Take On Me is a 1985 hit by Norwegian synth-pop band “a-ha”. The original version recorded in 1984 was produced by Tony Mansfield. The hit 1985 version was produced by Alan Tarney. The music video shows a live-action pencil sketch animation and a story revolving around it featuring actress Bunty Bailey and the band. This song has certainly left a permanent mark on the alternative/indie rock culture. The song was released on January 6, 2010, on YouTube and now it has over 1.4 billion views.
How to Download A-ha – Take On Me
You can download the song from Apple Music or Amazon Music. Click on the Download button below the review
The Song Review
Take On Me was released as the 1st single from a-ha’s debut studio album Hunting High and Low. The song was originally released in 1984 and had a pop feeling to it. The band re-did the song and also shot a new music video for it. The song was released twice in 1985, the second version reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. The single also topped Billboard’s Hot 100.
Commercial Performance
The song was a major commercial success. The 1984 release peaked at no. 3 in Norway. The second release in 1985 reached no. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the United States. The song was a major breakthrough for the band. The song is certified Gold in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and United Kingdom. In fact, the song is 2x Platinum in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The song was also certified Gold British Phonographic Industry in 2020.
Critical Performance
The song received mostly positive reviews from critics. The massive exposure on MTV helped the song peaked at the top of Billboard’s Top 100. The thing that stood out the most about the song, which critics appreciated, is the indie rock element of the song.
Take On Me – the Music Video
There are two videos for this alternative/indie rock masterpiece.
The first video of “Take On Me” was released in 1984 which features the band singing with a blue background.
The second video portrays the theme of a romantic fantasy. The video features actor Bunty Bailey and the band; Morten Harket (lead vocalist), Magne Furuholmen (keyboardist), and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitarist). The music video starts with Bunty Bailey reading a comic in a restaurant/café environment and experiences the drawing moving in the comic. Just then, a character in the comic winks at her, and a hand comes out of the comic. After that, she grabs the hand and infiltrates into the comic.
Then she sees the beautiful young man singing in front of what appears as a mirror. Suddenly, two goons come in to picture and try to hurt both of them. Luckily, they escape but then the café lady crumbles up the comic in anger and throws it in the trash bin. The actor comes out of the comic and so does the singer and they reunite again.
Musical Composition
Take On Me is a synth-pop song, which includes acoustic and electric guitars and keyboards. The song has a very fast tempo of 169 beats per minute.
