You’d think that after more than 30 years of hearing “Take On Me” by a-ha on the radio and seeing its iconic animated/live-action video a combined three million times, there wouldn’t be many new ways for us to appreciate it. But that’s only because we never before heard the band play a slowed down acoustic version if their timeless hit, which is more gorgeous than we ever would have imagined.
We first came across this beautiful rendition at Laughing Squid, and the band played it this past June at Giske Harbour Hall in Norway. It’s included on MTV’s Unplugged Summer Solstice album and DVD that the band recorded. While it also includes 16 more of their hit songs, along with two covers and two brand new songs, we’re most fascinated by this version of “Take On Me,” both because it is their definitive track and also because it sounds so different from what we’ve heard so many times before.
We expect these types of covers by other artists who are paying tribute to a band they loved, but hearing a-ha themselves play it like this is part of what makes it so special. Here’s the original for reference:
That’s still an all-time music video, but it’s safe to say it wouldn’t quite work with this acoustic version. But that won’t stop us from spending the next 30 years listening to this new version.
Which “Take On Me” would you prefer to take with you on a deserted island? Tell us in the comments below.
Featured Image: ahaVEVO/MTV
Want more musical fun?
- Listen to selections from the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack
- The music of Yoshi’s Island gets a soothing jazz lullaby cover
- Celebrate 30 years of The Legend of Zelda with a music tour
