This was on constant rotation on MTV back in the 80's when the video and song dropped. Yes, it was very ahead of it's time for then. We had seen nothing like it. Thanks for the suggestion Tara! AB, much appreciated as always!
@bjw0515 Morton’s range and A-Ha’s sound and incredible good looks got the official Hunting High and Low cassette! I didn’t get to go to this concert with my sister. 40yrs later I’m still bitter! Haha. Much luv. ❤ Tara da OG
The effect used, Rotoscoping, was about 100 years old at that time. It is bascially hand drawing over each frame of the film. It had been rarely used since the 1930s because it was slow, expensive and labor intensive. This video took a team of artists 16 weeks to draw and produce.
Hands down.. No question.. THE greatest pop video EVER made. I must have seen in a thousand times and I STILL worry he won't get out of the comic at the end. Genius.
I was 20 years old and in college when this song came out in 1985. The song brings back a lot of wonderful memories of that time. But the music video itself is the best music video ever created. Again, this came out in 1985 (filmed in '84), nearly 40 years ago. I will put this against anything today in terms of music quality, creativeness of the video, and technology at the time vs. the way technological advancement has slowed greatly over the last 40 years compared to pre-1985 40 year time frames (1945-1985, 1905-1945, etc.). We are not as smart as we think we are today, lol. Technology advanced much faster prior to 2000. My friends, girlfriend, and I loved attending concerts when I was in high school/college. It was one of the things we loved doing together. My wife did the same thing during that time period as well. There were a huge number of wonderful groups at the time and concerts were not very expensive to attend. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Triumph, 38 Special, Foreigner, and many others. I cannot describe to you what a wonderful time it was to be young in the 70’s/80’s compared to today. We were happier, relationships were closer, life was much more carefree, and the music was spectacular. Our 4 adult children (29-33) love 70’s/80’s music just as we do. My heart just aches that young people will not get to experience life as we did as teenagers in the 70’s/80’s. Again, thank you so much for posting this video. It was a wonderful treat.
I was 12 years old when this came out. The famous synth rift was written by the keyboard player, magne, when he was only 14 years old. He is now 61, the guitar player is 63, and morten harket the singer will be 65 in 11 days time. They are still active, released their 11th studio album a couple of years ago.
Morten Harket is one of the best pop male singers ever. His range was just ridicilous. If you play it with a piano or keyboards you will see how may octaves he could hit... oh boy...
This video was incredibly innovative for it's time. The technique for the comic is called rotoscoping. I think it was 3500 pages in all. One of the most iconic music videos of all time. Another very cool one from the 80's is Lionel Ritchie's Dancing on the Ceiling. It a fantastic song - and AMAZING video as well. Would love to see your reaction to it. Cheers from Ontario, Canada! :)
When I first saw the video as a kid, I thought it WAS Patrick Swayze xD Kinda like I thought Dennis Quaid, Sam Neil and Harrison Ford were the same person and that Michael Keaton was Kevin Costner... Yeah, I'm not good at remembering faces, lol.
Had just moved to Norway when this came out. Aha is a Norwegian group btw. You have to understand Norwegisn to get the title. Take on Me is a direct translation of Ta på meg, or Touch me. Awesome isn't it?
We're talking away I don't know what I'm to say I'll say it anyway Today is another day to find you Shyin' away Oh, I'll be comin' for your love, okay Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me) I'll be gone In a day or two So needless to say I'm odds and ends But I'll be stumblin' away Slowly learnin' that life is okay Say after me It's no better to be safe than sorry Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me) I'll be gone In a day or two All the things that you say, yeah Is it life or just to play my worries away? You're all the things I've got to remember You're shyin' away I'll be comin' for you anyway Take on me (Take on me) Take me on (Take on me) I'll be gone In a day (Take on me) (Take on me) (Take me on) (Take on me) I'll be gone (Take on me) In a day (Take me on) (Take on me) (Take on me) (Take on me) (Take me on) (Take on me)
The singer is Morten Harket now 64. His vocal range is five octaves., Harket appeared on British version of The Masked Singer, masked as the Viking. He became the first contestant to perform their own song, he sang "Take on Me" in a slower tempo. He still sounds great.
THANK YOU AB FOR CRUSHING THIS REACTION LIKE EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER DROPPED ON YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST AT THIS. This video and song are still an audiovisual masterpiece. A-Ha is STILL touring and dropping albums since Hunting High and Low crushed the world. The only video that rivals as an audiovisual masterpiece is Thriller in song and creative genius of using an art form we had never seen before or since. A-Ha even had their own magazine. GEN X WE TOOK ON THE WORLD. COME HANG AND SUPPORT AB ON PATREON!MUCH LUV. ❤Tara Da OG
A-ha is a prolific band (11 studio albums) and Morten Harket one of the best voices in the business. No CGI here! You might want to watch "The Sun Always shines on TV" , "Train of Thought" and "Hunting High and Low" from this album (in order).
Groundbreaking doesn't even begin to describe this video. It was HUUUGGGEEE when it came out on MTV. All the drawings were done by hand. No CGI back then
Great reaction! I saw this on MTV and VH1 when I was a young adult. It was very advanced for its time, and since my ancestors are from Norway and this band is from Norway I felt connected!
You are correct,sir! The Eighties was Lit! I was in my '20's for most of the decade, and it was the best time for groundbreaking music. I love this song and this video. A-Ha was ahead of their time, for sure.
I was a huge A-ha fan back in the day. I think they were bigger in Canada than the US. FUN FACT *** the story continues in their next video, The Sun Always Shines on TV ***
Definitely not an unplugged version!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 Another great song from them!!!!! Sad we have to go to the 80’s to get a tune like this!!!! Oh well enjoy 😉 So says Austin Tx!!😎🍸
I have to say, growing up in the 80s was one of the best experiences of my life, going from the place where we played outside practically every single day to coming inside to see things like this. It was an innovativ Video at the time the song. made it even better. I count myself lucky to grow up in a time where I get to listen to songs like this and I grew up from what you would call the Gen X generation. Welcome to come, my friend. This was a brilliant, beautiful song back then and still holds true to this day.
A groundbreaking, the 1984 smash hit! this is the 80s all in one video, it was a glitch in time, so much fun I was a freshman in high school. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.
This music video was decades ahead if it’s time! Mixing animation and and real was genius. The group still tours and are just as good today as the 80s.
This was so amazing and blew all of our minds! I was a sophomore in high school and it was a major video release on Friday night! These guys did not even speak English when they recorded it. I think they were Swedish…maybe? Same for Nina, Ace of Base, and several other bands in the eighties!
@@jayerichardson9194 I’m right there with you friend! In ‘84 that was the other side of the world and I lived on the east coast! Haha! I am still bitter 40 years later that my sister got to go to this concert and I didn’t! Haha 😆 ❤️ Tara da OG
Take On Me success is due to: - Morten Harket had the “X factor”! - The video was known worldwide thanks to MTV and Yes, it was “Groundbreaking”! - The music / beat was “Iconic”! Take-On-Me is the 80s encapsulated in one song! 🎶🎵
Really retroscoping was a very old technique at this time. You can see it in a lot of old disney major animated movies like Snow White from 1937. Once you know what retroscoping is and what it looks like you can't unsee it. To us kids at the time though (graduated highschool in 1985) it did look amazing. It's just how that old technique looked at the time. This video for years was my all time favorite, and loved the song. A lot of people at the time this was their favorite. I heard people say that on more than one occassion.
I was 20 in 1985, in Stockholm Sweden. Out clubbing to this, for sure. Usually at the legendary Stockholm night club: Café Opera (which is still going strong btw). Had the same haircut as the girl in the video (very popular that year - with a bit of 1920’s nostalgia).
I didn't know for a long time, that the girl in the video and the singer, Morten Harket were a couple in real life. She said it in an interview. She also said, that Morten was a really nice guy.
8:56 This part where he is slamming against the walls is an homage to the movie "Altered States." 1980 A very underrated horror movie with great dialogue by Paddy Chayefsky.
Probably '85. I wasn't really into it back then because it was really a corporate product. In hind sight, beautiful voice and spectacular video. My favorite hit from the '80's is "Blue Monday" by New Order.. Best selling 12' ever and they lost money because the cover was too expensive to manufacture.
Yes, people went crazy when this one dropped! There was a regular a-ha mania sweeping the world. I was an instant fan. Take On Me was the gateway drug - but it is far from their only great song! I have a lot of other a-ha songs that I rank higher than TOM. I know most a-ha fans do.
Iconic video/song, remember watching this about a zillion times when it was on MTV back in the good old days. Two associated versions to check out: 1) the literal video th-cam.com/video/8HE9OQ4FnkQ/w-d-xo.html and an amazing one-man recreation of th-cam.com/video/POysGbrUF1g/w-d-xo.html - you're welcome!
No no, that's fine, I see why you think he looks like Patrik. Incidently, Patrik Swayze was also a singer... So was Bruce Willis... Lot of stars were singers and you often never know...
This was on constant rotation on MTV back in the 80's when the video and song dropped. Yes, it was very ahead of it's time for then. We had seen nothing like it. Thanks for the suggestion Tara! AB, much appreciated as always!
This was groundbreaking and the most expensive at the time. It had to be very carefully choreographed.
@bjw0515 Morton’s range and A-Ha’s sound and incredible good looks got the official Hunting High and Low cassette! I didn’t get to go to this concert with my sister. 40yrs later I’m still bitter! Haha. Much luv. ❤ Tara da OG
@@GeekyGirl80you know it! The only more expensive and on par iconic MV in the 80s are Thriller and Sledgehammer.
❤Tara da OG
The effect used, Rotoscoping, was about 100 years old at that time. It is bascially hand drawing over each frame of the film. It had been rarely used since the 1930s because it was slow, expensive and labor intensive. This video took a team of artists 16 weeks to draw and produce.
Hands down.. No question.. THE greatest pop video EVER made.
I must have seen in a thousand times and I STILL worry he won't get out of the comic at the end.
Genius.
As a GenX Child of of the 80s this was a Straight up 80s Classic , my 2 boys (18&24) both know this by heart...
Such a creative video back in its day. We were all blown away by the creativity! The song was awesome too. 😊
I was 20 years old and in college when this song came out in 1985. The song brings back a lot of wonderful memories of that time. But the music video itself is the best music video ever created. Again, this came out in 1985 (filmed in '84), nearly 40 years ago. I will put this against anything today in terms of music quality, creativeness of the video, and technology at the time vs. the way technological advancement has slowed greatly over the last 40 years compared to pre-1985 40 year time frames (1945-1985, 1905-1945, etc.). We are not as smart as we think we are today, lol. Technology advanced much faster prior to 2000. My friends, girlfriend, and I loved attending concerts when I was in high school/college. It was one of the things we loved doing together. My wife did the same thing during that time period as well. There were a huge number of wonderful groups at the time and concerts were not very expensive to attend. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Boston, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Triumph, 38 Special, Foreigner, and many others. I cannot describe to you what a wonderful time it was to be young in the 70’s/80’s compared to today. We were happier, relationships were closer, life was much more carefree, and the music was spectacular. Our 4 adult children (29-33) love 70’s/80’s music just as we do. My heart just aches that young people will not get to experience life as we did as teenagers in the 70’s/80’s. Again, thank you so much for posting this video. It was a wonderful treat.
I was 12 years old when this came out. The famous synth rift was written by the keyboard player, magne, when he was only 14 years old. He is now 61, the guitar player is 63, and morten harket the singer will be 65 in 11 days time. They are still active, released their 11th studio album a couple of years ago.
Morten can still hit all the notes!
Morten Harket is one of the best pop male singers ever. His range was just ridicilous. If you play it with a piano or keyboards you will see how may octaves he could hit... oh boy...
Legendary song from a legendary band. 100 million albums and singles sold, and two Guinness World Records...
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a section dedicated to this video. The drawings used are amazing.
This video was incredibly innovative for it's time. The technique for the comic is called rotoscoping. I think it was 3500 pages in all. One of the most iconic music videos of all time. Another very cool one from the 80's is Lionel Ritchie's Dancing on the Ceiling. It a fantastic song - and AMAZING video as well. Would love to see your reaction to it. Cheers from Ontario, Canada! :)
th-cam.com/video/CcxLyGKw48s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3RpqFBk3O727uSoY
10,000 pages drawn over 16 weeks
This video was groundbreaking... it still holds up today as you can see by the number of views.
One of the best videos ever! The 80's were indeed lit!
Patrick Swayze actually approched the singer, Morten Harket, saying «We could be brothers». He died on Morten’s 50th birthday
When I first saw the video as a kid, I thought it WAS Patrick Swayze xD Kinda like I thought Dennis Quaid, Sam Neil and Harrison Ford were the same person and that Michael Keaton was Kevin Costner... Yeah, I'm not good at remembering faces, lol.
Had just moved to Norway when this came out. Aha is a Norwegian group btw. You have to understand Norwegisn to get the title. Take on Me is a direct translation of Ta på meg, or Touch me. Awesome isn't it?
Ah, the 80's. I was 8 to 18 in the 80's and consider myself lucky. Love this song.
I wish I experienced 80s🥺70s too! i was born in 2002 :(
We're talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shyin' away
Oh, I'll be comin' for your love, okay
Take on me
(Take on me)
Take me on
(Take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
So needless to say
I'm odds and ends
But I'll be stumblin' away
Slowly learnin' that life is okay
Say after me
It's no better to be safe than sorry
Take on me
(Take on me)
Take me on
(Take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day or two
All the things that you say, yeah
Is it life or just to play my worries away?
You're all the things I've got to remember
You're shyin' away
I'll be comin' for you anyway
Take on me
(Take on me)
Take me on
(Take on me)
I'll be gone
In a day
(Take on me)
(Take on me)
(Take me on)
(Take on me)
I'll be gone
(Take on me)
In a day
(Take me on)
(Take on me)
(Take on me)
(Take on me)
(Take me on)
(Take on me)
If this came out in '84 then it came out 2yrs before i was born. My 8yr old loves this song and knows every word.
Now I feel old. I was a teenager at the time lol. Morten, Mags, and Pal pronounced Paul.
Same… early college years. And we loved this video even though we thought it was bubblegum pop.
I was in High School when this came out. Loved it then and I still love it!😁❤️
For real keep doing more of their vids. They're amazing. For that time groundbreaking. And the music is to die for. I put on them when vacuuming 😂❤
The singer is Morten Harket now 64. His vocal range is five octaves., Harket appeared on British version of The Masked Singer, masked as the Viking. He became the first contestant to perform their own song, he sang "Take on Me" in a slower tempo. He still sounds great.
THANK YOU AB FOR CRUSHING THIS REACTION LIKE EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER DROPPED ON YOU! YOU ARE THE BEST AT THIS.
This video and song are still an audiovisual masterpiece. A-Ha is STILL touring and dropping albums since Hunting High and Low crushed the world. The only video that rivals as an audiovisual masterpiece is Thriller in song and creative genius of using an art form we had never seen before or since. A-Ha even had their own magazine.
GEN X WE TOOK ON THE WORLD. COME HANG AND SUPPORT AB ON PATREON!MUCH LUV. ❤Tara Da OG
'80s gave us a lot of upbeat and good music and some good movies.
Yooooo!!!! My HS kids were having a work day and they asked for 80s music. This came on and ERRRRRYBODY was singing under their breath 😂❤
This was groundbreaking and on high rotation when it came out
The lead singer doesn’t look any different - he has aged well
A-ha is a prolific band (11 studio albums) and Morten Harket one of the best voices in the business. No CGI here! You might want to watch "The Sun Always shines on TV" , "Train of Thought" and "Hunting High and Low" from this album (in order).
Groundbreaking doesn't even begin to describe this video. It was HUUUGGGEEE when it came out on MTV. All the drawings were done by hand. No CGI back then
I was a teenager when this came out.Had to buy the album,it was so good.
Great reaction! I saw this on MTV and VH1 when I was a young adult. It was very advanced for its time, and since my ancestors are from Norway and this band is from Norway I felt connected!
You are correct,sir! The Eighties was Lit! I was in my '20's for most of the decade, and it was the best time for groundbreaking music. I love this song and this video. A-Ha was ahead of their time, for sure.
I was a huge A-ha fan back in the day. I think they were bigger in Canada than the US. FUN FACT *** the story continues in their next video, The Sun Always Shines on TV ***
Nope they crushed the US.
Yeah, the 80s was a unique and strange place. I wish I were still there.
Bill and Ted take me back! ❤ Tara da OG
❤🔥Take On Me by A-ha is my favorite 80's song & video!!!
Definitely not an unplugged version!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣 Another great song from them!!!!! Sad we have to go to the 80’s to get a tune like this!!!! Oh well enjoy 😉 So says Austin Tx!!😎🍸
I love your reaction to this especially "if that ain't the 80's i dunno what is"
I have to say, growing up in the 80s was one of the best experiences of my life, going from the place where we played outside practically every single day to coming inside to see things like this. It was an innovativ Video at the time the song. made it even better. I count myself lucky to grow up in a time where I get to listen to songs like this and I grew up from what you would call the Gen X generation. Welcome to come, my friend. This was a brilliant, beautiful song back then and still holds true to this day.
Chris Griffin gets pulled into the drawing world when he's at the store getting milk. 😆
IMO, THE MOST ICONIC MUSIC VIDEO OF THE ‘80’s! Loved a-ha then, and still love their music now!
I love this original version, but the unplugged version is a different sound. You should listen to it too. Great video.
Yeah, they played it so much, my husband hates this song, I love it…. I love this song, I was a junior in HS!! 😅
Great reaction AB!!❤❤
A groundbreaking, the 1984 smash hit! this is the 80s all in one video, it was a glitch in time, so much fun I was a freshman in high school. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.
This music video was decades ahead if it’s time! Mixing animation and and real was genius. The group still tours and are just as good today as the 80s.
This was so amazing and blew all of our minds! I was a sophomore in high school and it was a major video release on Friday night! These guys did not even speak English when they recorded it. I think they were Swedish…maybe? Same for Nina, Ace of Base, and several other bands in the eighties!
Norwegian but we didn’t care. Loved everything about it!
❤Tara da OG
@@TaraWontTapOut So sorry! I am glad I said I think and maybe! Americans are known for our deep awareness of other cultures…wink!😜
@@jayerichardson9194 I’m right there with you friend! In ‘84 that was the other side of the world and I lived on the east coast! Haha! I am still bitter 40 years later that my sister got to go to this concert and I didn’t! Haha 😆
❤️ Tara da OG
I was 13 constantly watching MTV!!❤❤
Take On Me success is due to:
- Morten Harket had the “X factor”!
- The video was known worldwide thanks to MTV and Yes, it was “Groundbreaking”!
- The music / beat was “Iconic”!
Take-On-Me is the 80s encapsulated in one song! 🎶🎵
And one more-Everyone trying to sing that high note!!🎤😅
Born in 71, graduated in 89. Yes indeed, the 80’s were lit. 😊
Legendary from the music to the video. Seth Macfarlane does NOT draw anything that is not. A-Ha is LIT. ❤ Tara da OG
PLEASE react to their song "The Sun Always Shines on TV," which is Part 2 of this video story! A MUCH bigger banger!!!
You have no idea how cool this was as a little kid in the 80s. I definitely pictured myself as the guy in the video.
So good...and he was so cute! ❤
Morton has aged like fine wine!
❤ Tara da OG
what's crazy they hold the world's record for performing for the most people in Rio.
Really retroscoping was a very old technique at this time. You can see it in a lot of old disney major animated movies like Snow White from 1937. Once you know what retroscoping is and what it looks like you can't unsee it. To us kids at the time though (graduated highschool in 1985) it did look amazing. It's just how that old technique looked at the time. This video for years was my all time favorite, and loved the song. A lot of people at the time this was their favorite. I heard people say that on more than one occassion.
Yes the 80s was awesome!!!
One of the best 80's videos
This and Thriller owned it!
❤ Tara da OG
I was 20 in 1985, in Stockholm Sweden. Out clubbing to this, for sure. Usually at the legendary Stockholm night club: Café Opera (which is still going strong btw). Had the same haircut as the girl in the video (very popular that year - with a bit of 1920’s nostalgia).
Fantastic reaction ❤😊
I was 5 or 6 when this video was released. I've loved ever since.
I didn't know for a long time, that the girl in the video and the singer, Morten Harket were a couple in real life. She said it in an interview. She also said, that Morten was a really nice guy.
Every teenage girl worth their salt had a crush on Morton, he does look Patrick it's the cheek bones. They were from Norway.
This was cutting edge bro.
Our man Dan Vasc did this song. I love that guy!
1985 is the real year of this masterpiece video and the definitive version of the song❤
Probably the greatest song and the greatest clip EVA
The director of this one (Steve Barron) also did Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."
you had me rolling great reaction
I was in junior high when it came out. It was huge!!
Back in 1984, I was in Junior High and love this song. You should check out "Obsession" by Animotion. This song came out around the same time.
40 years and I still try to hit that note
8:56 This part where he is slamming against the walls is an homage to the movie "Altered States." 1980 A very underrated horror movie with great dialogue by Paddy Chayefsky.
I never get tired of this song..
It was ground breaking for the time
I was a junior in high school, and this was all over mtv.
I remember this song very well when I was in high school
You need to find the episode of Chuck where Jeffster does this song!
Vic Sayhay was fantastic!
Probably '85. I wasn't really into it back then because it was really a corporate product. In hind sight, beautiful voice and spectacular video. My favorite hit from the '80's is "Blue Monday" by New Order.. Best selling 12' ever and they lost money because the cover was too expensive to manufacture.
This video was completely performed live then hand colored in.
yes it was an iconic video the editing was sooo befor its time and will remain epic till gen x dies we all know we all saw and ...
For all the Morton Harket fans who want to watch him age like a fine wine over the years. th-cam.com/video/8ChftA51DwQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=DkLvxpPp_qO5oGgV
Family guy is the same way i remembered the song too 😂😂😂
It’s not CGI there was no CGI. It’s what they called rotoscoping. Were they film live action and then draw over each frame.
I was a junior in HS whe it came out. Great upbeat song
I love this song
This was my sister’s favorite song and video (still is)
This is one of the most viewed music video.
Us girls were going crazy for Morten yeah
Brunost gang!😜 (Ifykyk)
good reaction
….No one is Patrick Swayze, but in the 80’s, he was yum. Recognize….
Yes, people went crazy when this one dropped! There was a regular a-ha mania sweeping the world. I was an instant fan. Take On Me was the gateway drug - but it is far from their only great song! I have a lot of other a-ha songs that I rank higher than TOM. I know most a-ha fans do.
A-ha is a great band. It is not a one-hit wonder group. A-ha has a lot of wonderful songs. You should react to more tunes of them.
There is a thing called captions dawg!
That was not Patrick Swayze it's the lead singer of A-ha
Iconic video/song, remember watching this about a zillion times when it was on MTV back in the good old days. Two associated versions to check out: 1) the literal video th-cam.com/video/8HE9OQ4FnkQ/w-d-xo.html and an amazing one-man recreation of th-cam.com/video/POysGbrUF1g/w-d-xo.html - you're welcome!
I thought he was so cute when I was a kid!
Everyone thought he was cute, half my school was in love with him.
He turns 65 in 11 days time
@@markwebster7435 And is still so beautiful.
No CGI, those were all hand drawn.
So needless to say, I’m odds and ends, and that’s okay….
You should react to Liberian girl by Michael Jackson ( 5 minute version)
Patrick Swazye is actually Morten Harket he's norwegian you have to speak English NOT american to understand the lyrics he 's singing
I'm sure others have already mentioned it but this was a very expensive video to produce.
No no, that's fine, I see why you think he looks like Patrik. Incidently, Patrik Swayze was also a singer... So was Bruce Willis... Lot of stars were singers and you often never know...