A-ha the Norwegian band is breaking up. Will you miss them?

They were still together until now?? :)

Re: bands around forever – even if I still like the music, I get sad at concerts because they are older…sad but true.

@inkvisitor I know, eh?! Amazing!

They were still together?

Here’s the AP article fyi:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iiNqZKLrcSZmHzTOFdpujVYKnAQwD9BBIMG81

Who?

I had no idea A-ha was still a band. Were they actually touring or producing albums? I saw an all eighties concert a few years ago with Asia, Berlin, and the Outfield. I don’t really remember the Outfield set, and “Berlin” was really Terri Nunn with some studio musician she had hired (they were pretty good), but Asia, oh my, Asia. It was the original band, apparently with the original spandex pants stretched over pot bellies. And they were awful. It was the saddest thing I ever saw.

Then there’s the Beach Boys, which due to whatever copyright shenanigans have gone on are now two different bands, and the old singers just can’t sing it like they used to. Also very sad.

Styx and Kansas were both pretty good.

I think if the band can still rock, that’s great, but there comes a time to hang it up and live on royalties. I suspect that in some cases they’ve spent too much on the rock and roll lifestyle to be able to afford to retire.

like the others here, im shocked they were still even around. Id be hard pressed to think of another one of their songs aside from Take on me.

Hmm, reading the press release I wonder if this is so much about them “breaking up” or if they just wanted to get some press for their upcoming world tour so as to cash in as much as possible.

Believe it or not: I’m going to a Paul Anka concert next month.

Yes, I’ve been following them around and buying all their current work constantly since 1986. I will miss them because their current band-ness is like a family to me. What will I do? What is going to happen to me now?

Will some of them re-form as “O-no”?

What do i think about band who…? Well, I love it when people find something they love to do together and get to enjoy it a lot. I don’t know much about them, but I assume this must be such a case.

What I mainly notice about that question is that I have a reaction against the class of conversation where people criticize the entire practice of others (here musical groups staying together playing the same music). Not that you were criticizing, but the whole idea of having opinions about what other people do with themselves. I notice too that I do that kind of joking myself, as in my initial jokes in the first two paragraphs.

So, I sometimes enjoy hearing them, my teenage self considers it a guilty pleasure, and thinks they’re a funny band, I don’t know that I’ve heard anything but the 80’s recording of “Take On Me”, and I’m glad they had so many years doing something they enjoyed and others enjoyed their work.

I, too, was unaware that they were still together. So the answer to your question is: No, I won’t miss them.

As for other artists with longevity, I recently saw U2 in concert for the first time, and that was quite entertaining. I also saw Elton John and Billy Joel this summer in their 2nd tour together. EJ is a consummate performer, but he seems to be going through the motions. BJ was much more engaging on stage, interacting more with the band and the audience. It was the first time I’d seen him, and I am very glad I did.

There are others that are still together performing and producing new material that I am less inclined to see. Most notable is Rush. I saw them at least a dozen times in the 80s, and while they are still incredible musicians, seeing them now is not the same as it was back then…

Perhaps it’s because I sing, and once a vocalist can no longer hit the same notes anymore it loses some of the appeal to me.

I wonder if “Take On Me” would have been such a hit without the video.

I love that song Take On Me. Always have. But I hadn’t paid any attention to whether or not a-ha was still together.

@NewZen Paul Anka? Cool!!!

@Zaku Whether I like the band or not (I do) – I have the utmost resepct and admiration for bands who stay together longer than most marriages. It can’t be easy; but those who do – chapeau!

@NewZen Paul Anka is still alive??

Side (but still music): Avril Lavigne is getting a divorce. First – she’s been married for three years? I thought she was like 16. Second, she’s 25 years old and I am wondering where the years have gone… she’s talking about “mellowing out” with her new music. Sheesh – Avril fucking Lavigne!!! But I digress: maybe it’s just me.

No

Take On Me was fantastic and had a great video to boot.

They were on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross recently doing a couple of new tracks but they were not that great, first one was only so so and the second one was naff.

So no I won’t miss them as I only ever heard one really good song from them.

Didn’t realize they were still together

@cjmegatron81 Too late: now they’re not.

What’s-His-Name is still insanely hot. Holy moly.

@aprilsimnel That would be Morten Harket. He kind of looks like Patrick Swayze.

Take on me- Family Guy

@RareDenver Nice!

i love this cover

@uberbatman not heard that one before, I like it !!

@uberbatman It was okay. Much better than the one directly below it by the Jonas Borthers. Wonder if Weird Al ever parodied it?

@NewZen – Nope. Not even in a polka.

Are you sure this isn’t a repeat from 1987?

Fluther hasn’t been around THAT long