a-ha is a Norwegian synth-pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, Magne Furuholmen, and Morten Harket, the band rose to fame during the mid-1980s.
"Play Dead" is a song by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk, released by the labels Island and Mother as the only single from the soundtrack of the 1993 crime drama The Young Americans, starring Harvey Keitel. The song was not included in the first edition of Björk's debut album, Debut (1993), but was later included as a bonus track, and the album was re-issued in November 1993. It was written by Jah Wobble, Björk featuring David Arnold, and produced by Cannon, Arnold, receiving additional production and mixing by Tim Simenon.
"Boom! Shake the Room" is a song by American hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The track samples the 1973 song "Funky Worm" by the Ohio Players. Released on July 16, 1993 by Jive Records, as the second single from the duo's fifth studio album, Code Red (1993), the single peaked at numbers 13 and 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, as well as topping the charts of Australia, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In Spain, it was a number-one hit for six weeks. Its music video was directed by American film director Scott Kalvert, featuring the duo performing onstage in front of a live crowd.
Memorial Beach is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 June 1993 by Warner Bros. Records.
"Find the River" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released on November 29, 1993, by Warner Bros., as the sixth and final single from the band's eighth album, Automatic for the People (1992). The song reached number 54 on the UK Singles Charts in December 1993. It did not chart in the US. "Find the River" was one of only three R.E.M. singles released in the 1990s to not make the Top 40 in Britain. The song's music video was directed by Jodi Wille.
"Go West" is a song by American disco group Village People, released in June 1979 by Casablanca Records as the second single from their fourth studio album of the same name (1979). The song was written by Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis, while Morali produced it. It was successful in the disco scene during the late 1970s and a top-20 hit in Belgium, Ireland and the UK. "Go West" found further success when it was covered in 1993 by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.
"The Sun Always Shines on T.V." is a song by Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The song was written by guitarist Pål Waaktaar. In some commercial markets the single was not as popular as their previous (debut) single "Take On Me", which had reached the top spot in the United States and several other countries around the world, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland it improved upon the number-two charting of "Take On Me", reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985. Its success secured for the band the prestige of having number-one single status on both primary Anglo-American popular music charts on either side of the Atlantic.
The discography of A-ha, a Norwegian synthpop/rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, eight compilation albums, six box sets, ten extended plays, and fifty singles. This list does not include solo material or other projects recorded by A-ha band members.
"I Love It Loud" is a song by American rock band Kiss. It was released on their 1982 album Creatures of the Night. It has proven to be a staple of the band's live show, being performed on almost every tour the band has done aside from the Reunion and Psycho Circus tours.
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a 1976 duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with Dusty Springfield, but ultimately withdrew the offer; Springfield's partner Sue Cameron later said this was because she was too ill at the time.
Shapes That Go Together is a song by Norwegian band A-ha and the official song of the Paralympics '94 which was held at Lillehammer, Norway. The single was written by Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar, who from now onwards refers to himself as Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, produced by Christopher Neil and arranged by A-ha and Kjetil Bjerkestrand. The song was released in February 1994 by Warner Bros. and reached number 27 on the charts in the UK, staying within the charts for three weeks total. It also reached number 57 in Germany, number 28 in Poland and number 15 in Denmark. The band performed the song at the 1994 IRMA Awards in Dublin. Its music video was directed by Barry Maguire.
"Hunting High and Low" is a song by Norwegian band a-ha, released in June 1986 as the fifth and final single from the band's debut studio album of the same name (1985). It became the third most successful single from Hunting High and Low on the charts and one of the band's most recognizable and popular songs. The song did not chart in the United States, but reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
"Babe" is a song by English boy band Take That, released in December 1993 by RCA and BMG as the fourth single from the band's second album, Everything Changes (1993). Written by bandmember Gary Barlow, it features Mark Owen on lead vocals. Production was led by David Clayton, who later spent 10 years as keyboard player and backing vocalist with Simply Red. Accompanied by a music video directed by Gregg Masuak, the song was a number-one hit in both Ireland and the United Kingdom while peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
"You're in a Bad Way" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne, released in February 1993 by Heavenly and Warner as the second single from their second album, So Tough (1993). The song is a deliberately old-fashioned throwback to 1960s pop music. In an interview with Melody Maker magazine, Bob Stanley claims that it was written in ten minutes as a simple imitation of Herman's Hermits, and was only intended to be a B-side to "Everlasting", but the record company decided that it should be a single. "Everlasting" was dropped as a single and remained unreleased until it was eventually included on disc 2 on the deluxe edition of So Tough in 2009.
"Stay on These Roads" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 14 March 1988 by Warner Bros. Records as the lead single from their third studio album of the same name (1988). The song achieved success in many European countries, becoming the most successful single from the Stay on These Roads album, along with "The Living Daylights" on the UK charts. It did not hit the national charts in the United States, but was a significant hit across Europe. It went to number seven in West Germany, number three in France and Iceland, and number two in Ireland. In Norway, the song was the band's fourth number one single. "Stay on These Roads" was A-ha's seventh and final top five showing in the United Kingdom, reaching number five on the chart edition of March 27, 1988. It would also prove their last top ten hit in the country for almost two decades, as they did not score another UK top ten hit until eighteen years later in 2006. The song's music video was directed by Andy Morahan.
"Dark Is the Night for All" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released on 24 May 1993 by Warner Bros. as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Memorial Beach (1993). The song was written by Pål Waaktaar and produced by the band with David Z. Like the rest of Memorial Beach album, the song was recorded at Prince's Paisley Park Studios. This was also the last A-ha single to be released in the United States. There are two versions of the music video, directed by Erick Ifergan; the first version was banned due to disturbing scenes, including Morten Harket's face ripping through the skin of his abdomen. The second version features more scenes of the band. Overall, the video shows people in various forms of bondage and reflects the dark time A-ha was going through at the time.
25 is a greatest hits album by Norwegian band A-ha. It was released in Norway on 19 July 2010, in Germany and central Europe on 6 August, and in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe on 4 October. 25 includes all 33 of the band's singles, along with five album tracks and the B-side "Cold as Stone" (remix).
"One Goodbye in Ten" is a song by British singer-songwriter Shara Nelson, released in September 1993 by Cooltempo Records as the second single from the singer's first solo album, What Silence Knows (1993). Written by her with British band Saint Etienne and produced by Michael Peden, the song received critical acclaim and peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Austria and a top-50 hit in the Netherlands.
"Take On Me" is a song by the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha. The original version, recorded in 1984 and released in October of that same year, was produced by Tony Mansfield and remixed by John Ratcliff. The 1985 international hit version was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The recording combines synth-pop with a varied instrumentation, including acoustic guitars, keyboards, and drums.
"Move to Memphis" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, which was released in October 1991 as a single from their greatest hits album Headlines and Deadlines: The Hits of A-ha (1991). It was written by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, and produced by A-ha. "Move to Memphis" reached number two in Norway and number 47 in the United Kingdom.
