Â鶹Éç

Matt Donovan, Watford, Herts
I can't give this band enough praise and justice. Undoubtedly the most underrated band of the past 20 years as Karen has said. My first encounter with their music was in 1985 when I was 9 and they released Take on Me, and captivated me not only with the amazing tune but also the stylish video. Fantastic songwriting, amazing lyrics, and highly adictive tunes, oh yes and they play intruments as well! With tunes like The Living Daylights, Take On Me, Crying In The Rain, Hunting High and Low, Summer Moved On, Cry Wolf, The Sun Never Shone That Day, Minor Earth Major Sky, Analogue, and the classic The Sun Always Shines On TV this group should not be underrated or ignored. They deserve success for a long time to come, and I for one will support them all the way.

Zoe, Aberdeen
Hunting High and low is such an evocative and heart-wrenching song. It's up there as one of my favourite A-ha songs!

Vikram, London
Love the Nordic angst. A true pop classic.

Mark Jobson Edinburgh
Yes, quite simply the most underrated band of the last 20 years. Paul Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen are gifted lyricists and musicians and couple with the voice of Morten Harket their work is sensational. It's nice to see people like U2, Coldplay, Leonard Cohen and Morrissey pay tribute to them recently. They deserve all the accolades thrown their way.

Mark Jobson Edinburgh
A classic track, soaring and melancholy, from the most underrated band of the last twenty years

Karen W
ooh I love this song, very early a-ha. Great song on the first listen, it's classic a-ha!

Lisa - Bracknell Berkshire
A-ha have been around for 20 years and have developed and matured over this time. If you mention A-ha people start singing Take On Me - but they are much much more than that. They are not the old teen idol group anymore and haven't been for a long time. People need to appreciate their music and listen to it more. I have been a fan since 1985 and I am now 35. Morten, Pal and Mags and three talented individuals who when they come together make sweet harmony.

George London
A-ha had the wrong look - when you look like that you couldn't possibly be a great band....! The truth is that they and especially Paal Waaktar have come up with some of the best pop-songs ever written. And the singer who is to blame for the "big misunderstanding" actually sings better than he looks....

Antje, Hamburg, Germany
a-ha never was and will be a typical boy- group. the song is timeless, so melacholic and so good. there is hardly a better popsong around.

Robbie
This is a true classic - even twenty years after release it is as strong as ever.

Sally, Sandhurst
Anyone that can name an a-ha song appart Take on Me or The sun always shines... knows that all three are outstanding songwriters, poets and musicians and that they all deserve that acknowledgement. A-ha are unique and inspirational - you can't say that about many bands around today.

Sally, Sandhurst
It's just classic pop the way it should be written, sounds as good today as it did 20 years ago

Krisha Smith, Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire
A beautiful song that you can loose yourself in and forget about everything else for a few minutes

m farrimond
I like lots of so called proper music and the uk have short memories.How many songs sold,how many decent album tracks,they leave a lot of the so called proper music current, far behind,These guys actully make tunes you can remember,the word is melodic not noise!10 out of 10 for getting back together and i hope radio 2 support one of the finest voices thats ever walked the planet!Morten Harket.Remember they are Norwegian and so they need to be pushed a little!So come on Radio 2 Push and we will listen more!!Cozy Prisons is simply stunning.More please!

tina t stowmarket
a-ha are definately not just a teen idol group, they are brilliant songwriters who have adapted their music over the years and even my husband who didn't like them back in the 1980's like them now as their music has changed for the better my mum still likes them as she did 20 years ago due to the fact she had to listen to them with me

tina t
i loved a-ha when i was growing up and still love them now, morton harkets voice still sends shivers down my back

Lisajane, Heidelberg and London
A beautiful song. And I thought so at the time, (when I was 13), of course I understand it better now. "Scoundrel Days" produced even better tracks, but I lost touch with A-Ha after the single, "Touchy" was released, (in my opinion, a stain on thier otherwise superb canon of work). After that I got into other artists like Sting and U2. Thankfully I found them again, and they were better than ever. If you own copies of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", "Lifelines" and in particular "Memorial Beach", then you'll know that they are truly gifted artists. Go see them live and let's stop talking about how under-rated they are; I certainly don't under-rate them and neither do most poeple who matter. The media likes to put poeple into boxes, but the rest of us see through it.

Kayleigh Ellis/ Lincolnshire
hunting high and low is a great song that will live on 4eva! welcome back aha!

Francesca, Palermo, Sicily
I love all the a-ha songs and every one always sends different shivers down my spine everytime I listen to it. In particular, angel in the snow, hunting high and low are fantastic, but there's one in particular that I love you because when I listen to it, I come back with my mind in the past when my brother listened to it...now he became an Angel...this song is Move to Memphis...thank you for this occasion Francesca

Katie Bon Notts
Yes, I certainly believe that the media image of a-ha is totally confused. Yes they look great especially in their forties but the music is truly something far more important to their fans. I challenge anyone who has actually listened to all of a-ha's albums to deny their greatness as song-writers and performers. I am 35 now and have been a fan since 1985.

Karen B, Ruislip
I think the fact they're still here 20 years on says a lot about their songwriting and performing skills.

Grace, London
absolutely beautiful!

Suz, Glasgow
Such a beautiful song, and Morten sings it like an angel. How I wish he was hunting high and low for me ha ha. Saw them live in Glasgow last year and it was the best concert ever. Analogue the new CD is brill, I love Celice, Birthright, Over the Treetops and Morten agains sings beautifully the song he wrote Holy Ground. Only drawback for me is in interviews Morten doesn't appear that interested. Apart from that 'They are simply fandabbydozy!!!'

Anthony, Sydney Australia
Timeless ... Although the pronunciation used to make me giggle as a kid! The bittersweet melancholy which is A-Ha's forte gives longevity and holds interest after all the catchy pop tunes fade -- they're masters at producing feel good pap and soul deep pop!

Rebecca, Bristol
A-ha have always been full of creative talent, only their record company used to release the 'pop songs' which led to their reputation as a disposible teen act. Their songs have always been deep and emotional and they never got any recognition for that - only now that bands like Keane and Coldplay decide to cite them, the music press are starting to realise how they were brain washed by the media coverage of a-ha as a teen pop act. They should definitely be better known as 'great songwriters'. After being a huge a-ha fan as a teenager and driving my parents mad with the music, I put the Keane album on in my parents' car a few months ago and my mother thought it was the new a-ha album! That says it all.

Tammy -wattisham
Me and my sis were lucky enough to see A-ha in B'Ham.The memory of there show will live with us 4eva,my digi cam broke that nite, had to buy disposable cam, photos neva turned out, we cried!! So hope i do not lose my memory to soon!! loved them since I was 11 and I'm 31 now,(Analogue is Breath takingly beautiful Album) probably not what you wanted to hear, but hey, it had to be said

Caroline, South Wales
Having grown-up to the soundtrack of A-Ha and seeing them live on their 2005 European tour, I have to say that they are definately one of the most under-rated bands ever. Evolved from their 'teen idol' image, they deserve to be recognised as great songwriters with the success of their latest album and single being testament to this.

Colette, York
I have loved this band since I heard Take on Me at the age of seven. I am now a rabid collector of their albums. I'm so very pleased to hear them back in the charts and being promoted properly! Lifelines should have been a much bigger sucess than it was, I hope to be hearing much more of them for a very long time.

Chris Gardiner, North Wales
Too much time has passed for a-ha to be classed as a teen idol group. Their long-standing fans know that. It's now upto the record company to carry on as they have recently to push their raw and prolific talents to the front. A-ha know they strive to complete their best work to date, we know they are nearly there. Go for it chaps, release a double album for 2007!! incl. re-workings of past releases and new material. Chris & Elaine

nelson leeds
most underated band ever

helen.kent
A-ha will always be the best band for me and their songs have never had the recognition they deserved. There are some beautiful songs((time and again, solace, out of blue comes green)that many people have never heard so their songwriting skills are never fully recognised. Morten posesses the most beautiful voice and they are amazing live!!!!

Tracey Verwood
I have loved A-ha since 1985. I am now the sad age of 40 and am teased mercilessly by my children about my adoration of A-ha. They have always been underrated in this country but truly are some of the best songwriters of the last 20 years. It has been great to see some of the comments from top pop groups of the moment like Coldplay and U2 and I have really enjoyed all their recent promotion. If you get the chance to see them live take it. They are really excellent.

Jen Jen, Glos
Sort and simple, they r great, glad they are back, make me young again!!!!!

Helen, Rutland
What can I say... Hunting high and low what an amazing hypnotic ballad!! truly magical. A-ha have been an inspiring group for me growing up and I wish they had more recognition for their work over the years!! look forward to seeing them again very soon!!!

Victoria, Chester
An excellent song from an excellent band. They're hopefully going to get the credit and recognition they deserve. It's great to have them back in the British charts after so long and was a thrill to see them on Top of the Pops again after such a long time. I hope they'll tour the rest of the country soon and urge everyone to see them live.

Nat, London
As with every tru a-ha fan I got 5/5 for the quiz. Loved the session this morning. Mags ROCKED! The boys are FINAllY getting the recognition in the UK again they deserve. CANNOT WAIT until feb 2nd at the Shepherds Bush Empire. You are and always have been the best, Nat x

Helen, Flitwick
I love anything by A-ha from Take on Me to Analogue! But I do love Hunting High and Low! Brings back lots of good memories...!

Sarah, Enfield
This is one of my favourite A-ha songs - it's simply beautiful and I never tire of hearing it. The boys do not get the recognition they deserve, it annoys me that certain elements in the media keep harping on about Take On Me, leather laces and how gorgeous Morten was (and still is!) I've seen them so many times I think I've lost count, roll on 2nd Feb at Shepherds Bush Empire! Go and buy Analogue, this album will not disappoint!

Victoria HFDS
A-ha are an absolutely amazing band,one of the best,if not THE best!Hunting High And Low is a true classic.

Trevor King Camberley
I have been an avid fan/collector since there first 7" Take on me (the original 1 not the 1 most people recognise), and have just about everything they have done. To me a-ha have just got better and better as time goes by. They have gone from a "80s pop band" to a very mature rock/pop group. Three of the best and very underated songwriters. And if you can ever get a chance to see them live i do suggest that you do or you will be missing three great performers

Kerry Belguim
A-ha are fantastic.They write the most beautiful ballads that have such great meaning and really touch your heart and then the rocky songs that have you dancing around the living room.I have been a fan for the past 20 years and hardly a day goes by when I don't listen too their music as I will never get fed up listening to it.Lifelines made me cry as it means so much to me and is the most beautiful song I have ever heard and will always be one of my favourite A-HA songs although I love every single one of them and all the albums.

Trevor King Camberley
If like me you love this song try Angel or Velvet. Or rock it up with minor earth and Celice

Sheila. Egham, Surrey.
Hearing 'Hunting High and Low' always reminds me of listening to this song whilst sitting in a coach with my headset on, watching the beautiful Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia. A few days before, I had seen a-ha in Perth and had witnessed their very first concert of their first ever tour. I believed they were a good enough band to support then, and 20 years on I'm still there in the crowds, with many memories and countries visited behind me. I look forward to seeing them for the next 20 years, as there are many more countries to visit and see them in.

Bernadette from Belgium (Malmedy)
Of course they were teen idols, and I was one of their biggest fan, but if they still got all their fans and keep them, it's not just because they are looking great (what's the use to have a look if there is nothing behind it), but simply because of their ability and capacity to touch us with their songs. I guess a lot of people do envy Morten because he's got a wonderful voice and looks fine. Magne and Paul have also a great voice and look good... so it's easy to be focused only on the "look" tho pull them out ! But the real fans - and there are a lot - are also hearing to what A-Ha is saying and do enjoy their music and videos, because of their content.What I really love, it's that they create naturely with the music, but also with the lyrics, an "ambiance" with each song, and that's what i like : if you hear Cosy Prison, it's totaly different from "Take on me", and I still love songs like "Hunting high and low", "Thought that it was you" and "Cannot hide" ,"Scroundel Days" etc.. because they talk to me !! And that's their talent : they bring emotions and magic !!! A-Ha really deserves since a long time to be better known as geat songwriters. I think they are and wish they will come back to Belgium soon (The ambiance on the concert from the 13th of November 2005 was so fantastic)!!!

Selina, Swindon Wiltshire
A-Ha dont just have one talented songwriter , they have three. This band have never received the credibility they deserve. This "teen band" image should have been dropped the minute Scoundrel Days album was released in 86. Listen to their new album "Analogue" and you will hear a band whose lyrics have depth and maturity and deserve to be talked about! I hope the media can leave this tired and boring reference to this band firmly where it belongs - in the past.

Leah - Bristol
DEFINITELY for their songwriting, I think its so unfair when they get labelled as 'one hit wonders' or old teen idol group because thats never what they were about. Unfortunately (in my view!!) their initial success and breakthrough in UK and US market with Take on me was also their downfall. But then where would they be today if Take on Me had never happened? I'm glad they were successful as maybe I would have never discovered them and appreciated and enjoyed their music for so long. I wish them every success with Analogue - They deserve the recognition and respect its about time!!!

Ann Marie Simpson Stockton on Tees
Just listen to their latest album, especially Cozy Prison, Birthright, Keeper of the Flame and you will know that they are truly fantastic songwriters. They are pure magic.

Evie - nottingham
In my opinion they ought to be better known for their songwriting and composistional talents, collectively and for their solo or other collaborations. To put this band into teenybopdom is a travesty as their lyrics convey so much more than just boy meets girl blah blah. Take the soft rains of april, lifelines, afternoon high or more recently celice and analogue, the emotions and spiritual dimensions of these men are laid out in an honest and mature way. Thankyou for intelligent lyrics and wondrous melodies

evie- nottingham
I remember everyone at school taking the mick out of me for loving it so much when it first came out, as they were'nt as cool as other pop bands, but to me ,this song was the most wondrous expression of love and romance all rolled into a pop song. I was only 15 at the time, but each time I hear it now, it is all the sweeter for understanding paul's flamboyant and sensitive words.

Jeni, Southampton
A-ha were brilliant 20 years ago and are still brilliant now. I saw them in Brighton in December and felt 12 years old again! Check out their new album "Analogue" out now, and their new single of the same name out 23rd January.

Diana Bathgate - Retford, Nottinghamshire
Fantastic, amazing what more can be said... I love it!

Norfolk
Yes A-ha definitely deserve more recognition and their new song Analogue is superb and deifintely should be playlisted.

Billy, Glasgow
Yes, Morten has such a full voice born for modern quite soulful ballads. His version of this at the Glasgow concert on 4 December still has that power and depth - utterly fantastic!

Emma in Chesterfield
This song reminds me of Paris on my 21st. We drove and couldn't stand to listen to the droll on French radio stations, and this was the only tape we had in the car!

Lesley, Scotland
Yes yes and yes! If anybody out there still thinks a-ha are a teeny bop group I can only urge you to buy their most recent albums - Lifelines and in particular the new Analogue. Go on - spend a tenner and you will be amazed! Celice, Analogue, Cozy Prisons and Keeper of the Flame are fantatsic songs which in my opinion are rarely matched in the charts these days! And if you doubt their musical or singing ability be brave and see them live - I saw them again this year and they were better than ever and seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely! New takes of their old hits just make them better. I urge everyone to buy their new album and singles lets put a-ha back where they belong!!

Sandrine / london
Yes, to reply to your question, a-ha does deserve to be better know as great songwriters than teen idols! Their new album, Analogue, will definitely prove this to the unconvinced!!! Live, they're one of the bands ever! They do not play their songs the same way as it is on the albums, they add more energy, more passion, more guitars!!! I'll be at their London concert on 7 Dec, and I've just been to their Paris gig last Monday, it was incredibly amazing!!

9lives, Dublin
This song is summed up in the thought-provoking lyric: 'Do you know what it means to love you?'. Amazing track.

Persephone - Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Hunting High and Low is a Legend of a song! It is a melody that I would have played a million times since I first heard it at the age of 13-14 and still sounds as amazing today as it did in 85!! A-ha never got the recognition they deserved and were more than just the 'pretty boys' from Norway. The guys were/are pure geniuses who create(d) songs that are so deep and moving (and bring tears to my eyes!) Oh and Morten's voice is like no other! There's not many voices today that sound as sweet! (Jeff Buckley's voice was an exception!) What I want to say is 'Thank -you' a-ha for the music! You have been a part of so many happy memories in my life!

Benjamin Penrose
This question would soon be answered by buying a copy of memorial beach and giving it a listen. Its a masterpeice. Completely and utterly. Live the band is amazing. They deserved a lot more than the false image they were branded with.

Mark V
A gorgeous song that deserves to be a long standing and well renowned as 'Take On Me'. Impossible to better.

Miyuki/ US
I absolutely love this song! For those who have heard the unplugged version of this song will agree that this song is beautiful. Even to this day, Morten has the BEST voice ever. A-ha is not appreciated enough!

Diane, Sydney Australia
Seeing A-Ha live in Belfast (twice!) was a big highlight of my teenage years - I wasn't one for airhead teeny bands, and A-Ha certainly didn't fall into that category for me - they were very different. That Scandanavian melancholy seeped through. There were some songs that I'm not so mad about - Touchy, You are the One etc, but they were more a product of record label than band. I agree with the comments that you can see elements of A-Ha in many bands these days - I remember JJ72 saying they were influenced by them, and I think that A-Ha have more in common with the likes of Muse and Keane, and The Divine Comedy than they do with boybands of today. The later albums have some amazing tracks, and it is frustrating that there hasn't been more recognition for their talent, and also for Morten's solo albums (I have the Norwegian ones, yes, I'm a complete A-Ha nerd..). I'd love to switch on the TV or radio and hear Lifelines, for example. There are very few people around with Morten's vocal capability, and it needs to be shown, along with the band's songwriting talents. I've been an A-Ha fan for twenty years (scary!) and with the quality of music since 1985 until now, that's not going to change.

Brian Coolidge US
It's about time the myth of a-ha being nothing more than a teenage, hair band is put to rest! Paul Waaktaar-Savoy's hauntingly beautiful "Hunting High And Low" is a happy synthesis of melody and lyric. A classic song worthy of great respect.

Carl, Clacton-On-Sea
This song is simply fantastic! Shows a-ha deserve a lot more credit then they ever have got. "A lot of artists would give up their writing arm for these lyrics" (Quote Jan Omdahl the a-ha biographer) That just about sums it up for me!

Rachel - manchester
........... it's a great crowd pleaser at gigs

Rachel, Chesterfield
A-Ha definitely deserve more recognition than they get. To call them just a teeny-bopper band is an insult to them, and people who really know their music will agree with this. The only reason they fell into this category is because the boys were devastatingly good-looking and devastatingly young. They are amongst the best groups of the 80s, and their songs are original and unique in my opinion. They had their own sound, and you can't really compare them to anyone. The only song I've heard in the pop charts that sounded a bit like an A-ha song, was the one by Richard Marx, but I can't think of other artist/s that sounded like them.

Naturally I became a typical teenage fan, being about 13 or 14 when they first came onto the scene. And naturally I also found the members of the band objects of desire and wrote 'I Love A-ha' on every desk I sat at at school, and wore the leather bangles around my wrist.

Their concert was my first ever pop concert, which was on 11 December 1986 at the Sheffield City Hall. It was an amazing concert and me, my sister and my friend went absolutely bonkers and stood on our seats in the balcony, swinging our coats around!!! They even inspired us to form our own band and become a female version of themselves!!!

Even then though, I could see beyond the teeny bopper thing and could see that their songs had an amazing depth, originality and musical skill. Their first album was just beautiful, with some great catchy numbers, some fantastic ballads, and meaningful lyrics. Their second album 'Scoundrel Days' is a very haunting, mysterious album with a very distinct, almost foreign sound. It really sends me back to my teenage years and school days with alarming vividness and it sends a shiver up my spine if I happen to hear one of their songs.

I hope people will start to realise their full talents and unique songwriting and hopefully they should go down in history as a great band.

Kevin / seattle WA USA
A-HAs best song by far. The video is so good, and the song blows the teen pop status out of the water. I still love it.

Steve R - Isleworth, W.London
A highlight of the late 80`s, tender and sung beautifully. Obviously the 80`s weren`t that bad! S x

Emma, Dublin
This is an amazing song that I'll never get tired of! A-ha don’t get the recognition they deserve. There were some great songs on their last two albums.

Ciaran Murtagh, London
A stunning piece of music. When you listen to much of Scoundrel Days, or Hunting High and Low (the album), or indeed the prize tracks off their later albums Minor Earth and Lifelines, you can not deny the sheer ability of this band and Morten's voice in particular to convey sweeping powerful emotion in a way that other bands can only dream of. They are bleak, romantic, expansive and pop a very rare combination.

Belinda
The best song ever! This will never date...

Matt, Wickford, Essex
This one reminds me of a school exchange trip to Poland in 1989... brings the memories flooding back!

john barrett Dublin
YES They have invented a sound that so far best captures sadness, a touch of darkness and a beautifully other-worldly melody rolled into the perfect musical package, that many people now and in the future will enjoy. In the future it may become clear that this band will be seen as the Edvard Munch of Scandi art and creativity in our times, all ready they have seen their artwork stolen with bands like Keane, Royksopp and hopefully many bands in the future.

manchester
Morten was my first love, my bedroom wall was a mass of Morten. yum

Mark / London
Beautiful lyrics, a sexy accent and a song that will always remain a classic!

Simon, Cornwall
A great song from hideously overlooked and wrongly ridiculed songwriters. Check out Coldplay's live version if you doubt the calibre of the songwriting. A-ha have made a few questionable recordings and career moves over the years but there are a number of gems in their back catalogue and they deserve to be recognised as more than 1980's pin-ups.