a-ha are back (yes again)

[negative1]

depeche mode, the cure, u2 and other bands are doing better now, than when they first started out.

this first single is rather slow and boring. hoping they have some more upbeat tracks, and singles/mixes out later on.


later
-1

[moni]

depeche mode, the cure, u2 and other bands are doing better now, than when they first started out.

Neither one of those bands has released a decent album in the last 20 years wheras every album A-ha have released since their comeback in 2000 have constantly got better.

[negative1]

I didn't say the bands had gotten better. They are more popular and successful now.

A-ha has lost popularity since their first album, and have never been as big as they were since their first album.

having better albums is just opinion.

Later
-1

[humanracer]

I didn't say the bands had gotten better. They are more popular and successful now.

A-ha has lost popularity since their first album, and have never been as big as they were since their first album.

having better albums is just opinion.

Later
-1

This is just from the viewpoint of an American. In the UK, a-ha took over Duran Duran's position as the premier teen idols of the pop music world. In 1986 and 1987 they were easily the most popular pop group in Britain and even when Bros took over from them in 88 they still managed to hit the charts and appeared on popular music shows.

[magnum]

For me they had a golden period that lasted 18months max.1st album is class no arguments on that.......didn't care that much for 2nd album....3rd album was ok which had some decent songs but still not on the same level as the 1st album.........after that its downhill IMHO.

Wouldn't go that far and say they were the biggest band of 1987 either.......a certain U2 released the Joshua tree in that same year which propelled them into global superstars and popular with all age groups.

As for the other groups mentioned DM U2 and The Cure being more popular than when they started.....I suppose that can be true to an extent as the debut albums by all those bands only had modest sales [DM - Speak & Spell did ok in the UK] but I would definitely have DM - Speak & Spell, U2 - Boy and The Cure - 17 seconds [2nd album] over any of those 3 bands recent material.

[moni]

DM haven't released a good album since SOFAD though bit's of Ultra were ok but since then they have been bollocks. The Cures last decent album was Wish which was nearly 25 years ago and we are still waiting on a deluxe edition for that. As for U2 everything they have done since Achtung Baby has been shit as well.

[negative1]

u2 were superstars way before joshua tree. war, red rocks, and unforgettable fire paved the way.

depeche mode and the cure have stopped being relevant ages ago.

a-ha's popularity went into a worldwide decline after the first album. their sales, chart positions and everything else has never matched their initial success.

later
-1

[moni]

a-ha's popularity went into a worldwide decline after the first album. their sales, chart positions and everything else has never matched their initial success.

later
-1

Their popularity only declined in the US after the first album everywhere else was a completely different story https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-ha_discography

[negative1]

thank you for proving my point exactly.

excluding norway, in every country, they never had singles that charted as high, or albums either as their earlier.
only in germany, did a few albums chart high.

my point stands, they went into a worldwide decline after the first album.

case closed.

later
-1

[moni]

thank you for proving my point exactly.

excluding norway, in every country, they never had singles that charted as high, or albums either as their earlier.
only in germany, did a few albums chart high.

my point stands, they went into a worldwide decline after the first album.

case closed.

later
-1

God you don't half talk a load of crap worldwide decline where the hell did you get that from . If you look at the UK stats their first 3 albums hit number two and every album up until Lifelines reached the top 30. You seem to think that the US is the centre of the universe and if something doesn't sell there then that makes it irrelevant which is nonsense.

[Neil Kelly]

Ignore him he talks shite and besides VERY VERY FEW artists maintain initial succes as i stated before due to age, radio play etc

[Bellenger1981]

I love the new single, "Under The Makeup". At first, I was a bit unsure, but I keep coming back to it.

[negative1]

worldwide decline (besides norway):
===================================
top chart postions
=================
austria - first 3 albums ( 1, 9, 9) rest (23, 36. 4. 2. 18, 11) - so 2 albums did better, rest at 11, 18, and lower
- first 2 singles ( 1, 8 ) rest ( only a few charted from 10 to 73)

france - albums (7, 7, 3) rest (15, 25, 41, 30, 60, -) - nothing about top 15
singles (3, 10) rest ( highest 3, others 4, 5) rest below 11, 14, 21 down to 66th

germany - albums ( 10, 4, 4) rest (6,17,1, 1, 6, 1) - latter albums did better (only country to improve)
singles (1,5,14) rest (6, 7, 8 ) rest below 11, 14, 15 down to 90

italy - albums (17, 11, 2) rest ( 18 , -, -, -, -, 85) one album at 18

ireland - singles (2, 1, 5) rest (2, 3, 4 ) others below 11, 12, 28, 29 down to 46

netherlands - albums (11, 6, 5) rest (20, 64, 55, 92, 50, 83) nothing over 20
singles (1,4) rest (9, 10, 11) others below 12, 13, 24, 53, down to 82

sweden -albums ( 1, 11, 10) rest (35, 39, 36, 21, -, 45) nothing over 21
singles (1,2) rest (3) others below 11, 17, 46

switzerland - albums (10,6,6) rest (16, 39, 3, 6, 21, 12) 2 other albums made top 10, 4 didn't
singles (1,7) rest (8, 10) others below 14, 16, 18, 21, down to 92

uk- albums (2, 2, 2) rest (12, 17, 27, 67, 24, 5) only the last album hit 5 rest are lower than 12th
singles (2,1,8) rest (5, 8, 11) others 13, 19, 25, 27 down to 175


========================================

it's hard not to see, that except in norway, and germany.

EVERY single other country with chart data, they have been going into a decline.

forget about the US, they can't even manage to sell albums in europe.

later
-1

[Aevion93]

Wow. Just......wow. Going that far just to prove a rather irrelevant point........would you call that commitment?

Who cares about chart positions and worldwide popularity? As long as they make good music it shouldn't matter. Their first album was great. They had a few hiccups here and there after that, sure. In my opinion (and it seems many people agree), every album of theirs since 2000 is absolute gold. Fair enough if you don't like them, everyone has different tastes. But if that's the case, and I think it is, then why do you bother posting here?

As for me, I'm very excited for new a-ha material. Even if they're doing it just for the money, personally I don't care. If its good music its good music.

[negative1]

I'm just glad that someone else realizes music is a business.

And that are doing it for money. Instead of clinging to the
Idea that they are still popular or doing it for other reasons.

I didn't bring up the chart positions. It was obvious to me
They've been in a decline, but I had to spell it out to
Some people that think otherwise.

I don't hate the band. I'm just more practical about
What they are doing.

Later
-1