The Norwegian pop trio broke through in the US when their previously unsuccessful tune "Take On Me" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 thanks to an innovative music video that combined pencil-sketch animation with live action. They hit the chart again when the single "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." landed at #20. While their success in the US was short-lived, the group became much bigger stars in Europe, notching a string of international hits throughout the '80s and '90s.
Harket stumbled upon the title "a-ha" in Waaktaar's songbook and suggested it for the band name. "It was a terrible song but a great name," he told Rolling Stone.
Waaktaar and Furuholmen met when they were kids and later formed the prog rock group Bridges. When the pair moved to London, they were bombarded by the pop music culture, which was scarce in Norway, and embraced the new sound. Harket, who was a member of the blues/soul band Souldier, joined the group as lead singer and the trio became a-ha.
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