Some bands are simply timeless.
A-ha is a Norwegian band who rose to fame in the 1980s for their pop-synth style and infectious music. Their debut album Hunting High and Low from 1985 produced several hit singles, with one of them being ‘Take On Me.” Even all these years later, the talented band shows us exactly why they made it big with this epic live performance.
The group stunned this crowd in Norway with their ability to perform better than ever even after so many years.
A-ha may be getting older, but they haven’t lost anything with age—and they prove it in this terrific live performance of “Take On Me” at Giske Harbour Hall in Norway for MTV Unplugged Summer Solstice.
At the beginning of the show, lead singer Morton Harket begins to sing the famous first words of ” Take On Me” while the band lays down the back round music.
This is one of those songs that everyone has heard, but seeing them nail it live is so much different.
A-ha plays “Take On Me” in front of some beautiful bay windows overlooking gorgeous scenery.
It’s like this band just gets better with age!
The version they play here is much softer and more elegant than the original version. Harket really showcases how high his voice can actually go, all while carrying a beautiful tone.
The crowd is completely entranced by A-ha’s performance, and as the camera flashes back and forth you can see the pure love they have for the music.
Some fans feel something so deep for the music that you can even see them wipe tears from their eyes.
About 2:00 into the video, the pianist plays a wonderful solo before Harket comes back in with his soothing voice.
You could hear a pin drop as A-ha goes through the touching song. For many, it’s like a portal to memories of their past. I can clearly remember my mother jamming out to “Take On Me” with me in the back seat, so I fall in that category.
The stage at the MTV Unplugged Summit is incredible, and their top-notch videography doesn’t hurt either.
Toward the end of the video, the rest of the band lets loose as Harket takes his voice to another level.
For the last part of the performance, Harket sings the famous chorus one last time for the mesmerized fans.
The band finishes in brilliant fashion, with Harket putting his vocals on full display to end the show. It’s no surprise that A-ha performs so well—they’ve only been doing it since the early ’80s!
People on the internet went crazy for A-ha’s live show at MTV Plugged, tens of millions of music lovers watched it over and over again.
Morten Harket has such a unique voice, he was even named Knights First Class by King Harald for his contribution to Norwegian music.
The video of A-ha performing “Take On Me” has been viewed over 42.9 million times, with 627,000 who’ve also liked it.
With skills like that, it’s no wonder so many people loved this video! Over 24,000 viewers also left comments for the legendary band, lots of them noting how great they still sound.
Hopefully, one day the pandemic will be behind us and we can watch incredible live shows like this in person.
Until then, YouTube videos will have to do.
To see A-ha play “Take On Me” like it was 1985, just watch the video below!
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