Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Ohhh look a drum machine and a synth sitting in the side of the road, should we make the biggest hit of the decade? Look, Take on Me is the song of the 80s, but the rest of the album is pretty uninspired and sappy. Pretty clear why ppl see them as a one hit wonder.
Thanks for the meme-ories, but this was ayusss
2/10 walkable fav song: here I stand and face the rain overall: 2/5 for me. seems like basic 80s lovesick music, I would not listen again.
Good painting music
Telkkarissa paistaa aurinko on kova biisi, mut muuten jää vähän pintapuoliseks meno. Toki tommosen teik on miin tekeminen on aina kova suoritus kun pelkästään sillä saa mukavat eläkemazzit.
So we're letting on albums because of one good music video now?
It was actively hard to get through this album. Its why i have a backlog of albums now. It isnt overerly bad but it was a slog of steriotypical music i wasnt in for.
Take on me is a great song, but the rest of the record is not really worth listening to. The rest is either simple 80's pop or kinda sad singer songwriter stuff. Nothing that better artists have not done. Traces of the exentricity from Take on Me can be found in the strange beats of other songs, but not enough to make this record worth it.
a bit generic
Take on Me // 1.5/5
take on me is leuk, de rest is dezelfde sfeer maar minder catchy
One song and that song is really not all that necessary to me
I would give it a 2.5 if i could just because it was never really bad, but it also wasn't really good. Take On Me is a classic though of course
1 good track.
2 and a half good songs, or was it 3 and a quarter? Fun singles!
Standouts Take On Me
The 80s!
Didn’t hold up for me, after the first song.
Take On Me is timeless. The rest of this album is forgettable.
Starting the album with the strongest track is never a wise decision... Just the typical radio-friendly 80's electro-pop. Nothing special.
One hit wonder. The rest is meh
Good singles, bad rest of album.
Take On Me is still a fun song, but the rest of the album was unimpressive.
Not really memorable at all. Take on me is a classic though
do not like the hit at all. no need for any of this when there's New Order. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
I enjoyed this just fine, but it really suffered from having The Song be the first track, and then not having anything as strong as The Song for the rest of the album. For all my complaining about the repetitiveness of this list, I’ve enjoyed the dense exposure to new wave. If this were one of few new wave albums, I would score it higher. But now I know there’s a lot more stuff out there that’s similar but better.
There's Take on Me Also, I'm partly Danish. But then there's not so much else to really cling myself on to.
Started strong, but the energy didn't stay. Unfortunately the first track was too good for the album and the drop was very much noticeable. The only other song apart from Take on Me that had any energy to keep me interested was The Sun Always Shines on T.V. Wasn't BAD but just uninteresting after the banger of a start.
We all know why this album is here. The track is worthy of it obviously. But the rest of the album is simply not essential listening
Didn't like this album then, didn't care for it now...
Hey Ah-Ha, the 80s called and wants its music back!” “Hello, 1980s? This is Ah-Ha speaking. I’m returning your call regarding the music?” “Ah-Ha! Yes, thank you for getting back to me. This is all rather embarrassing. Well, frankly I had a bit too much to drink last night, and I was in a mood of reminisce. I thought of you and how it pains me that we have lost touch. And, well, I wanted you to know how much I value your contribution, your place in it all. I wouldn’t be here without you. Maybe this is too little too late, but please, accept the sincere gratitude of an old, sentimental fool.” “It’s all water under the bridge, 1980s. I truely appreciate your kind words.” Four days later, TMZ reported that the 1980s was found dead in its LA mansion, surrounded by empty bottles of drano.
I just don't like 80s synth pop that much. Take On Me is a banger tho fr.
This didn't do much for me and I wasn't all that fond of the hit single even back in the day. I'll be hunting high and low for a better album.
Memories of when “Take On Me” (the only half decent song on this album) would always play on my old school iPod because a-ha was my first artist in alphabetical order.
2/5
Tááááááááááááke on me. Wat een draak van een nummer. Die verlengde-lettergrepen-allergie van me, speelt hier flink op. De typische jaren '80 klanken zijn totaal niet interessant en de vrolijke toon maakt me alles behalve vrolijk. Nee, niet mijn smaak. Dit nummer is een soort uitvergroting van de rest van het album. De rest valt me daardoor eigenlijk wel mee. Maar goed, dat is daardoor allemaal weer een stuk saaier. Ergens is het ook wel knap. Vrij bombastische muziek als in Hunting high and low toch slaapverwekkend kunnen maken. Maar voor die kunde deel ik geen sterren uit.
2/5 Tem Take On Me, mas é só isso mesmo.
Can’t help but feel like this was included on the list for one track.
I’ve absolutely nothing against Aha. Quite the opposite. “Take on me” is a classic and I like their James Bond tune for “The Living Daylights” but most of this sounds like lightweight Duran Duran. Sorry lads.
Take on me is a classic but a lot of the album sounded kinda pretentious. I also wish there was more variety, like some more ballads or slow songs. I thought The Sun Always Shines on TV stated really cool, but then the drum machine came in and it sounded like every other song on the album
Take On Me a catchy song with a really cool music music. Frankly the music video was ahead of it's time when it dropped and while it's actually a classic I consider it to be influential. This album though...not great.
2 1/2 Stars: Take on Me is a banger. The rest of the album...not so much. There's a few elevated tracks, but it's mostly forgettable middling music. Curious why it's even in this collection.
Definitely an era. 80s pop synth extravaganza. Surprised I did not know any other songs since “Take me on” was such a big hit. Nothing else really grabbed me.
Very 1980’s in mood and tone, smiths-lite in parts. Ok
Yikes man. I was really hoping Take on Me wasn’t their only listenable track. It is. Choice cut: Take on Me
Some pretty basic new wave. They had one hit, should have kept it to that. Gets a 2 for said hit.
The 80s section of this app is always going to be a,struggle for me I think. I just dont get the vibe
In my public speaking class in high school we had to present a song by speaking the lyrics and having the class guess the song. I ended up choosing Take On Me- which no one guessed. It was quite sad actually. Regardless, as an album experience, this doesn’t fully deliver. It checks the boxes of having a cohesive sound, decent pacing, and conciseness. Still, I found the project to be underwhelming.
Monster single and not much else happening.
Bands like this are what caused my friends and I to use "pop" as a pejorative term.
Some good songs, but poor
Take on me is great but the rest wasn’t
I didn’t love this album, it felt very one-note to me. It has a very melancholy vibe to it that don’t seem to let up as the album went on. I probably won’t listen to it in its entirety again.
No se puede sonar más ochentero que este disco. El problema es que ha envejecido regular.
A very middling 80's synth-pop album. They are from Norway, they have the one really popular song, that's about it. Not really a fan of Take on me but I did enjoy it this time around. Rest of the album isn't bad but isn't what you couldn't find elsewhere.
One great single and the rest is boring.
Singles und Fahrstuhl
Generic 80s Sounds
3 Hits machen noch kein Album. Nichts für mich zu bieten außer 80s Nostalgia
This album feels about 10 songs longer than it should be
*1985. *Pretty standard 80s faire - nothing particularly remember other than Take on Me. *It was fine, but wouldn't revisit. RATING - 6.5/10
everyone knows "take on me" the rest of the album didnt do it for me.
I feel they deserve any talk of One Hit Wonder. 'Take Me On"... and then.... that's to. The remaining album is not as strong. 1 star for the hit and MTV video. of the hit, 1 more for their being an "iconic" band
honestly boring, I can see why it was popular at the time though but now just feels a little bland, nothing too special, one hit wonder album
Didn't feel timeless.
Yah it’s all downhill after the opener. That’s sorta the problem with creating an all time classic and putting at the front of the album. It’s either gunna sucker people into putting up with the rest or it’s gunna set a standard so high you can’t reach it throughout the rest of the album. Sadly this is the later, it’s just so horribly held up by Take on me. There’s nothing else of note really. The other tracks are either grating or the production just doesn’t hold up and has not aged well. It’s seriously a huge disappointment.
Take on me is a very familiar song. I love the beat and progression.
Some banger nostalgia tracks but the album is not consistent and hits massive highs but a lot of lows.
I often wondered why I never heard anything from A-Ha other than Take On Me. Then I listened to the rest of this album and it became abundantly clear.
I liked this a lot less than I thought I would.
The Sun Always Shines On TV stood out. Take on Me is the obvious song, but everything else I just didn't care for. 2/5
5 stars for take on me, 3 stars deducted for the rest
It's almost unfair how good "Take On Me" is, because the rest of this is pretty forgettable 80s stuff to me. That one song though, makes the whole thing worth it. But they really poured it all into just that one song. 2/5.
Listens: 2.5 Standout Tracks: Take on Me Me: Clicks link to album from the generator. Album: Take on Me has been played 2.8 billion times on YTM. Me: What!? How the hell have I never heard of a band that has a song that has been played 2.8 billion times? Me: Listens to song. Ohhhhhh.... ok, I have heard this before. Me: I guess you could say I've had an "a-ha" moment.... Anyways, more new wave trash. Not here for it, not interested in it. This album demonstrates very, very clearly that these guys are the definition of a one-hit wonder. Their next most popular song has 125 million listens. An entire order of magnitude smaller. Crazy. 2 stars because Take on Me is catchy as hell, and so it's not actually too surprising that its so popular.
"Take on Me" has one of the most memorable music videos of all time. And it's a good song. But the rest of the album is pretty mediocre. I'm not sure why it's on this list (except that this project is very biased towards artists that were mainly popular in Britain, and yes, after checking, I see that a-ha was more popular in Britain than elsewhere.) Doesn't belong on the list.
Other than take me on, this album is pretty forgettable.
One song does not a great record make. It's a great song with a significant legacy, but who cares. Otherwise, this record is a poor man's new wave.
You can easily see why "Take on Me" was such a hit. Interestingly, it's a lot more pop than the rest of this record, which has a much gloomier, synth-y vibe. It's like B-team Depeche Mode. Fine, but not for me.
This wasn’t made for me. 2/ 5
A very fine example of this kind of thing.
Proof that you too can have a catchy synthesizer and a good singer and make it in music. There are so many albums that should replace this on a must listen to list. Not required listening at all.
This actually hangs together as an album pretty well. Some excellent self harmonies. But seriously if you remove ONE song is this anywhere near this list.
One hit and the rest was mediocre
Definitely sounds of its time. It's okay.
Meh
This album just sounds like a soundtrack to an 80s movie. It’s dated and doesn’t work in a time beyond its own.
Exciting, I thought when I saw which album I got today. Little did I know...
There's a reason I've only ever heard of two songs on this album, and even they aren't enough to redeem the other 8 tracks. Dull.
This is not all that great and inconsistent
"Take On Me", and "The Sun Always Shines On TV" are the only two tracks worth listening to. They are also the only two tracks that aren't killing themselves trying to sound like Erasure. Go figure.
own
TAAAAAAAKE OOOOOOOON MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE (Nul)
One hit wonder?
Once again, an album that I'm not so sure of if I had to listen to it before I die. Surely, "Take on me" is an instant classic, and the other hit " The Sun Always Shine on TV" not bad either, but really, the whole album? I'm either way not impressed, decent pop yes, but nothing more than that. Apart from that, it sounds very eighties and didn't stood the test of time, with that glossy, overly polished quality that screams mid-'80s in the worst way. Definitely not worth a relisten after this first time. 2/5.
this was dramatic and cheesy, take on me is a banger but the rest of the album didn’t hold up to that song
Well ....Take On Me was a tough act to follow. Singer has a great voice though.
meh
Take on me/20
Franchement assez boring. Merci à Take on Me d'être là au moins, j'ai l'impression qu'ils ont mit cet album uniquement pour cette musique mdr. Un bon 2/5 imo.
On se fait chier hein. Ils auraient dû s'inspirer de jésus : en changeant l'eau en vin, le meilleur vin était à la fin du mariage de cana. Mais là ils nous mettent take on me et après c'est de la bouse donc pas de note positive pour remonter l'album, dommage ! Le nom du groupe me faisait penser que j'allais rire, mais finalement j'ai plus envie de pleurer de déception.
No private session used for Spotify. A-ha another standard answer when the one hit wonder question comes up. Once the hit came up, which is the first song, it was some pretty mellow, generic, synth heavy 80's music with a high pitched voice. Yes, I know "The Sun Always Shines on TV" got radio play, but it wasn't a hit.
Radio-friendly synth-pop. It has Take on me and some other songs.
dreamy synth pop - time has not been kind to this, the synths may have sounded like the future when the album was released, but it sounds very dated now.
Couple bangers.
It’s got one good song, IMO
A reminder that eighties pop music was horrible
yeah dadadadadadaddadad
It’s fine. It sounds like it’s era. Not much to write home about beyond Take On Me
Listened once, pretty distracted... it was fine, but I don't think I need a second listen. I think I've heard Take on Me too many times for a single lifetime. The rest is some okay-ish, very 80s synth-pop with spotty production and leveling throughout. Pairs nicely with the smell of hairspray. 2 / 5
Oh boy! ANOTHER cookie-cutter 80s euro-pop album! I'm so glad I heard this before I died! *sad trombone* *fart noise*
Naha
Started strong but fell off pretty quickly for me
One mega hit followed by a litany of indistinguishable, generic, 80s new wave synth pop songs.
Two or three well known songs. The synths sometimes sound outdated. Wouldn't listen a second time.
Retro
The album feels like a true child of it‘s time and has not aged overwhelmingly well. The only reason from my today’s view, why it is included in this list, is probably the commercial success. It‘s clearly Pop music, but has no pop appeal. I like Morten Harket‘s voice, but it is often overwritten with uninspired 80‘s synthies. Even „Take on me“ does not work for me (anymore). Highlights: Other than „Take on me“, other singles such as „The sun always shines on T.V.“ and „Love is reason“ have stand the test of time a little better.
The first song is okay but the rest does nothing for me. 2 stars or D+.
I'LLLL BEE GGGOONNNEEEE ONNEEEE DAYYY ORRRRR 2222222222 STARRRSSSS!
ok take on me is iconic and that video just as iconic but this reaks of 80's blah.... some of the synths in this are awful. The drums as well? mega corny
This album is okay, I guess. Of course "Take on Me" is a banger and everyone has heard it before, but apart from that the album was not outstanding neither positive nor negative. In contrast to many people I am lacking the nostalgia bonus. I was pleasantly surprised though that there were some tracks I enjoyed, like "The Sun Always Shines on TV" for example. This album is pretty much average and considering I am not really into synth-pop I'd rate it a solid 5/10.
This is too 80’s pop for me.
- A-Ha have written in my opinion the best Bond theme, with The Living Daylights, and the opening the track of this record is quite clearly a classic. Despite the outrageously good vocals, this album largely drifts by and doesn’t grab my attention until the in your face instrumentals around the 1 minute mark of The Sun Always Shines On TV. It then shifts back to drifting mode and doesn’t really pick up again.
A fine if not groundbreaking pop album that kept me tapping along. Take on Me an obvious highlight
i was really wanting to listen to some 80s pop but nothing on this album hits like take on me, and the lyrics are really repetitive. 5/10
Take on Me and then here: take the rest of this drivel too. The music sounds like the middle 80s - or what video games and TV shows think the 80s sounded like - and comes off remarkably vanilla. Every song after the opener could easily fit behind Karate Kid training or fighting montage. There’s clearly a reason this band was never known for more than their ubiquitous opener. 2/5
'So needless to say / I'm odds and ends, but I'm me.' 'Take on Me' is a synth-pop classic, a tune known by millions but remembered by none: played in countless backgrounds, in the foreground it's actually catchier, impressive even. But the rest is an uninspired meeting of David Bowie and Morrissey. Morten Harket is a failure of pop sensibilities since he bemoans unironically and insincerely, a debacle no hit single can ameliorate. Add to that 80s production that's indeed too of its time, and you've a pop record I'd like to appreciate far more than I do. 'Love is reason enuf' to move on from this one-hit blunder. I was waiting for an a-ha moment. Instead I got plenty of uh-ohs, oy-veys, uff das, and here we go agains.
Not really my shit. Not now, and not in 1985. Polished, but not a turd.
Good vocals, decent songwriting. Godawful full-bath 80s synths. Not a sound for me
A hit single and not much else to enjoy in my opinion.
It's just take on me, the rest is really uninteresting, it doesn't get the job done in terms of quality or consistency.
Disappointed. I was hopeful this would be an awesome 80s album. But it wasn't
The only decent song was “Take On Me”. Everything else was just background synth noise.
I can see why they were a one hit wonder. I can also see why they got a Bond song. Thankfully, Living Daylights is better than anything on this album. That was a long 37 minutes.
I had hopes that a-ha would prove to me more than a one-hit wonder after the second song. Then the rest of the album played.
Not super into 80s pop
This album's mostly harmless Norwegian Pop.
I just couldn't get into this one. Yeah, the first song is iconic, and persists. But the rest is about as boring as it gets. It did nothing for me. I'll give it a little credit for the hit, but the album as a whole does not stand up in comparison. Overall: 1.75/5
Startin off with a banger with take on me and then I’d never heard of the sun always shines on tv which was a jam but overall, that 80s synth sound just really doesn’t age well compared to other genres on this list.
Correcto
This album starts with an undeniable 10/10 banger of a classic. The rest? Forgettable meh 80's pop. 4/10
I’m determined to hit that high note on take on me! Recognized a few others, but didn’t love it. Definitely has that 80s vibe.
Some nice and catchy, very 80s. Quite a few songs skipped unfortunately
The album could have done without the rest of the songs.
a-ha, before I even clicked through to see the track list I thought to myself: "This better be the one with Take On Me on it." ha-ha. A perfect song from the era and genre. And, the rest of the record (all 9 remaining songs)? They're mostly in 2-star territory.
Ik meen dat ik 'Take On Me' wel eens eerder heb gehoord :) De rest van de titels zegt me zo even niks, maar ik ga het ondervinden. Het is allemaal bizar theatraal natuurlijk. Jaren '80 drumcomputers en synthjes erbij. Er wordt nog een fagot of hobo uit iemands zak getoverd. Ik haal ze altijd door elkaar, maar ik bedoel de kleine van de twee. Heul veul galm, wat in die tijd soort van verplicht was denk ik. De zanger met zo'n ideale schoonzoon stem, waarschijnlijk nog klassiek geschoold maar bevangen geraakt door New Wave. De kopstem wordt niet geschuwd. Ik kom er wel redelijk doorheen, maar op de hit na vind ik het allemaal niet super bijzonder en klinkt het voor mij toch een beetje als één pot nat. Dit soort muziek heb ik in deze lijst al veel vaker gehoord. Een strenge 2 of een laten-we-het-gezellig-houden 3.
Geen wonder dat dit - de meest archetypische new wave - precies midden uit de 80s komt. Als een soort pilaar die de 80s poptempel omhoog houdt. Een pilaar zoals 'Take On Me' dat is in hun eigen discografie. Bold choice om daar mee te openen. De eerste helft van de plaat weet zich aardig vast te klampen aan dat niveau, maar de tweede helft is precies wat ik verwacht had van de gehele plaat: generieke, plastic synth-pop. Maar neemt niet weg dat ik me best vermaakt heb met kantje nummer één. 6/10 Highlights: Take On Me Living a Boy's Adventure Tale The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
Take on Me is natuurlijk zo'n hit, die draagt het hele oeuvre van a-ha. Maar de rest van de plaat vind ik toch wel een beetje cringe. Hunting High and Low stamt uit de piek van de new-wave mid80's. Daarin zijn ze ook overtuigend. Het is all-in, maar dat maakt het 40 jaar later niet perse een hele leuke luisterervaring. The Sun Always Shines on T.V. vond ik de uitblinker. 5,5/10
Nobody and I mean nobody has ever listened to this entire album. I’ll give it a try. Take on me is an amazing single. The rest sounds like a bad Pet Shop Boys cover band.
The only reason this has a higher rating than Scritti Politti is because of “Take On Me,” which to be fair, is an elite song. As much as I want more non-US/UK artists on the list, I want them to actually be good. There’s so much better 80s pop than this. I can guarantee there’s probably better 80s Norwegian pop than this. Everything outside of “Take On Me” is boring and uninspired, and there’s no reason this should be on the list.
There is more to a-ha than Take On Me; not much more, but there is some. Ultimately they are a one hit wonder band.
I'm questioning some of these albums. I've had several that had one great song and the rest is meh. I know one hit wonders are a thing. So why are those albums with one great song and the rest are meh on this list? Take on Me is an amazing video, the song is great! The rest of this album is so meh. There are some weird, are you trying for a rock opera? songs. Overall it's very we got you hooked with the one song on the radio you now buy the album and realize it's only the one good song. It sucks because you know they make greatness.
Went in with low expectations and I wasn't wrong. 615 albums in, and this is the most milquetoast one so far.
2 good songs and more synth-pop than I can handle
Aside from the singles didn't really vibe with this
Hasn’t aged well. 80s pop and nothing really to recommend outside the catchy hit singles.
I appreciate "Take on me", but the rest of the album is just dull and boring
Sounded exactly how I thought it would, given I haven't heard another a-ha sing assist from the obvious. Take on me is great and nothing else came close. There wasn't another song with same energy when really, it was all a bit slower and croony. Not painful but no need to hear again.
Take on me is a fantastic 80s pop song. The rest I found pretty unremark-a-ha-ble 2
J - 2/5 Best Track - "Take On Me" F - 2/5 Best Track - "Take On Me"
Having listened to this, I can finally mark as completed the task "decide if I like Norwegian synth-pop" that has been sitting on my to-do list for the last 40 years. Apparently the answer is no.
Started off strong, but got boring quickly.
Another instance of an album predominantly included for the hit single. The rest of it is OK, if not a bit subpar. 2.3/5 - > 2/5
Take on me amirite fellas? shit is mid as fuck. only good track this band ever made is the 1st track and after that who gives a fuck
Take on me is a ridiculously good earworm, but i found the rest of the album quite hard to get through.
2/5. As much as I was hoping each song was going to be something that stood out, nothing came close to the opening Take On Me. Sure, the other songs were fine but even without Take On Me to compare, they are not doing it for me. Synth pop only goes so far and it is best taken in small doses, usually. It's just very forgettable quick and only 2, maybe 3, stand out. Best Song: Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines On T.V., I Dream Myself Alive
Feels very "samey" outside the obvious hits. I've been told their later output was better.
Nice to hear Take On Me in good clarity, I have never listened to it with headphones, and it's much nicer and cleaner than I had ever appreciated. Take On Me I had heard a hundred times, though. So how about the rest of these songs? Hunting High and Low has a totally unexpected orchestral climax, like some terrible symphonic metal album. As cheesy here as it is there. I liked the loud and overblown The Sun Always Shines on TV. All the rest were the cheesy, synthy 80's pop I was expecting. Not a bad album, but not one for the re-listen pile.
I am not into it
2.3 Extremely disappointing. For some reason I had a gut feeling this record would surprise me for good reasons. I was thinking some great nu-wave was about to enter my life. But god it was dull. Other than the one hit wonder there was little engaging about it. Aged poorly to boot. At least I know never to bother again.
I’d only ever heard Take On Me before listening to this album and that song remains a banger. Unfortunately, I now know why I’ve never heard any of the others.
One hit wonders. Take Me On as obviously a crowd pleaser. The rest is not my cup of tea
I can almost copy paste my review from the pet shop boys album I rated recently. This new wave synth pop is okay for 1 or 2 songs but that’s it. Take on me is a banger, after that it gets worse and worse. Favourite song: - Take on me
Pari hyvää ja that is it
So unmemorable I didn't even notice when the album ended and autoplay kicked in. This list has way too many 2 star albums with one 5 star song. Some of the synth work was pretty. 4/10 Boring music held up by good production
I guess? I dunno. The first track is obviously a banger, or it wouldn't have the cultural footprint it still does. The rest of the album? Completely forgettable. Like, I can't even remember any of the songs 30 minutes after finishing the album. Definitely not a good sign. I'm not sure how to rate this one, so I'm going with :star::star: cause it wasn't as bad as the Nico album.
I'm surprised to read that there's 5 singles from this album. After listening to the album, I thought this album only sold because of Take On Me. I didn't HATE it, I just thought it was boring
It’s the one with take on me on it
oooh oha jaja hmm mhm jaja jojö ah ja, jaja aaah okay okay, ja okay ja minetwäge a ha okay soso nei wük? also nei hey nei also hey uff ja okay nei nei, nenenene okay ja solala
One memorable but far overplayed song. Otherwise emblematic of an era but not particularly noteworthy.
I can take or leave a lot of 80s new wave, and this doesn't do it for me. A couple good singles, but it really doesn't hold up well as an album.
Reassuring to know that the decent Aha tracks are the ones that everyone knows
Totally mediocre.
I was looking forward to hearing this again after many years, although I think it was nostalgia that forced this decision! I was just leaving school, girlfriends, learning to drive, being quite quick on a football field, discovering new music...village discos and the mecca of them all...The Palace Night Club, Crewkerne, Somerset - complete with laser beams! Sadly, the nostalgia abruptly stopped on the 1st track.....hasn't age well has it? If it wasn't for the nostalgia this would have been a 1 I reckon.
Really put all of the effort and talent into Take On Me and gave their scraps to the rest of the album
If New Order, Wham! and Spandau Ballet had a Norwegian baby, there would be inevitable questions. Was the child conceived in a studio in Shepherds Bush or in a public toilet in Beverly Hills? Would the child have enough lacquer to tame the structural integrity of their towering, feathered shag? But would anybody stop to ask whether the child should have been allowed to live?
Oh Blimey, blast from the past, not that keen to be honest, it is what it is, wasn't keen back in my teens either
Good playing and singing, but every song sounds the same. Only need to listen to 2-3 song.
Let’s be frank here - on hit wonders. The rest are thumbs downs
bouncy pop music, 80s ish
A-ha is Norwegian?! Take on me is the only song I know going into this. Other tracks are super 80s. Not sure the rest holds up to take on me, 2* Highlights: take on me (obv always a banger)
Well, there were two big hits off this album and for good reason. Super catchy, great songs. Let’s face it - they help define an era. There are other tunes on this album that are not hits, and there’s also a reason for that. They are not half as good.
The supercool video for Take On Me makes me not flee from this synth-pop excess. It isn't usual for me to have a video reflect at all on a musical performance, but this time I can't deny my reaction. When the rest of the album plays, well, I just flee--violins and drum machines, synth for substance, can't get much more alienating.
The two songs that were released as singles were good. I did not enjoy the rest of the album.
The only reason I needed to hear this was to confirm my assumption that the massive hit on this album was pretty much everything I'll ever need to hear from a-ha. And I'm not nearly as smitten with that tune as apparently everyone else is. Dude can hit some notes, glad they got the hit, but this was tedious with a side of blah.
Not exactly bad to listen to, but I found this too pop-y and sort of thin. Good for these Norwegians for their global breakthrough, but I can't say I'm a fan.
A struggle to get through. 'Take On Me' is such a strong opener and though it's everywhere and easy to discount - it's a pleasure to actually focus and listen to it. The rest of the album sounds like it could be by any generic synth pop artist. Forgettable
Except Take on me everything else sound absolutely uninteresting and untalented
bijna alle nummers zijn onderling inwisselbaar... net als dit plaatje
A bit TOO 1980s
always disappointing when they frontload the absolute banger and nothing else really competes. i love 80s electronic bullshit tho. 2.5
Well, can’t say I’ve ever been proud to say I listen to a-ha. This album would be better if it was “Take On Me” ten times in a row and if you disagree you go finger a moose. Fughettaboutit. 2/5
Enjoyable Before I die? Nope.
Great first track. Didn't need the rest.
Has those 2 songs and not a lot else...
Love take on me, it's such a good track, and video. But the rest of this album is one to skip
Didn't need a whole album
No es mi preferido
Nothing against a-ha but this was boring. I'm fine by blasting "Take on Me" occasionally and never hearing anything from this album again.
I would have thought this album would be a little interesting but besides the obvious single and a couple of other tracks, it's a rather forgettable album. Don't get me wrong - I don't dislike this band, but this is not a good record.
Very dated now, and just too poppy for me.
Take On Me is a classic, but I didn't like much else on this
Another case of the massive pop single on the album deserving some sort of "before you die" recognition, but not the album itself.
Welp, I see why a-ha were a one-hit wonder. 5 stars for "Take on Me" and its legendary video, 2 stars for the rest.
I'm not sure why this album is even on here. The 80s had much better fare to offer. Having said that I've always maintained that 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' is one ofthe best songs ever recorded. It hit me at exactly the right time in life, and it still puts a grin on my face today. Great song, hidden in the middle of a quite tedious album.
I really wanted to like this album. When I was a kid Take On Me made me realize bands didn't have to be just American 4 piece rock bands. Wow the rest of the album was a snorefest or just bad.
It starts with a catchy hit song, the rest is not noteworthy and sounds dated.
Pretty good opening song. But beyond that pretty unremarkable.
One hit wonder, too 80s sounding
We all know the best song. The rest washed over me without making an impression of any real sort.
I hate to say it, but I can see why "Take on Me" is the only song on this album that made it big...
He has a seriously impressive vocal range, but - overall - this isn't really any better than any other 80s synth pop that was out there at the time. Granted, Take on Me is a near perfect synth pop song, but - the album - meh.
Highlights: Take on Me Another one that I think is not for me. I have never been a huge fan of synth heavy 80's pop, especially not when its so downbeat and melancholy. I think this album is only here because of Take on Me, at least that's the only reason I can think of.
Take on Me is such a banger I forgot how much I hate the genre for a second. Unfortunately I was reminded almost immediately.
starts off with the one you know and just kinda blends after that.
take on me isch zwor so overplayed und cheesy aber es stimmt jede ton jedi entscheidig isch richtig no meh catchy gange. döt wos d melodie zweimol afanged isch geniaaal. sie sind sehr simple minds us norwege. zweite song isch sehr da, au wenni mue sege sini stimm cha recht viel. sehr darke song für so haha jo synthpop aber find vorallem d flöte nervig. titelsong het e gitarre (!!) und sehr IV-IVm type chords aber da hani gern. was de titel heisst hani kei ahnig. finden etz chli sehr schmalzig. blue sky hani insano arsch gfunde und living a boy's adventure tale (guete titel gratuliere sehr igängig) findi etz au es nüt vomne song. es isch langsam es goht nienets ane, jo die synths hemmer ghört hender au e hook?? d oboe rettets au nöd aber sie isch nice. das isch kein guete song. the sun always shines on tv het eeendlich wieder chli power und en meeega coole gitarrepart. defür en ARSCH titel wieder. nenneds touch me? da isch de afang vode hook. ultra es cheesefest aber s funktioniert. de erst song ufem album sit take on me wo öpis chan. and you tell me isch okay? ok nai s isch arsch und d nintendo ass tön am schluss retteds nöd. love is reason jooo ich lieb digitali blöser sie töned immer guet und ich liebs. da dörf nur de donald fagen, äh de illinois elohainu. I DREAM MYSELF ALIVE was HEISST das??? song au arsch. wüüüürkli. es lauft hert uf es zwei use. here i stand and face the rain. nenned de song doch face the rain oder so? ihr sind pop und nöd artsy indie tuble. de offbeat im refrain isch no cool. aber de rest isch wie take on me in nomel usenand gnoh und schlechter wieder zemebaut. boah bin ich tempted zum es 1 geh aber chan nöd wells zwei gueti songs het uf dem album. mengmol hend d charts recht.
Alright banger first song
I’m not sure, I think I might have to have been hearing this for the first time at a certain stage in my life. I like Take On Me but the rest of the tracks on the album aren’t quite hitting.
Had high hopes for this but was surprisingly disappointed. Was expecting more synthy up-beat tunes like the hit of the album but it felt full of more 80's ballad-type songs than anything else.
I thought the album was....ok. It was all downhill after the first track.
1.9
A couple of great singles on here, but the rest is completely forgettable.
Take on Me: Is this what this song always sounded like? Why is he doing that with his voice? 3/5 Train of Thought: Not sure about the pan pipes to end the song. 2/5 Hunting High and Low: Fairly generic '80s ballad. 2/5 The Blue Sky: Entirely forgettable, but not terrible. 2/5 Living a Boy's Adventure Tale: Not the worst on the album, but that's not saying much. 3/5 The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: Fantastic as ever. 5/5 And You Tell Me: This one's really bad. 1/5 Love Is Reason: It was alright. 2/5 I Dream Myself Alive: A lot of album this sounds the same. 2/5 Here I Stand and Face the Rain: It felt like something different was happening here, but I’m not sure if that’s just because what came before was so bad. 3/5 Overall: One great song, one good song and a bunch of the most generic 80s pop imaginable. 2/5
Snores ville 2.5/5
couple of 80's classics, but a lot of dross too
Extremely forgettable after take on me, the mixing has some songs way louder than others, and it just felt like a drag to get through.
You guys. I tried so hard. Take on Me is my nemesis. I hate it so much. And it's everywhere. You can't get away from it. And everyone loves it. It makes me feel really alone. I thought it might just be that song and the second track, Train of Thought, seemed ok. But then...you guys. It's not just that song. I don't like the sound of this. It feels bad in my ear holes. I'm sorry. It's not the record, it's me. It must be me. I'm so alone.
Why would you start with Take on Mr, and then k t the rest of the album bore you.
Sometimes one hit wonders are one hit wonders for a reason.
Not my bag
Really? Sure take on me is a great song with a great clip. And the other singles are strong. And yes Scandinavia punches well above its weight in pop. (Even if you remove the Swedish ABBA) But what next? Get the knack? Racey 1? Focus guys.
Great single, with a terrific video, fantastic haircuts, catchy hook, great voice, and awesome cheekbones. I really like that bit in the chorus where the drums go to half time for a few bars, then kick back it as the vocal melody really goes through the roof. One of the all-time great moments in pop. Oh wait, there's another song? A whole album? I didn't realise. I did listen to the whole thing all the way through. it's a pretty good synth pop production of its day, but there is not a single song on here anywhere near as good as "Take On Me". Everything else on this record is completely forgettable. And, to be frank, "Take On Me" was so ubiquitous when it first came out that I don't really ever need to hear it again.
I thought I would like this more. It was fine but not as catchy as I expected and hoped.
Other than take on me I found this boring
Pretty lackluster. Not sure of the significance of this album. Maybe it had to do with the timing of its release and impact on 80's music? I can't say. I did not find this very enjoyable at all-- and I love 80's music.
"But it's got that song...!" It was surprising that that track had more than 1 Billion listens on Spotify and that video on MTV is still memorable. Sadly, the balance of this album is doo-doo. https://youtu.be/djV11Xbc914
This started out nicely with Take On Me. Then Train Of Thought was OK. But then it kept going down hill. The 80s was a poor decade for pop music. Analogue people transitioning to a digital musical world…with a bad voice in this case. My conclusion is that 80s in general is just a 2 star sound.
1 undeniable classic song, the rest of the album just feels dated and didn’t do much for me.
Does any song represent the 80s more than “Take on Me”? This whole album is like a caricature of the 80s. It attempts to have the moodiness of the smiths and the tones of Prince, but falls short. “Take on me” is unbelievably catchy, but there isn’t much else here for me.
it's fine, just not my jam
Falls off a cliff after the opening track
All downhill after "Take On Me" — the rest of the album felt considerably lazier :'(
I thought it was very courteous of them to put the hit song as track 1. Other one hit wonders should take note. This is almost a 1 star album, but I am giving them a star because Take on Me is fine and because I think courtesy should be rewarded.
There were things I liked about this; his voice has great range and was more evocative than I'd given credit for. But ultimately it didn't feel like it transcended the genre, and was pretty much what I expected.
First and last track good
There's a reason that the only "a-ha" song you know is "Take on Me". This was unnecessary and the only reason it's on this list is because of the author's obsession with new wave. It's not terrible as far as new wave goes, but there's nothing interesting here either. 2.5 stars
Really dated. Not feeling this.
Wrote this review a few days ago for Booker T and the MGs. 1.5 hit wonder
Dripping in eighties Synth pop sliding off the page Fun over substance
Må man være så fræk at kalde dem et one hit wonder- eller bliver jeg forment adgang til Norge hvis jeg gør det.
Jeg vil hellere stikke mig i ørene med en rusten issyl end høre det her generiske 80er lort igen
Take On Meh, album is nogal saai
Yksi nerokas meemi (se) ja yksi LP-raita, joka nostaa hymyn huulille (The Blue Sky). Kokonaisuus ei vakuuta.
6/12/24 synthy and fun, wasn’t expecting much after take on me but was pleasantly surprised. decent album to run to. 6/10
Take On Me feels so out of place on this Album. One energetic hit with a really unique sound, followed by a lot of the similarly dreary songs. Inoffensive I guess.
Pretty boring other than the stand outs
Couldn’t get into this one. “Take On Me” is one of the GOATs of 80s synth pop, but the album peaked there for me. Everything following was alright, but I probably won’t listen again.
Perfect opening track. Overall, the album had literal highs and lows. Nice for a trip to the mall.
2,5
This album has only one good song on it. Take a guess which one it is.
Take on me is a classic song but the rest was dismal mediocrity. Meh.
Nah, this was silly over-produced high energy pop music when I was a teen, and it has not improved with age. In fact I'd forgotten how much the guy's vocal histrionics got on my tits.
I was expecting my review to be along the lines of "better than I expected" but I was wrong. I gave a second star as a gesture if respect for the Take On Me video. Otherwise, I was *shocked* to learn later they made multiple albums.
I only listened to the first 6 songs and none were as fun and pop-y as Take on Me. In fact, they kind of sucked and were a little inane. So I stopped listening. Sorry Aha
I can tell why I've only ever heard of one song on this album
banger and then diminishing returns could i write poetry to this? n
Take on Me- 5 Train of Thoughts and Hunting High and Low- 3 Rest of the album- 1
I've listened to this a couple times over the years when I see it mentioned as being great beyond Take On Me. I still don't think it's that good beyond the obviously great single.
A very strong single with a long long b-side.
This was exactly what I expected, dated synth-pop with a strong mid-80s vibe. It wasn't quite as awful as I had imagined, but it wasn't great.
Take on me. Very 80s. They released other songs, but I doubt many can name any of them. Their influence came in the form of their biggest hit.
I found this rather middling outside of Take on Me. I was very disappointed that I didn’t like it, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
1 good song
take on me is great the rest is not very good
At least we got take on me out of this
Started incredibly, what an opening. The rest was a bit bland for me
Not my thing
Sounds exactly like a pastiche of the genre and time it was released. I tried to get in to it but it sounds like Flight of the Conchords ripping 80s European electronic pop, though not funny.
Aside from loving the hit single that starts this record, I found this album to drag on a bit. There was definitely some cool musical bits and fun orchestration here and there. But overall I was hoping for more.
The famous debut studio album of synth-pop band a-ha. It contains the hit singles (Take On Me, Hunting High And Low, The Sun Always Shines On TV). The rest is filler. It's nice to have a Norwegian entry on the list, but I prefer Madrugada by far.
80's synthesizer heavy music. "take on me" by far the strongest track on album & wish it had not been the 1st one on there. after that it all blended together
Couple decent songs, but mostly a lot of synths and programmed drums. If you’re doing synths and programmed drums, why make the most basic, boring music imaginable?
no thanks
I had better expectations about this album and it ended up disappointing me a bit. It's not the worst album I've heard from the 80s, but it's not the best either. I believe and understand that this was the band's debut and I feel that it influenced a lot in making all the songs sound almost exactly the same. I finished listening to the album and there was not a single song that remained in my head. NOT EVEN ONE. Which disappoints me because "Take On Me" is a song that I really enjoy and that I really like. I don't agree with many people who like this album but everyone has their own tastes and who am I to judge? Notable Song: Take On Me
I figured a-ha was a one hit wonder. I thought maybe the appearance on 1001 would mean a hidden gem awaited me, but I don't really care for the album. I hear bits and beats that remind me of other songs, and pretty much every time that happens I'm kind of disappointed it isn't that other song. "Take on me" is a classic though with a classic video too. Favorite track: "Take on me" 2/5
Take on me is the high point
It's ok but not what I enjoy.
80s Synth-pop. Nicht meins. 1 Megahit und der Rest im gleichen Stil gehalten.
2.5
take on me. Other songs werent great. 2
makes sense that i've never heard any other song from this album....one hit wonder. 2 stars instead of 1 because of Take On Me