A-ha – Gen X Playlist

A-ha Frontman Morten Harket, 65, Shares Emotional Statement After Parkinson’s Diagnosis

A-ha Frontman Morten Harket, 65, Shares Emotional Statement After Parkinson’s Diagnosis

I am sorry to hear this. A-ha was one of my most favorite bands when I was in high school in the 1980s – they were one of my favorite bands when I heard them on the radio back in the day.

I had NO IDEA what the band members looked like until I bought a .33 vinyl of “Hunting High and Low,” which had their photo on the front.

I had the biggest crush at that point on Harket. I had photos and posters of A-ha on my bedroom wall when I was a teenager.

The media back then tried to pit Duran Duran against A-ha, and I know Duranies were very passionate about their fandom.

Many Duranies thought that Simon Lebon or John Taylor were the cutest guys ever – and they are fine-looking men, but, they could not even begin to compare to Morten Harket in the looks department, sorry lady Duranies!

A-ha frontman Morten Harket, 65, shares emotional statement after Parkinson’s diagnosis

Brooke Ivey JohnsonPublished
June 4, 2025

Morten Harket, the iconic frontman of the 80s band A-ha, has announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The Norwegian band released a statement that read: ‘This isn’t the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson’s disease.’

In an interview about the diagnosis that serves as Harket’s statement on the matter, the 65-year-old said: ‘I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I’ve taken to heart my 94-year-old father’s attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: “I use whatever works.”‘

He elaborated: ‘Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn’t a problem for me; it’s my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me. I’m trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline.

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Duran Duran’s “Rio” Turns 39 Years Old (2021)

Duran Duran’s “Rio” Turns 39 Years Old (2021)

Some sources are stating its 40th anniversary will be coming up, while other say it’s 39.

Duran Duran was really popular when I was in junior high school, and remained fairly popular up through my sophomore or junior year of high school.

While I did (and still do) love much of Duran Duran’s music, I was more of an A-ha fan back in the day (I had a big crush on lead singer Morten Harket).

I remember that the teen media back then were always trying to pit A-ha against Duran Duran, which I found strange, because even though A-ha was my favorite, I liked Duran Duran too.

Below, an assortment of links to articles about the album’s anniversary.

Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’ LP Turns Almost Forty in 2021, as GenX Swoons

Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’ At 39: Listen, Read—And Sip

Excerpts:

by Amanda Schuster

… This year, the band’s second, platinum-selling album, Rio, celebrates its 39th anniversary. It delivered massive hits such as “Hungry Like the Wolf”, “Save a Prayer” and “Rio” that still sound fresh and invigorating. The groundbreaking record also included brooding tracks like ”Lonely In Your Nightmare,” “The Chauffeur” and “New Religion”.

A new book by music journalist Annie Zaleski, Duran Duran’s Rio (33 ⅓ Book 156), details what brought this beloved record to life. Through research and interviews with current band members—Simon LeBon (lead vocals), Nick Rhodes (synthesizer), John Taylor (bass), Roger Taylor (drums)—plus departed guitarist Andy Taylor (suggested alternate band name: Unrelated Taylors), various studio musicians, video directors and other assorted players, a compelling behind the scenes story unfolds.

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Covers of the 1984 A-Ha Song “Take On Me” by Various Musicians

Covers of the 1984 A-Ha Song “Take On Me” by Various Musicians

Personally, I don’t think anything beats the original, but others have covered “Take On Me” over the years.

From Laughing Squid (with video embedded on the page):

A Spicy Mariachi Cover of the A-ha Song ‘Take on Me’

The wonderful Mariachi Entertainment System (previously) of San Antonio, Texas performed a spicy cover version of the classic A-ha song “Take on Me” with all the fiery splendor of the guitars and horns, along with a remarkable singer who easily hits the high notes without any trouble.

An Upbeat Acoustic Cover of the A-ha Song ‘Take On Me’ Performed in Gorgeous Guitar Finger Style

….More recently Misko played a beautifully upbeat version of the much covered iconic 1985 A-ha song “Take on Me“, performed in the same amazing finger style on his new Baton Rouge signature guitar. Misko stated that the song was difficult, but it appears he nailed it.

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A-Ha (1980s band) – Music Suggestions

A-Ha (1980s band) – Music Suggestions

A-Ha had a very creative, and one of the very first animated, music videos in the 1980s: “Take On Me.” You can watch and listen to the official video here on You Tube.

Before I ever saw photos of the band – I had no idea what they looked like – I was a huge fan; they were one of my favorite bands from the time I was about 15 to the time to age 17 (I still am fond of them to this day).

I had no idea what the band members looked like until I went to the mall and bought a .33 vinyl of their album “Hunting High and Low,” which, other than “Take On Me,” had some other catchy songs on it – and of course, their photos were on the cover, which gave me an idea of what they looked like, though I had no idea who was who on the cover.

Another really good song on that same album, that I’m afraid got overlooked, was “The Sun Always Shines on TV” (link to that on You Tube, audio only).

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