Song #580: "Take On Me" by A-Ha

Date: Oct 19, 1985
Weeks: 1

Video link. Embedding disabled by jerks.

If I had to sum up the music of the 1980s in one song, it would be "Take On Me" by A-Ha. There's a reason it keeps showing up at the center of 80s music retrospectives.

The music is manufactured almost entirely in a synthesizer, and doesn't apologize for it for a second. That heavy 80s drum kit sound, synthesized keyboards, and even the singer's high-pitched voice are all hallmarks of the era. The video shows a guitar, but it's way in the background of the soundscape here and you could be forgiven for not knowing it was there.

Synthesized or not, the music drives the song. The drums and keyboards propel it forward during the chorus and instrumental sections, but get out of the way to let the vocals carry the verses. The keyboard riff that opens the song and repeats during the bridge is probably the song's most recognizable part because it's so bold. That keyboard riff alone would probably make this song a classic, but the great thing about this song is that there's more to it than that.

The high-pitched vocals are attention-grabbing but never grating. The singer keeps his voice controlled and is still pleasant to listen to even when he hits the falsetto range. And his slight Norwegian accent adds a certain quality that forgives the silliness of the lyrics.

And the lyrics are entirely silly, but who cares? The keyboards, drums, and vocals are all so attention-getting and fun that there's barely any room left in your attention span for the lyrics. As far as I can tell, they're about how the guy is kind of shy about talking to the object of his affection. It plays into that stereotype of the quiet, shy person who can't express how they feel except by writing a song about it. That's a fairly classic sentiment in pop music. I'm still not sure what "Take on me. Take me on" really means, but who cares? The music is so awesome, you could replace the lyrics entirely and still have a great song.

The music video is also a classic, and I have no doubt it contributed to the popularity of the song. It's got intriguing visuals, a simple plot, and a bit of "how'd they do that?" special effects. I suppose those 3 elements are present in just about every great music video.

My verdict: Like it. It's an era-defining classic. And it lends itself well to stylish remakes by some of my favorite bands.