A-ha’s 80s chart-topping hit, “Take On Me,” just reached two billion views on YouTube this week, making it the first song released in that decade to achieve this milestone.
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The members of Norwegian musical trio A-ha -- made up of Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket, and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy — were 22, 26, and 24 respectively at the time they released their debut album, Hunting High and Low, in 1985. And with it came the catchy lead single “Take On Me,” along with its accompanying creative music video.
Directed by Steve Barron, whose other music video credits include Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Madonna’s “Burning Up,” and Rod Stewart’s “Baby Jane,” just to name a few, opted for an eye-catching combination of live-action and pencil-sketch animation for the visual of the boppy track that reached No. 1 in its 15th week on the chart, earning A-ha the honor of first Norwegian group to top the Hot 100.
Paying tribute to the song and video’s longevity back in 2019, Furuholmen said, “Obviously the video is unique and it has some features that stand up and stand the test of time… It’s hand-drawn which makes it what it is.”
“The song also seems to resonate with people across time,” he also noted. “It’s just very fortunate to have such a big song in our catalogue… We probably spent a few years talking it down, trying to get people to focus on new stuff we’re doing.”
He also shared, “At this point, certainly speaking for myself, I’m just surprised and proud that the song has done so well and still finds an audience.”
Check out A-ha's over 2 billion times viewed “Take On Me” music video below.