First Time Hearing a-ha - Take On Me (Reaction!) 

First ever rotoscope film clip. Painstakingly done drawing by hand cartoon style, over original image. Release date delayed to allow time for the film clip. Which I believe took at least a year to complete. Stunning vocals. Have a look for the stripped back version he did for Masked Singer. Even singing his own song... no one could figure out it was him. For me... I'd know that voice anywhere.

Yes, guys wore leather with white T-shirts in the 80s-it was a throwback to the 50s and James Dean-look him up. This video was cutting edge then and still looks amazing. Speed Racer was the 60s-I watched it growing up. Cuz I’m old. 😂

Yes we dressed like that in 80s😊

The leather jacket and white tee is the iconic James Dean look from the ‘50’s. Look up James Dean- a great young actor who died in a crash in his 20’s.

People wore that stuff in the 50s too. The 80's brought it back and carried it over into the 90s. Morten Harket's voice is one of the most beautiful from any era and he's still can sing. at 61.

The 80’s music scene was incredibly diverse and a lot of fun. And everyone had amazing music videos because of the birth of MTV. Lots of one hit wonders. And the videos sometimes made the song, like this one. This video was HUGE back then as no one has seen anything like it before. Thanks for reacting to it 😊

A-ha was a band from Norway. 'Take On Me' was released in 1985 and because of the pencil-sketch live action animation (called rotoscoping) it became one of the most instantly recognizable and enduring videos in U.S. music history. Thanks for playing this!

One of the most iconic songs from the 80s ❤ yes, we really did dress that way 😂

80's music still ROCKS!!!!🎶🎼🎵🥁🎤🎸🎙🎹🤘🔥

My suggestion as an Aussie Shon is the group, INXS ( that's pronounced In ..Excess) a huge rock group from the 80s predominantly but began in the late 70s in Sydney Australia. The one thing, official video I need you tonight, official video What you need, official video Thx

Billion views because of cutting edge video

Wow! Synthpop, especially 80s, is a whole new genre rabbit hole!! 😂 Yes, people really dressed like this! There was a popular TV show in the 70s, "Happy Days" with the primary character dressing like this. Also, the movie "Grease". Some suggestions: "Don't You Want Me" - Human League "Blue Monday" - New Order "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" - Eurythmics "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys "Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode "Cars" - Gary Numan "Enola Gay" - OMD

One of the biggest hits of the 80s! Not bad for a group from Norway!

lol my guy discovering a whole different world he never knew existed wit all this music

The video was groundbreaking when it came out in the mid-80's. It was the first time live action and animation were merged to the degree they were in this video. Easy to do today, but it was video magic back then.

I have been an A-HA fan for the past 38 years since I was 16 years old in 1985, I’m 53 now. A-HA are a three men who come from Oslo Norway. The are criminally underrated and unappreciated esp in the USA the were huge everywhere else including the UK where I come from. A-HA were the Viking invasion of 1985. A-HA have released 11 albums their current one being released last October 2022. The video was made using a technique called Rotescopy which means each frame has to be hand drawn over live action. 14,000 hand drawings were used to make this video and the video to 6 months to create and another six months after that to release. The keyboard riff in take on me was created when the keyboard player and guitarist-songwriter where 13 years old and still at school with their old band called Bridges. That was where Morton first saw them play and wanted to join them in starting a new band. Take care 😘 ❤️🇳🇴❤️A-HA FOREVER❤️🇳🇴❤️ 🎸🎹🎤 🥇🥇🥇 🫠🥰

I was amazed watching them perform this live! He was still killing the high notes!! Awesome!

The sequel is "The Sun Only Shines On TV". Great band. And great reactions, commentary. Subscribed. Now my demands!! lol! Concrete Blonde: "Heal It Up" Fleetwood Mac: "Silver Springs" The Virgins: "Private Affair" ...just for starters.

I was a teen when this came out. MTV was all videos. Love the video because of the pencil art

This song is an absolute banger, and its video is mind-blowing...love them a whole lot!

80s music sound always familiar because of its strong melodies and good vibes. Sth you miss in current pop charts. It has to do with instrumentation, music arrangement and harmonies and no autotune.

When this video came out it was ground-breaking. Not only one of the catchiest songs ever, but a mini-movie/love story on top. I think the guys who did the 'art' for this clip also did one for Dire Straits later.

Speed Racer (TV Series 1967-1968)

The song is fun, but the video is one of the cooler ones form the 80's.

This was released in 1985 and won 6 out of the 8 awards it was nominated for at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. Definitely one of my favorites of the 1980's. Great reaction! I love seeing young people discover the music from my younger days. Yes, some guys really did wear black leather jackets, white T-shirts, and rolled up jeans. It was a throw back to the 1950's and James Dean (you'll have to look him up). Speed Racer first aired in 1967. Being born in 1960, I grew up watching it. By the way, I just subscribed. I think it will be fun watching you discover the wide variety of music from the past. Have fun! 😊

Who doesn't love 80's synth pop 💥

I was in a bar a few years ago and this came on. Everyone started to do the dance, so if you know, you know.

Speed Racer goes back to the late 60's. It gets revived every few years though and introduced to a younger generation.

This was 1985, and yeah we used to wear those things. The James Dean look was pretty hot in the mid 80s. Guess jeans and jackets were the sh*t! I bought a Guess leather jacket to wear with a t-shirt but I was so skinny, tall and skinny, it just drooped on me. Jackets were not my friend. So I changed my look to just tight jeans and little tight t-shirts. Every frame in the animated sequences was hand drawn. This song went to #1. The video is one of the best ever made.

I got tired of music reactions, but you have a vibe. Love you bruv. Just subbed.

80's synth pop is a wonderful rabbit hole. Lots of wildly creative acts with timeless songs.

Jeans, white shirt and a leather jacket was soooo popular. Even going back to the 50s, guys wearing that was so cool. In the 80s men and women were doing that. I know me and my friends definitely were doing it, but you could have slight variations in style of shirt or jeans & different color & styles of leather jacket, boots or high heels etc. Everyone was doing it.

My favorite 80's video!!! 😍

The 80's was the best era for music! I'm so glad that I was blessed to grow up back then!

🇨🇦 You want more ? How about Spandau Ballet "True" or 10CC "I'm not in love" or Tears for Fears "Everybody wants to rule the World" !

The acoustic/unplugged version is like a brand new song.

That stereotype you referenced was actually from the fabulous fifties. In the 80's people got nostalgic for the time period (e.g. Back To The Future). To me the motorcycles (with the handles and sidecar) and style (especially the helmets and googles) reminded me of the 1930's and 40's at the time. In the 80's some people wore leather jackets, white tee-shirts and Chucks (e.g. Better Off Dead) -I thought it was kind of the 50's throwback. The rolled up jeans was a thing in the 50's and 80's. The song's been around since 85, and it's popular so it's been sample and redone.

Speed Racer was waaaaay…. Before this came out. I’m old and I watched Speed Racer as a kid. The song was mostly popular because of his vocal range and the video was cutting edge for 1985. Good song, good reaction!

We all love the song but that is NOT the reason for 1.7 BILLION VIEWS, nearly,40 years after this was released. It IS the ground breaking 3,000 Hand Drawings that took 2 Artists, 5 weeks each to perfect and this was the most watched VIDEO in MTV history,my friend.

Woooouuuw ❤❤❤❤❤..let's danceee... 🫢🤗

I watched this video in my 20s, in the 80's. I'm no youngster ofcourse but just LOVE this particular song from A-Ha. Really excellent!!!

This was one of my top songs in the 80s . It came out when i was 18

One of the top 5 song on my "all time" list. It's been on my the top 5 since the day it came out. A-ha has some epic music.

I remember when this came out and it was all the rage. Also artistically it was something that had not been done before in a music video, very cutting edge.

Written by a-ha. This is the music video edit. The radio edit has a diffetent ending. Eother 1 was sampled by Pitbull. He, Christina Aguilera and Morten Harket performed the song. a-ha is still performing today, on a world tour, wotg rhe 3 original members. Morten Harket can still sing with that head voice! 🤯 The actress was also in Billy Idol music videos. I wore that type of clothing in the 1980s. 😃 Speed Racer came in the 1960s. I remember that cartoon 🚗 in the 1970s. Suggested videos 📹: 1 a-ha performs Train of Thought 2 Billy Idol sings Eyes without a Face. 3 Pitbull, Christina Aguilera and Morten Harket perform Feel This Moment at the Billboard Music Awards.

One of the best song videos ever. My BFF learned Norwegian so she could sing their individual songs and has seen them all over Europe since they come over..

A-HA are from norway.the lead singer(who is hot!)morten harket,guitar mags,keyboard paul. at the 1986 mtv awards the video got 6 awards out of 8 nominations. the follow up to this is the sun always shines on tv. hunting high and low has a video with cgi. 80's song suggestions. ashes to ashes,china girl-david bowie souviner-omd mad world-tears for fears every time you go away-paul young gold-spandu ballet planet earth-duran duran too much too young-the specials message in a bottle-the police karma cameleon-cultre club

yeah, the semple hits familiar because Pitbull used it on his song "Feel this Moment"feat. Christina Aguilera from 2013

From the late 40s through the 60s the rolled cuffed blue jeans and white t-shirts was a real thing.I have a lot of photos of my dad and other family members wearing that exact thing with a few leather jackets thrown in(but not all were racing/motocycle style jackets).

this has been in countless adverts, movies, tv show. Music history here.

I'm so glad that you enjoy 80s so much!

Check out Sparks ( American group) This town ain’t big enough for the 2 of us. 80’s magic😅😅😅

Shon, that style with the black leather jacket, white shirt and jeans was everywhere back in the early/mid 80s. First time I remember seeing it was in the Outsiders

This is the vibe of the eighties! Great time! I was there!

YES, we 100% wore every bit of that shit. Even then, it seemed kind of corny to us! But it was the 80s, it was the Reagan era, and everyone was freaking happy ALL THE TIME! :D

This video was before CGI, it was considered one of the greatest music videos of all time

We partied to this in a hybrid Molly Ringwald kick-dance /Carlton style. It was euphoric!

Hey hey! U did it after all, nice 👊

This was hand-drawn cutting-edge stuff in the 80s they want a bunch of awards for this video

"Synth Pop" is the perfect way to describe it. The Band had some minor hits later on, but never real traction. Under rated in their talent. The 80's produced some of the most iconic synth bands of all time - DEPECHE MODE, NEW ORDER, and the list goes on - and they still play to this day. You should try those two bands - ICONIC and cannot go wrong. For Depeche Mode would suggest a live version in Paris of "Never Let me Down" and for NEW ORDER you can try the great pop synth song "CRYSTAL".

Speed Racer was 1960s

Yes the 80s looked like the 80s a time period in history typically is what it’s stated as being in our history and culture if ever wondering was a time period what it’s said to be. YES. Fashion and all. You’ll realize this when you also age. Look back at your youthful styles. And laugh at them later. We all do.

WAy before it's time as a video and great song anyway

Great song, award winning video, both ahead of their times. Wonderful reaction mate! How 'bout some Unleash The Archers "Awakening" (EPIC Power Metal)

The original Speed Racer was a Japanese cartoon that would play on Saturday mornings in the 60's. It was very popular.

I am a woman and back in the 70s and 80s I dressed like that

It's impossible not to move to this beat

That look that you describe is from early part of the 20th century. I remember the 50's with Marlon Brando and James Dean pulling that off and if you ever watch that 70's show called Happy Days with the character called the Fonz, he wore that. It definitely was a style

This song is the very epitome of 1980's Scandinavian Synth-Pop love songs. It is the sound of the 80's.

An half upper naked guy talking about leather jacket and white shirt is legit!!!! lol

This video won 6 awards, including "best concept video" and "best special effects." It paved the way in experimental videography. This was back when MTV just played music videos. Gen-xers still have the best music of any genre. Listen to anything from the 80s (except country music...yikes) LOL Great reaction!!!

I never get tired of this song..

Love a-ha, and they were great in concert too. The best lyric with amazing vocals from a movie based on Janis Joplin. The song - The rose - Bette Midler. Give it a try if you don't cry I know your wife will, and she'll make you watch both of these 80's movies. Another of Her's is - wind beneath my wings - Beaches

I remember watching this video for the first time back in the 80's, thinking we had reached the summit of our technological advances with the special effects.

Oh yeah! Childhood nostalgia ❤❤

Loved those 80s for sure. Maybe check a Live version on YT (Live 8 2005). Of course no animation but the sound, Morten Harket's vocals..? Just fantastic..great job Shon 🎤🎶🎸

I confirm i used to dress exactly like this dude in the 80's leather jacket,jeans with the bottom rolled up,white t-shirt and the pack of cigarette rolled in the sleeve of my t-shirt near my shoulder lol

The chorus was used in the commercials for the movie Ready Player One

This came out in the mid 80's - and 30+ years later The Weeknd remade it and titled it Blinding Lights! lol. j/k Blinding Lights is not a remake, but was definitely inspired by songs like this; both tracks are top-tier pop classics!

Yes, bikers used to dress like that in the 60s, 70s.

Love this song, do the Doors please

I would get up in the morning and turn on VH1 while getting ready for school. My favorite video to this day. Genre was called New Wave

remember Shon no compters tto help only human hands to do this drawing...

Great song, I'm very happy you liked this one, another win for the 80s

Another great video man. Yeah dude, there was so much good music in the 80s. Im an old metalhead, I feel lucky to have been a teenager in the 80s. And Im glad that Metallica is still going, but we lost a few on the way: Randy Rhoads, Cliff Burton, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie later, Paul Grey, and others. RIP to all the fallen family. But sometimes you gotta be mellow and thats what this song is for. Another fun one is Rio by Duran Duran. The bass line alone is a funk. But the video takes place on a masterpiece of a vintage sailboat. Her name was Illean. Its a whole story...

Love this song and the video is iconic. Another great 80s song that this reminds me of is "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears.

This was mid 80s. That look is very 50s, and there was a lot of 50s nostalgia in the 70s and into the early 80s. The first half of the 80s had a lot of diversity in music, we called in "new wave", now people call it "first wave". Lots of bands that came and went, experimenting with electronic music and computers in a new way.

That leather jacket white shirt rolled up pants was around for a long time. Bring it back, homey, be a trendsetter!

I grew up watching Speed Racer!! Nice call back! 1970’s

Yea, Speed Racer was BEFORE the 1990’s…AND the 80’s…AND the 70’s! So were a LOT of EXCELLENT cartoons…..like Jonny Quest. Check’ ‘em out! Cheers

Hi there from beautiful Sacramento California!! This analysis was fun! I'm not sure if you got my message requesting that you check out Il Divo performing Nights in White Satin live. Although I'm a classic rock lady, my incredible late Mom introduced me to Il Divo years ago. Simon Cowell initially put the 4 men from different countries. They're classically trained, and sing songs in various languages. Some songs are very familiar, like the one I'm requesting. Virtually EVERYBODY knows the song! Along with helping me honor my late parents, particularly my mom, it would be a chance to honor Carlos Marin, who was from Spain. Almost 2 years ago he died of the delta variant of COVID, although he was vaccinated. We lost a phenomenal voice FAR too soon. They are continuing to tour, and a friend of the group has joined them to sing Carlos'parts. His name is Steven LaBrie. I'm really struggling with the loss of too many people, and I TRULY would appreciate it if you could possibly do this for me. I sent you the link previously, and there's no need to cover them up!! It won't get blocked if you let everybody see it! You need to be able to see their expressions, because they give everything when they sing! I'm sorry this message is too long, but it just means the world to me to be able to honor them both.

The couple in the video (Morten the singer and the woman) reunited recently after 38 years from when they made the video.

Lead singer Morton Harket? was my teen crush way back in the 80s im in my 50s now and still love a-ha and Morton still has a great voice. Please react to they're song The sun always shines on tv, you wont be disappointed 😅 great reaction btw.

This group is from Norway.The rolled up jeans and white T shirt was worn by dudes back in the late 50's and early 60's.👍

Whoo, that brings back memories! And YAY for Euro-Pop! (A-ha are Norwegian, did you know?) But for one of the more memorable videos of the era (and a harder vibe), why don't you check out "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran?

Cool first reaction to A-ha..this was a huge pop hit of theirs when they were mainstream in the 80s. They however lost the mainstream success but continued to put great music out from the 80s till present. Their vibe becomes very mature if you follow their music and they are very underrated for their later music . I would suggest you check out from them " Summer Moved On" , " You Have What It Takes" , " Rolling Thunder" just to name a few. They have an amazing music lineup including a James Bond title song.

The video won a bunch of awards

Great video.😊

The Sun Always Shines On TV is also good from this band.

Love your reactions! Suggestions, here's a few! Evanescence, Alice in chains, In This Moment, Iron Maiden, Patsy Cline, The Doors!