Beyond “Take On Me”: listening further to Morten Harket

A woman reading a comic in a café looks at a man in its pages. He blinks and reaches out of the paper; she takes his hand. A world of black pencil lines meets live action. For many listeners, this scene comes to mind as readily as the song when they think of a-ha’s “Take On Me.”¹

The man is Morten Harket. Some remember the face and soaring voice together; others recognise the introduction without knowing his name. Follow his music beyond that scene and another unexpectedly familiar song appears: “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Beyond it are albums under his own name and a recent song sung with his daughter.

A song that took several attempts

“Take On Me” can sound like an instant success, but it took several revisions to become the recording we know. Its origins reach back to Bridges, the band guitarist Pål Waaktaar and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen played in before meeting Harket. The title and recording continued to change after he joined. The three did not simply record it once and release a finished hit.²

The 1984 version fell short of expectations. After working with Tony Mansfield, the band re-recorded the song with Alan Tarney, producing the familiar 1985 version. The band’s official history says even that new recording initially drew little response in Britain that spring. Several attempts preceded the breakthrough we remember.³

The way the song was presented also changed. Steve Barron’s video combined live action with pencil-like animation. Harket was both singer and protagonist, trying to move from the comic into reality. Repeated MTV exposure accompanied the song’s rise to the top of the US Billboard singles chart in October 1985. The melody now had unforgettable faces and scenes attached.¹⁴

a-ha — Take On MeOfficial music video for the 1985 hit version · 4K restoration now released

There were more songs to sing with that voice

a-ha was not Harket alone. Waaktaar and Furuholmen were there too, as were the songs the three made together. Their debut album Hunting High and Low included its title ballad and “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” alongside “Take On Me.” Listeners who first recognised the singer’s face could discover the other two musicians by continuing through the record.⁵

“The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” is a particularly good reason not to remember a-ha through only one song. “Take On Me” was their biggest American hit; this was their UK No. 1, spending two weeks at the top in January 1986. Anyone wondering what followed the familiar hit can begin here.⁶

a-ha — The Sun Always Shines on T.V.《Hunting High and Low》 included song · Official music video

Long after the breakthrough, people kept asking for the a-ha of 1985. Harket later described the difficulty of being confined to that image. Asked about taking a break, he pointed to outside expectations unrelated to the music rather than the differences that had always existed within the group. His explanation was more complicated than a simple falling-out.⁷

This is, of course, Harket’s account. The three musicians cannot be assumed always to have felt alike. But following his explanation changes the question about his solo career: beyond leaving a famous band, what music did he want to choose and make for himself?

A familiar love song under a different name

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is an inviting first stop. Harket’s recording, produced by Stephen Hague, appeared on the soundtrack to the 1993 film Coneheads. The artist name is Morten Harket rather than a-ha.⁸

If “Take On Me” introduced you to Harket, here the song may already be familiar while you encounter its singer afresh. There is no need to wait for the comic-book scene or the band’s introduction. Let him sing a familiar love song and listen for the voice you recognise.

Morten Harket — Can’t Take My Eyes Off YouThe 1993 Coneheads soundtrack recording · Official audio provided by Warner Records

An album made on his own terms

Beginning his solo story with 1995’s Wild Seed would omit the Norwegian-language Poetenes evangelium from 1993. The project approached biblical figures and stories through poetry; label KKV lists it under Harket’s name.⁹

Harket distinguished the two records. On the earlier project he saw himself as a participant in an interesting idea; on Wild Seed, he worked according to his own vision. The first solo record in a discography and the record he considered his real solo beginning were therefore not necessarily the same.¹⁰

His collaborators changed too. He worked closely with poet Håvard Rem, recalling that they travelled with Harket carrying a guitar and Rem a laptop. They wrote “A Kind of Christmas Card” in Los Angeles. Spending time with a different collaborator and turning what they encountered into songs helped shape the new album.¹⁰

Morten Harket — A Kind of Christmas Card《Wild Seed》(1995) Included track · Sound source provided by Rhino/Warner Records

A few minutes without thinking of a-ha

For another selection from Wild Seed, try “Spanish Steps.” Its official audio credits Harket, Rem and Torstein Flakne as writers. A solo album did not mean making everything alone. The collaborators changed, as did Harket’s role in choosing and finishing the songs.¹¹

Remembering him for exceptionally high notes is understandable. Waiting only for those notes, however, can mean missing other ways the voice moves within a song. Listening to the end without anticipating the next high note is enough preparation for a solo track.

Morten Harket — Spanish Steps《Wild Seed》(1995) Included track · Sound source provided by Rhino/Warner Records

His relationship with a-ha did not simply end without a backward glance. Harket said a Nobel Peace Prize event brought the three together again. Resuming the band did not erase his own recordings; band work and solo work both continued.⁷

〈Brother〉 made together in a small house

By 2014’s Brother, another collaborator stands out: Swedish songwriter and producer Peter Kvint. Harket said the title song emerged during five days together in a small house in southern Norway and set the album’s direction. A singer accustomed to vast concert venues was now sitting opposite one fellow songwriter to find his next record.¹²

He described the work as more peaceful, but cautioned against reading that as an escape from conflict within a-ha. What he felt free of was outside pressure. Differences among the band members could help creativity, he said. His history of collaboration is too rich to reduce to a claim that he had to leave others to make good music.¹²

Kvint’s official discography also records his co-writing and production of “Brother.” His name returns with the later album. Following Harket’s solo career repeatedly brings collaborators into view, beyond the image of a singer alone onstage.¹³

Morten Harket — BrotherTitle song of 《Brother》(2014) · a-ha official channel music video

Being able to sing the same song again

Then let’s go back to “Take On Me” for a moment. This is the version included in 《MTV Unplugged — Summer Solstice》 in 2017. It is the same song as the 1985 recording linked above, but this time it is arranged for an acoustic performance. The three members and producer Martin Terefe were credited with producing the album.¹⁴

Instead of immediately returning to the past with the familiar introduction, stay with this slower performance to the end. Listeners have changed since first hearing the song, and Harket has made other records in the meantime. After his solo songs, this need not sound merely like a recreation of 1985. It is another decision to sing a longstanding song differently.

a-ha — Take On Me (MTV Unplugged)Performance sound from 《MTV Unplugged — Summer Solstice》(2017) · Officially provided by UMG

A song with his daughter

A further solo album, Human Grace, is scheduled for November 27, 2026. The label presents it as his first solo album in twelve years, following Brother, with guest appearances by his daughters Tomine and Karmen.¹⁵

Harket disclosed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2025. He said he and Kvint revisited material written and recorded over many years to complete the new album. Most of the lead vocals came from earlier recordings, while instrumentation and arrangements were newly developed between July 2025 and July 2026.¹⁶

Tomine Harket joins him on the advance single “Hold Me.” He explained that he asked his two daughters to provide vocals on two songs he could not complete. They participated as artists in their own right. This family collaboration also belongs within his longer history of finishing music with other people.¹⁶

Morten Harket feat. Tomine Harket — Hold Me《Human Grace》 Pre-released song · Released in September 2026 · Official music video

In October, “If I Ever See Your Face Again” was also released. This song was announced as the last track on the new album. Until the album comes out, I think I'll be hearing these two songs a few more times.¹⁷

We remember the young man reaching out from the comic book in “Take On Me.” Then there is Harket singing a familiar love song, travelling with a poet and making new music in a small house. Now we can also hear him sing with his daughter. Loving one song years ago becomes a reason to play another today.

Morten Harket — If I Ever See Your Face Again《Human Grace》 Pre-released song · Released in October 2026 · Official music video