a-ha “Hunting High and Low” released on this date, June 1st, 1985 (making it 30 years old!!). I bought this when it came out, probably late summer ‘85, when the hit single and its amazing video “Take On Me” roared up the charts, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and spending 27 weeks on the charts, becoming the tenth-biggest single of 1985. A-ha was nominated for best new artist at the Grammy Awards in 1986, making A-ha the first Norwegian band to be nominated for a Grammy. “Hunting High and Low” has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

The album is highly enjoyable, new-wavey and danceable, with “Take On Me” being the standout track (the video won 6 awards at the ‘86 MTV Video Music Awards, ranked #8 on VH1′s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders and #24 Greatest Songs of the 80′s). The ballad “Hunting High and Low” is icily Nordic and sad, with the plaintive cry of seagulls accompanying desolate piano chords and soaring lyrics. “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” starts with the same tone as “Hunting High and Low,” but then bursts forward with perfect 80′s synth pop energy, perfectly encapsulating 1985.