2000 in music) Minor Earth Major Sky. This album and 2002's (2002 in music) Lifelines were both proof of the fact that their fanbase was still there and they were also able to attract new audiences, especially in Central Europe and Scandinavia, where the albums sold extremely well. A live album (from their 2002 tour) with the title How Can I Sleep With Your Voice in My Head was released in March of 2003, preceded by a live single of the 1986 classic "The Sun Always Shines On TV".
Referenced By
1983 in music | 1984 in music | 1985 in music | 1989 in music | One-hit wonders in the US | One-hit wonders in the United States
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