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A-ha - Take on Me
"Take On Me" is a song by Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The recording combines synth-pop with a varied instrumentation, including acoustic guitars, keyboards, and drums.
At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, the video for "Take On Me" won six awards—Best New Artist in a Video, Best Concept Video, Most Experimental Video, Best Direction in a Video, Best Special Effects in a Video, and Viewer's Choice—and was nominated for two others, Best Group Video and Video of the Year. It was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Video at the 13th American Music Awards in 1986.
In the United States, Warner Bros. invested in the revolutionary second video for "Take On Me", which used Tarney's version of the song. The new video was released to dance clubs and television a month before the record was available in stores or played on the radio.[43] Wide exposure on MTV[41] helped propel the single to the top of Billboard's Hot 100, reaching number one in the issue dated 19 October 1985 (its fifteenth week on the chart).[44] It remained on the chart for twenty-seven weeks,[45] and ranked ten in the 1985 year-end chart.[46] As of June 2014, the song has sold 1,463,000 digital copies in the US after it became available for download in the digital era.[47]
"Take On Me" was released for the third time in the United Kingdom in September 1985.[41] The record debuted on the UK Singles Chart at no. 55 and in late October reached no. 2, where it remained for three consecutive weeks, held off the top spot by Britain's biggest single of the year, Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love". On 14 August 2020 it was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[48]
In Norway, A-ha's native country, "Take On Me" re-entered the VG-lista singles chart, reaching a new peak of number one, a year after it was first released. The single was largely successful elsewhere, reaching the top of the Eurochart Hot 100 for nine weeks, topping the singles charts in 26 countries,[citation needed] including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, and reaching the top three in France and number two in Ireland.
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