Allgemeines & Randnotizen

3 Pop Songs From 1983 Through 1988 That Perfected the Key Change Finale

A key change can make a big difference in a pop song's success. These three tunes from the 1980s mastered the art of the key change finale.

americansongwriter.com

Quote

3 Pop Songs From 1983 Through 1988 That Perfected the Key Change Finale

By Em Casalena

March 17, 2026 3:44 pm

Key changes can be what set one pop song apart from another, what turns a potential hit into an actual hit. In the 1980s, key changes were everywhere in pop and even rock music. Let’s look at a few such pop songs from between 1983 and 1988 that totally mastered the art of the key change finale, shall we?

Quote

“Take On Me” by a-ha (1984)

When one thinks of 1980s pop, on often thinks of “Take On Me” by a-ha, complete with that legendary key change. In this synth-pop classic from 1984, the song starts in the key of A major with a fairly basic chord progression. But the key change ascends from the chorus into the final chorus and outro of the song, giving it a “lifted” effect that is further bolstered by Morten Harket hitting a high falsetto E5 at the end of the song.

Fun fact: Harket also hits the lowest pitch in the song and effectively demonstrates a vocal range that few pop stars, then or now, could ever master. “Take On Me” might just be the hardest 1980s pop song to cover, ever.

3 Pop Songs Between the Years 1979 and 1986 That Perfected the Synth Hook

In the mood for some synth-based pop songs? In the late 1970s and 1980s, the synth hook was incredibly common among hits.

americansongwriter.com

Quote

3 Pop Songs Between the Years 1979 and 1986 That Perfected the Synth Hook

By Em Casalena

March 17, 2026 8:17 am

In the late 1970s and 1980, the synthesizer had become the instrument of choice for many a pop, rock, and new wave act. That was the case for the following three musicians, each of whom scored a big pop hit with a song that used the synth to craft the perfect hook. Let’s take a look at a few memorable gems, shall we? If you were around in the early 1980s, you likely already know these songs very well.

Quote

“Take On Me” by a-ha (1984)

Even without the driving synths that make up this classic new wave song’s opening melody, “Take On Me” is a fantastic piece of work. Morten Harket’s vocals, that crazy addictive chorus, that legendary music video… Everything about this song is stellar. And it’s definitely worthy of a place on our list of pop songs with legendary synth hooks.

“Take On Me” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and reached the Top 10 across the board globally. It would be a-ha’s only major hit in the US, though, leading many outside of Europe to consider the band a one-hit wonder.

3 Rock Songs From the 20th Century That Changed the Genre Forever

Rock music has changed a lot over the years. Here are some of the songs that redefined what it means to be rock and roll.

americansongwriter.com

Quote

3 Rock Songs From the 20th Century That Changed the Genre Forever

By Kat Caudill

March 18, 2026 11:00 am

Rock music has come a long way since the 1950s, when blues and boogie-woogie shaped the genre, producing hits like “Rock Around The Clock” and “Hound Dog”. The genre now takes many forms, thanks to the influence of British bands in the 60s and the artistic genius of songwriters like Bob Dylan. Here are some songs that changed what it means to make rock music, for the better.

(...)

“Take On Me” by A-ha

To be honest, when people think of rock music, this probably isn’t the song that comes to mind. A-ha definitely falls into pop-rock, but this song can take credit for introducing that definition to rock music. Come on, with those punchy synth-pop grooves? The song dominated both European and American charts at the time of its release, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. It also reached No. 1 in eight European countries and No. 2 in the U.K.

Display More

Die anderen beiden Songs sind übrigens “Bohemian Rhapsody” von Queen und “Like A Rolling Stone” von Bob Dylan! Ehrlich gesagt, hätte ich "Take On Me" da nicht unter den Top 3 Songs vermutet, die das Rock-Genre verändert haben!

Eine andere Journalistin hat den Artikel zum Anlass genommen, Take On Me nochmal ein wenig zu beleuchten:

https://parade.com/news/1985-no-1-hit-just-got-named-one-of-3-songs-that-changed-rock-forever

Quote

News

1985 No. 1 Hit Just Got Named One of 3 Songs That Changed Rock Forever

Mar 18, 2026 5:12 PM EDT

By Nicole Moore (Entertainment Writer, Parade)

Key Points

• "Take on Me" by a-ha named a 20th-century rock-changing song by American Songwriter.
• Magne Furuholmen said: "That's something that you start by embracing...then fighting...then embracing again."
• Band members appreciate diverse covers, especially Aqualung’s somber 2014 version for 'Grey’s Anatomy.'

The beloved 1984 classic “Take On Me” by a-ha was recently recognized for its mark on the rock genre.

The synth-pop song became a massive hit, securing the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 19, 1985.

On March 18, American Songwriter named “Take On Me,” the first track off a-ha’s album Hunting High and Low, one of the “rock songs from the 20th century that changed the genre forever.” The other songs featured on the list were Queen‘s 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Bob Dylan‘s “Like A Rolling Stone” from 1965.

The publication reported that “Take on Me” was chosen for the list because of its synth-pop sounds and its lasting mainstream success.

---

A-ha Shared Their Thoughts About the Song’s Popularity

In the 2019 documentary The Making Of…Take On Me, members of a-ha shared their thoughts about the song’s longevity. The Norwegian band’s keyboardist, Magne Furuholmen, said he didn’t expect that “‘Take On Me’ would overshadow almost everything else that [a-ha has] done since.” He also suggested he’s had complicated feelings about the song over the years.

“That’s something that you start by embracing it, because of its success. And then you start fighting it because of its success,” explained Furuholmen. “And ultimately you start embracing it again and thinking well, how lucky we were to have a song that has meant so much to people that they still play it after 30 years.”

Vocalist and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy also noted that the song has been featured in several movies and covered by a variety of artists. According to Waaktaar-Savoy, he and his bandmates, who also include Morten Harket, like it when they hear completely different versions of the song.

Furuholmen seemingly agreed with his bandmate and revealed his favorite version of the song was a somber cover by Aqualung released in 2014 for an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

“It really stands out because it delivers a different emotion than what we delivered with the song,” said Furuholmen in the interview. “There’s a sort of underlying melancholy side to the song because of its structure and minor key, but that’s someone taking a song and really turning it on its head and making something new and beautiful from it.”

Display More

Top 3 hätte ich auch nicht gedacht - einfach nur schön 😃

Best of 1986: 40 Jahre, 40 Alben – laut.de – News

Atomkraft? Nein, danke! Lieber Pop in seiner Prime, Pionierarbeit im Hip Hop, packendes Storytelling im Schlager und Metal-Meilensteine satt.

laut.de

a-ha ist auf Seite 7 mit Scoundrel Days zu finden:

Best of 1986: 40 Jahre, 40 Alben – laut.de – Seite 7/40

A-ha - "Scoundrel Days"

laut.de

Hab mir die Platte grad nochmal aufgedreht

The 3 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of All Time

We're counting down the three greatest one-hit wonders of all time, in all genres. This one stands above the rest.

audioinkradio.com

Quote

There’s a certain kind of song that doesn’t just hit—it hangs around. It slips into the walls, shows up uninvited years later, and somehow still knows exactly where to stand in the room.

One-hit wonders get a bad rap, like they showed up once and vanished. Truth is, the best of them didn’t vanish at all. They just said everything they needed to say in three and a half minutes and left the rest of us to deal with it.

(...)

2. A-ha — “Take On Me”

Second spot gets trickier, but not by much. A-ha with “Take On Me”—yeah, the video gets all the oxygen, and fair enough. Pencil-sketch dream girl, comic-book physics, early MTV doing backflips. But strip that away and the song still stands there, impossibly clean.

That opening synth riff is basically architecture. You can see the lines. You can feel the lift. And then Morten Harket comes in like he’s not entirely subject to gravity. That high note—everybody talks about it, everybody tries it, almost nobody lands it. It’s not just range. It’s control. It’s knowing exactly how far you can push before the whole thing breaks.

The funny part is how earnest it is. No irony, no wink. “Take On Me” believes in itself completely, which should be a liability. Instead, it’s the reason it still works. There’s something disarming about a song that doesn’t hedge its bets. It just goes for it, full heart, no apology.

Off “Hunting High and Low,” it became the song people remember, the one that outgrew everything around it. And maybe that’s the quiet curse of a one-hit wonder—the song gets bigger than the artist, then just keeps going without them. Not cruel, exactly. Just how it goes.

(...)

That’s the thread with all three. They’re not perfect songs. They’re alive songs. A little frayed, a little unpredictable, just enough tension to keep you leaning in.

One-hit wonder is a label that says more about industry math than music. Charts move on. Trends shift. Attention drifts. But these songs don’t care. They’ve already done the job.

You hear the first few seconds, and you’re back in it—whatever “it” is for you. A dance floor, a bad decision, a night that went longer than it should have. They don’t need a catalog to back them up. They just need a moment. And they still own it.

Display More

https://www.dnronline.com/news/lifestyle/the-gen-x-files-80s-songs-often-transport-me-to-better-times/article_d31c63f1-9306-5487-a765-32ae90cae6db.html

(nur per VPN aufrufbar)

Quote

THE GEN X FILES

The Gen X Files: 80s songs often transport me to better times

• By LAURA LEE JONES
• Apr 7, 2026

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”

If you’re Gen X, you didn’t just read that. You heard it. And you probably didn’t even make it to the end of the sentence before your brain jumped ahead to what comes next.

That’s how 1980s music works on us. It doesn’t wait politely to be invited in. It just shows up, fully formed, like muscle memory.

The other day I went down one of those YouTube rabbit holes that starts with “I’ll just watch one thing” and ends with you wondering how it’s suddenly an hour later and you’re watching interviews from 1985.

I started with an article I had read about the band, a-ha. Which, of course, led to the video for “Take On Me.” Which led to learning that what sounds like a simple, perfect little pop song was actually anything but. It took years. It was released multiple times. Different versions, different countries, before the one we all know finally landed. And that surprised me a little, because there is nothing about that song that feels like it struggled to exist. Those opening notes hit, and it’s immediate. No warm-up. No thinking required.

You’re just there.

Back at a bonfire. Riding around with no destination. Walking the mall for no other reason than that’s where everyone was. Popped collars, bad decisions, and the absolute confidence that we were doing life exactly right.

Once I started thinking about it, I realized how many songs from that time do the same thing.

A few notes from “Sunglasses at Night,” and you’re in it. Although listening now, I do have some questions about the whole “wearing sunglasses at night” situation. It feels less mysterious and more like something that might get arrested for.

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police? We all thought that was romantic. Every single one of us. Turns out, not so much. But that first beat still lands like it always did.

And then there’s “Jump” by Van Halen. There is no easing into that song. It just arrives, loud and unapologetic, like it has somewhere to be and you’re coming with it.

The funny thing is, those songs don’t stay in the past. They show up in the most ordinary places.

You’ll be pushing your cart down the baking aisle, trying to remember if you already have brown sugar at home, when suddenly your favorite teenage ballad comes on over the speakers. And just like that, you’re not deciding between flour and cake mix anymore. You’re 17 again. Slightly heartbroken. Slightly dramatic. Absolutely convinced no one has ever felt anything this deeply before, right there in the middle of the grocery store.

That’s the thing about 80s music. It didn’t tiptoe in. It announced itself.

Those first few notes matter so much because we had to work a little harder for them. We didn’t have playlists or streaming or the ability to hear whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted it.

We had the radio.

We waited. We hovered over the record button. We hoped the DJ wouldn’t talk over the beginning of the song, so our mix tape would be just right.

When you heard those first few notes, you were ready.

Even now, all these years later, it’s still those openings that do it. You can be in the grocery store, in your car, halfway through a completely normal day, and suddenly you’re not there anymore.

You’re back in a version of your life that felt simpler. Not easier, necessarily, but in retrospect, some of the best years of your life.

Three notes. That’s all it takes.

Display More

Must watch music videos - Reveille

Ranking and reasoning of the four most memorable music videos of the last few decades.

lsureveille.com

LSU Reveille ist die Studentenzeitung der LSU (Louisiana State University)

Quote

Must watch music videos

The five most memorable music videos of my life

By Skylar Brouillette, Music Journalist

April 2, 2026

From early experimental films to the golden age of MTV and beyond, music videos continue to shape how audiences connect with music. By broadcasting them around the clock, the network put music videos on the map, allowing the stories behind the music to be shown in a different light. Here are my top five must- watch music videos.

(...)

“Take On Me” by A-ha showcases one of the most innovative visual styles in music video history. A girl in a cafe gets pulled into the comic world by the comic hero, played by lead singer Morten Harket. The video uses a technique called rotoscoping, which involves tracing over live action footage frame by frame. Director Steve Barron said it took many hours and over 3,000 frames to finish. This painstaking process resulted in the video’s signature sketch-like animation, which helped it stand out on early MTV. There are also earlier versions of the video, but this one is the most iconic. Its heavy rotation on MTV played a major role as to why the song became such a huge success.

(...)

From iconic choreography to innovative storytelling, these music videos prove that visuals can elevate a song into something even more iconic. Together, they show how the medium can range from cinematic storytelling to personal reflection and pure fun. For me, that’s why these five stand out. I keep coming back to them no matter how many more get created. Even though music videos are continuing to evolve, these five will always remain staples in my rotation and in the broader history of entertainment culture.

Display More

5 No. 1 Hits That Prove 1985 Was The Decade's Best Year For Love Songs - Grunge

No. 1 hits such as A-ha's "Take On Me," Madonna's "Crazy for You," and Phil Collins' "One More Night" prove that 1985 was the decade's best year for love songs.

www.grunge.com

Quote

5 No. 1 Hits That Prove 1985 Was The Decade's Best Year For Love Songs
By Andrew Dirst April 9, 2026 8:37 pm EST

There's no arguing that 1985 was filled to the brim with memorable No. 1 hits, as well as some of the most iconic and definitive tunes of the '80s, many of which were love songs. As far as we're concerned, heartstring-tugging '80s music was at its peak during that stacked year, bringing out the best of bands such as A-ha, Simple Minds, and Foreigner, as well as some career-defining hits from iconic solo artists.

When considering our choices, we identified those No. 1 smash hits of 1985 that best expressed love in its many forms and captured that classic '80s vibe. We didn't limit ourselves by genre, but as you may expect for the 1980s, these tracks are largely electric and futuristic, filled with synths and wooing vocals, and put a clear emphasis on dancing, which fans in the '80s just couldn't get enough of — although arena rock still gets a look-in. We're sure you'll recognize pretty much all of these classic tunes, and agree that it would be hard to imagine any year other than 1985 as the top dog for love songs in that decade.

(...)

Take On Me — A-ha

The upbeat, electric groove of "Take On Me" is instantly recognizable, a staple of playlists and radio stations around the globe, and its fun, spacey dance track has one of the most iconic piano riffs found in popular music. As a result, "Take On Me" has become the definitive track of the Norwegian band A-ha, and it spent one week at No. 1 on the charts in October 1985.

"Take On Me" is an iconic love song, and its synth-driven call to romance captures the heights of the '80s with easy, universal verses that build up to a sweeping chorus: "Take on me (Take on me) / Take me on (Take on me) / I'll be gone / In a day or two." It's a song that can be hummed on end after just one listen, and both fans of the '80s and today have been forever hooked, as it's been streamed over 2.7 billion times on Spotify alone.

(...)

Display More

Auf YouTube sind's übrigens derzeit 2,33 Milliarden Aufrufe!

18 Iconic 80s Songs You Know by Heart But Can't Name

We all know the tunes, but what are they called? Discover 18 iconic 80s songs that everyone recognizes, but nobody can actually name.

www.thescroller.net

Quote

18 Songs From the 80s That Everyone Knows But Nobody Remembers the Name Of

Published April 22, 2026 • By Silvia Fernandez

The 1980s was a decade defined by the birth of MTV and the rise of the synthesizer, creating a landscape where certain songs became instantly ubiquitous across the globe. Some of these tracks were so massive that they outlived the fame of the artists who created them, becoming “sonic wallpaper” that we recognize within the first three notes. We’ve all had that frustrating experience of hearing a melody that feels like a childhood friend, yet when we try to look it up, the title remains stubbornly out of reach. These songs are the survivors of the one-hit-wonder era, proving that a catchy hook is often more durable than a household name.

The irony of these “nameless” hits is that they often carry more nostalgia than the chart-toppers from the same era. They are the background noise of every 80s movie montage, the high-energy anthems of retro fitness videos, and the emotional peaks of high school prom scenes. Because many of these songs were experimental or used unique instrumental arrangements, they don’t always follow the standard “title-in-the-chorus” rule, which contributes to their mysterious status. We’ve compiled eighteen of the most famous yet anonymous tracks from the neon decade, along with the fascinating stories of the artists who, for a brief, brilliant moment, captured the world’s ears.

1. Take on Me, by a-ha

MUSIC / VIA REDDIT.COM

Everyone recognizes the soaring synth riff and that impossible-to-reach high note, but many people still struggle to remember the Norwegian band behind it. The song’s legacy is inseparable from its groundbreaking pencil-sketch animation video, which took months to complete using a technique called rotoscoping. Interestingly, the song was actually released twice before becoming a hit, only finding success after the iconic video hit MTV. It remains one of the few tracks from the era that feels just as futuristic today as it did in 1985.

Quote

17. The Sun Always Shines on T.V., by a-ha

MUSIC / VIA REDDIT.COM

While Take on Me gets all the glory, this follow-up hit is often the one people hum while saying, “I know this… who is this?” It features a much grander, more orchestral synth sound and a darker lyrical tone about the false reality of television. The music video was a direct sequel to their first hit, showing the characters struggling with their transition into the real world. It proved that the band wasn’t just a one-hit wonder, even if history sometimes forgets their second act.

El amargo hito histórico de a-ha: “Tocamos para la mayor audiencia del mundo y nos ignoraron" | LOS40 Classic | LOS40

Su aplastante decepción no impidió que regresaran dos veces más al Rock in Río, aun después de disolverse

los40.com

Google-Übersetzung:

Quote

Ein bitterer historischer Meilenstein für a-ha: „Wir spielten vor dem größten Publikum der Welt und sie ignorierten uns.“

Ihre vernichtende Enttäuschung hielt sie nicht davon ab, auch nach ihrer Auflösung noch zweimal zum Rock in Rio zurückzukehren.

Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket und Paul Waaktaar-Savoy von a-ha im Jahr 2010 / Ragnar Singsaas

Alicia Sánchez 23.04.2026 - 10:30 Uhr MESZ

Verzweifelt. Diskriminiert. Verachtet . Paradoxerweise fühlten sich die Mitglieder von a-ha genau so, nachdem sie den Weltrekord für die höchste Konzertbesucherzahl gebrochen hatten . Und nicht irgendein Konzert. Bei der zweiten Ausgabe von Rock in Rio im Januar 1991 lockte das norwegische Trio – als Headliner am achten und vorletzten Tag – 198.000 Besucher an . Keiner der großen internationalen Stars – Prince, Guns N’ Roses, New Kids on the Block, George Michael –, die auf der Bühne des Maracanã-Stadions standen, kam auch nur annähernd an diese Zahl heran. Doch die Medien, die über das „ größte Festival der Welt“ berichteten, ignorierten sie . Ein verheerender Schlag für die Band .

Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Magne Furuholme und Morten Harket . Wir kannten sie als das norwegische Trio a-ha . Und vor allem als die Autoren und Interpreten von „ Take On Me “. Mit diesem Song erreichten sie als erste norwegische Band Platz eins der Charts in den USA und in über einem Dutzend weiterer Länder. Ihr bahnbrechendes Musikvideo , Gewinner von sechs MTV Video Awards im Jahr 1986, hat über zwei Milliarden Aufrufe auf YouTube .

External Content www.youtube.com

Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.

Display content once Display all external content

Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

Trotz des spektakulären Erfolgs von Song und Video erreichte die Gruppe in Amerika nie denselben Erfolg wie im Rest der Welt . Beispielsweise war a-ha zwischen Ende der 1980er und Anfang der 1990er Jahre in Lateinamerika , insbesondere in Brasilien , immens populär, wo sie in einigen der größten Stadien der Welt ausverkaufte Konzerte gaben .

Daher war a-ha auch bei der zweiten Ausgabe von Rock in Rio dabei ( die erste fand 1985 statt ), die vom 18. bis 27. Januar 1991 stattfand. Zu diesem Anlass wurde im riesigen Maracanã-Stadion in Rio de Janeiro die „Cidade do Rock“ (Stadt des Rock) errichtet . Die großen Stars des damals als „größtes Festival der Welt“ bekannten Festivals waren Guns N’ Roses, Prince und George Michael (jeweils zwei von ihnen traten als Headliner an neun Abenden auf ). INXS, New Kids on the Block und a-ha waren jeweils an einem Abend Headliner.

Am Samstag, dem 26. Januar 1991 , dem achten und vorletzten Tag ihrer Tournee, betraten a-ha die Bühne des legendären Stadions, des größten in Brasilien . Ihr Konzert war historisch. Es lockte 198.000 Menschen an und brach einen Weltrekord. Bis dahin war es das größte Publikum (mit bezahlten Tickets) bei einem Rockkonzert . Diese Leistung ist im Guinness-Buch der Rekorde verzeichnet.

Im Vergleich zu den anderen großen Headlinern übertraf a-ha die Besucherzahlen der größten Stars des Events bei Weitem. George Michael, Prince und Guns N' Roses lockten jeweils weniger als ein Drittel dieses Publikums an: 60.000 Menschen.

External Content www.youtube.com

Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.

Display content once Display all external content

Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

Doch was für a-ha der schönste Abend hätte werden können , der Höhepunkt der Feier eines ihrer größten beruflichen Erfolge, hinterließ bei Paul, Magne und Morten einen bitteren Nachgeschmack.

Die Medien ignorierten sie, verachteten sie. Sie schenkten ihnen keinerlei Beachtung. Und das war ein verheerender Schlag für das Team aus Oslo. Ihre Enttäuschung war vernichtend.

„MTV hat alle interviewt, nur uns nicht“, erinnerte sich Waaktaar-Savoy, Gitarrist und Hauptsongwriter der Gruppe, 2009 in der Music Week. „Alle riefen ihre Chefs an und sagten: ‚ Wir müssen über a-ha berichten ; es ist der einzige Abend, der ausverkauft ist .‘ Aber es wurde ihnen nicht erlaubt.“

„Ich fühlte mich sehr diskriminiert “, fügte Keyboarder Magne Furuholmen hinzu. „Wir lasen immer noch gerne NME und Melody Maker (englischsprachige Publikationen), weil wir dachten, dass sie zumindest von unserer Popularität wussten . Aber das war nicht der Fall . Anstatt unseren Erfolg zu würdigen, schrieben sie über Happy Mondays . Wir waren verzweifelt . Wir hatten vor dem größten Publikum der Welt gespielt, und sie ignorierten uns.“

External Content www.youtube.com

Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.

Display content once Display all external content

Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

a-ha lösten sich nach ihrer Welttournee „Ending on a High Note“ im Jahr 2010 auf . 2015 kehrten sie jedoch zurück , um ihr zehntes Studioalbum „Cast in Steel“ zu promoten. Im Rahmen dieser Tournee spielten sie ein zweites Konzert beim Rock in Rio Festival , um das 30-jährige Jubiläum sowohl ihres Debüts als auch des Festivals zu feiern. Dessen erste Ausgabe (im Januar 1985) lockte Rockgrößen wie Queen, AC/DC und Iron Maiden an.

Sie kehrten sogar ein drittes Mal zum Festival zurück und waren Teil des Lineups von Rock in Rio in Lissabon. Die 9. Ausgabe fand im Juni 2022 statt, nachdem sie aufgrund der COVID-19-Pandemie zwei Jahre in Folge verschoben worden war .

Sie waren weder 2015 noch 2022 die Hauptattraktion. Sie brachen auch keine Weltrekorde… und wurden von den Medien auch nicht ignoriert.

Display More

ABC der Ruhe - A

Achtsamkeit, Atmen, Abschließen: In dieser Folge dreht sich alles um den Buchstaben A. Erlebe Deinen A-ha-Moment.

www.ndr.de

Quote

ABC der Ruhe - A

Sendung: NDR Kultur | Philipps Playlist | 02.01.2026 | 08:00 Uhr 27 Min | Verfügbar bis 02.01.2028

Achtsamkeit, Atmen, Abschließen: In dieser Folge dreht sich alles um den Buchstaben A. Erlebe Deinen A-ha-Moment.

Diese Stücke hast Du in der Folge gehört:

Alfven, Hugo - "Elegie" //
Arlen, Harold - "Somewhere over the Rainbow" //
a-ha - "Hunting High and Low" //
Albinoni, Tomaso - "Adagio" //
Alela - "Camellia" //

Display More

HHAL ab 13:10 Min. Das Piano-Intro ist wunderschön!

Danke Meggie!

Wo Du nur immer alles findest !

Wirklich traumhaft danke Dir

Gerne!

10 ’80s Music Videos That Turned MTV into Must-Watch Television

MTV flipped a switch on August 1, 1981, and gave music a face. Labels started treating videos like serious investments, and artists began competing for airtime.

www.aol.com

Quote

MTV flipped a switch on August 1, 1981, and gave music a face. Labels started treating videos like serious investments, and artists began competing for airtime. As viewers kept the channel on, expecting something new or unexpected to appear at any moment, the constant flow turned MTV into a habit. These are just some of the ‘80s music videos that made it impossible to look away.

(...)

Take On Me

Credit: Youtube

A-ha’s Take On Me stood out instantly because it combined pencil-sketch animation with live-action footage using a technique called rotoscoping. The video required about 3,000 individual drawings. It won six MTV Video Music Awards in 1986, including Best New Artist. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and its video became one of the most replayed clips on MTV.

The 1980s was the golden age of the music video. Here are 15 DEFINING '80s videos

Sex, scandal… dancing chickens?! The best videos of the decade MTV changed everything

www.classical-music.com

Quote

The 1980s was the golden age of the music video. Here are 15 DEFINING '80s videos

Sex, scandal… dancing chickens?! The best videos of the decade MTV changed everything

Getty Images/Julian Brown/Mirrorpix

Jamie Atkins

Published: May 1, 2026 at 1:30 pm

---

Music videos came of age in the 1980s – where promotional clips had usually been perfunctory mimed performances, the advent of MTV led to an explosion of ideas, ambition and – most importantly – budgets. Here are the 15 videos that defined the decade.

The 15 defining music videos of the 1980s

(...)

2. a-Ha, 'Take On Me' (1985)

Screenshot of a-Ha's 'Take On Me' music video – Morten Hacket is real while a comic-book woman looks on - YouTube

The extraordinary success of a-Ha’s ‘Take on Me’ shows what a difference a great video can make. The song was first released in 1984, accompanied by a video featuring an unremarkable band performance, and flopped. The following year, the track was re-recorded with a polished synth-pop production and – most importantly – an unforgettable, innovative video – and it became one of the defining songs of the decade.

The video shows a young woman reading a comic book when the heartthrob hero (played by a-Ha singer Morten Harket) winks from the page and pulls her into his illustrated world.

The video’s director Steve Barron later told this writer how he found the inspiration for the video: "I was doing a Toto video at the time in New York. It was absolutely freezing and I was sitting in a pretty grubby hotel room, playing this song on my Sony Walkman.

"After a few hours of ‘what to do?’, this image sprung into my head of an animated hand reaching out of a comic book. It gave me little chills up the spine. If you’ve got goosebumps, you’re onto a good thing.

"It was a comic book from my childhood, villains against goodies in a motorbike sidecar race. That really stuck as an image, but then it needed a story. It was fantasy coming out of the least expected place, a greasy spoon – magic coming through a cup of tea and egg and chips."

External Content www.youtube.com

Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.

Display content once Display all external content

Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

Display More

https://www.mensjournal.com/news/1985-hit-named-greatest-one-hit-wonder-of-all-time

Quote

1985 Hit Named Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time

The European band were a huge success internationally, but only ever scored one chart-topper in the U.S.

Apr 28, 2026 4:10 PM EDT

By Bethany Gemmell, Trending News Writer

Photo of A-ha (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

One-hit wonder is often used as an insult, but that lone hit can have some serious influence. In some cases, such as Rolling Stone's fan-voted winner, the artist can have a string of hits across the world, but struggle to win over American audiences.

Take A-ha, for example, the synth-pop band that took home the "Greatest One-Hit Wonder" reader poll grand prize with their unparalleled new wave triumph, "Take On Me." The Norwegian trio has sold over 100 million records since their debut in 1982, but only the 1984 single, which was a sleeper hit, captured the attention of U.S. audiences. Nonetheless, like lightning, one strike is often all it takes to make a major impact.

“I have no doubt that the video made the song a hit,” A-ha keyboardist Magne Furuholmen told Rolling Stone, regarding their singular U.S. #1. “The song has a super catchy riff, but it is a song that you have to hear a few times. And I don’t think it would’ve been given the time of day without the enormous impact of the video.”

The music video, released a year after the single debuted in 1985, features a lonesome woman in a sleepy café reading a comic strip and falling — literally and figuratively — into lead singer Morton Harket's hand-drawn animated world, escaping the real world chasing her down, thanks to Harket's heroism. Furhuholman was correct — the song didn't take off commercially in the UK or U.S. until the music video, which became an enticing hook for music channel producers and viewers who weren't part of their usual demographic. In the mid '80s, this blend of real-world footage and animation was a groundbreaking technological marvel, perfectly complementing the synth track's sound.

While synth and new wave were certainly nothing new by 1985, the crisp production technique added to the futuristic feel of the electric instrumentation. Harket's vocal mastery, climbing to new heights with every verse, was a build unique to a male pop record performance at the time, combining his wide vocal range with a new-age structure that made it difficult for other pop singers – or listeners – to imitate. Paired with the then-fresh Yamaha DX7 and the European PPG Wave synth, "Take On Me," like the video, grabbed the listener by the hand and transported them into a new world.

Display More

Best 1980s Music Video — Great Pop Culture Debate

Music videos existed before the 1980s, but they became a true art form during that pivotal decade. Artists helped to define the genre, just as the genre help…

www.greatpopculturedebate.com

Quote

Best 1980s Music Video

musicthrowback May 5

While films had been made to promote music dating back to at least the 1960s, the music video became a fixture of pop culture in the 1980s. Accelerated by the birth of MTV, MuchMusic, and VH1, music videos in the 80s experienced extraordinary growth in both popularity and artistic creativity. The decade would produce countless iconic music videos, giving renowned artists a second shot at relevancy, launching a whole new wave of aesthetically minded pop stars, and providing unlikely artists a shot at ubiquity with wild conceptual videos. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we attempt to name the Best 1980s Music Video!

Videos discussed: “Take On Me” by A-HA!; “Thriller” by Michael Jackson; “Like a Prayer” by Madonna”; “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel; “Love Shack” by The B-52s; “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer; “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper; “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon; “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits; “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran; “When Doves Cry” by Prince; “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles; “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)” by Beastie Boys; “Faith” by George Michael; “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitey Houston; “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists Derek Mekita, John Higgins, and Kate Racculia as they discuss and debate 16 of the most iconic music videos that defined 80s airwaves.

Anspielung auf TOM: 1:20
Erstes Duell: 1:50
Erwähnung: 22:15
Duell #2: 24:43
Halbfinale: 36:28
Duell #3: 37:26 (ab 40:00 ist der interessanteste Teil)
Erwähnung: 48:20
Finales Duell: 48: 48:25

Ging mir mit meinem schlechten Englisch zu schnell...hat sie gesagt, dass a-ha ein one Hit wonder sei??? Wenn diese Aussage so ist, dann echt traurig...

Na, ja, diese Diskussion hatten wir hier schon oft. In den USA stimmt das ja einigermaßen mit dem One Hit Wonder. The Sun Always Shines On TV kam da immerhin auf Platz 20, aber es wird ja nur noch Take On Me in den Radios gespielt (einer im Video erwähnte, dass es mittlerweile 10 Millionen Plays in den US-Radios sind!), daher ist das der einzige Song, den man in den USA noch kennt.

Du kannst Dir bei dem Video entweder Untertitel auf Englisch einschalten (rechts unten "CC" anklicken) oder diese sogar automatisch auf Deutsch übersetzen lassen (unter Einstellungen, das ist das Zahrad-Symbol). Oder - was ich auch sehr empfehlen kann - Du schaltest die Transkription ein, der Link dazu ist in der Beschreibung. Dann kannst Du einfacher mitlesen.