A-ha Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids A-ha
A-ha in concert at Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain, in 2010 (left to right: Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy)
Background information
Origin	Oslo, Norway
Genres	New wave synthpop pop rock alternative rock soft rock
Years active	1982–1994, 1998–2010, 2015–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Polydor
Associated acts	Apparatjik Savoy Erin Hill

Members	Magne Furuholmen Morten Harket Paul Waaktaar-Savoy

A-ha (usually stylized as a-ha; is a Norwegian band formed in Oslo in 1982. Founded by Morten Harket (vocals, guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards, guitars) and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), the band rose to fame during the mid-1980s after being discovered by musician and producer John Ratcliff, and continued its global success in the 1990s and 2000s.

A-ha achieved their biggest success with their debut album Hunting High and Low in 1985. That album peaked at number one in their native Norway, number 2 in the UK, and number 15 on the US Billboard album chart; yielded two international number-one singles: "Take On Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on TV"; and earned the band a Grammy Award nomination as Best New Artist.

On 15 October 2009, the band announced they would split after a worldwide tour in 2010, the Ending on a High Note Tour. Thousands of fans from at least 40 different countries on six continents congregated to see A-ha for the last leg of the tour.

On 4 December 2014, A-ha officially announced its participation at Rock In Rio 2015 which celebrated 30 years for both the band and the event. In 2015, it was announced that A-ha would re-unite for two years. Their tenth studio album, Cast in Steel, was released on 4 September 2015. A tour, named for the album, in support of the album happened in autumn 2015 and March–May 2016.

The band has released ten studio albums, several compilations and four live albums. In less than a year, during 2010, the band earned an estimated 500 million Norwegian Kroner from concert tickets, merchandise and the release of a greatest hits album, making them one of the 40–50 largest grossing bands in the world.

The band were listed in the Guinness World Records book for having the biggest rock concert attendance; they drew an audience of 198,000 at Maracanã Stadium during Rock in Rio festival. Another record for the band is for singer Morten Harket, who was (and is still) listed in the Guinness World Records book in 2001 for the longest live note held; he held a note in "Summer Moved On" for 20.2 seconds.

According to their label, Rhino, they have sold 55 million records.