A-ha - Legacy and Impact

Legacy and Impact

A-ha is the biggest music export from Norway. The success started in 1985 and by the end of 2010 A-ha was still the biggest-selling artist from Norway. The band were in many ways pioneers. Before A-ha there was no one that had managed to be commercially successful around the world from Norway. Even though Norway has fostered several successful acts after A-ha, the band is still considered to be in a league all by its own in Norway. The band has had huge success in the USA and UK, however perhaps even more success in non English-speaking areas of the world, such as Germany, France and the countries of South America, Brazil in particular. In 1986, A-ha received 8 MTV Video Music Awards during one award show. Their music video for the song "Take on Me" is still considered to be one of the top music videos of all time together with Michael Jackson's "Thriller". In 1986, Michael Jackson was in the audience at their first US concert. He later invited the band to his Neverland Ranch, an offer the band had to decline due to work overload. In the early years their fan base consisted of a lot of teens, however with the band progress in music and songwriting capabilities the fan base has become much more diverse and now consist of fans from all age groups and genres.

The band has sold some estimated 80 million records (albums and singles). They are the only non-British/non-American performers who have written and performed a 007 James Bond official theme song – "The Living Daylights" from the movie with the same title. Songs by A-ha have also been included as background music in episodes of popular television series, such as Family Guy, Baywatch, Melrose Place, South Park, Smallville, Cougar Town, Chuck and The Simpsons, as well as movies such as One Night at McCool's, Grosse Pointe Blank and Corky Romano. They have a Guinness World Record from 1991 for drawing the largest paying audience at a popconcert with 198,000 people at the Estádio do Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. In 2006 the band was awarded the Q Awards Inspiration Award.

A-ha has influenced bands such as Coldplay and Keane. They are just a few of A-ha's international colleagues that in later years has commented on A-ha and shared their enthusiasm for the band. Most notably perhaps is Chris Martin and Coldplay; " Everyone asks us who has inspired Coldplay, who we have stolen from, who we listened to when we grew up. Such questions remind you of what has formed you and had an impact on you. One of the first bands I loved was a-ha". "I was in Amsterdam the other day and I put on the album Hunting High and Low. I remembered right there and then how much I loved that album. It's just unbelievable songwriting."(Chris Martin, Coldplay). Other notable comments on A-ha; "They are definitely my favorites this summer. Their last CD (Minor Earth Major Sky) is just fantastic, and how the vocalist sings!" (Sarah Brightman in 2001). "A-ha was always kind of a misunderstood band in my ears. They were perceived as a teenage group for girls, but in reality a very creative band." (Adam Clayton, U2 – 2000). "A-ha is a great band, and the songs that I did backing vocals for ("Over the treetops" & "Cosy Prisons") is very good. Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it, because this isn’t something that I need to do. It all depends on how I feel about it. That’s how privileged I am"' (Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).

A-ha's songs have been covered or sampled by several artists in many genres, including such varied as pop, rock, dance, electronica, country, goth rock, metal, Latin, techno, punk, jazz, folk, house, lullabies, classical-crossover and various instrumental versions. The band's songs have also been covered in various languages. A small selection and by no means complete:

• For a more extensive list of artists that has done cover version's of a-ha's songs, go to a-ha's discography.