Album of the Day

Thirty years ago today, a-ha became the first Norwegian group to score a U.S. No.1 when “Take On Me” soared to the top of the chart. The single helped launch the debut album from singer Morten Harket, keyboardist Magne “Mags” Furuholmen and guitarist Pål Waaktaar, which sold more than 10 million copies around the world (including a million in the U.S.) and earned the group a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. Along with that aforementioned hit, the ten varied originals on HUNTING HIGH AND LOW include such addictive singles as “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.,” “Love Is Reason,” “Train Of Thought” and the title track. Last month Rhino released a 4-CD/1-DVD 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of the synth-pop gem, including a remastered version of the original album, B-sides, two dozen rare demos, an unreleased version of the album in early and alternate mixes, and a 60-page hardback book packed with photos and stories about the making of the album.