The classic video of one of the 80s’ most familiar earworms has just marked a major milestone as “Take On Me” from Norwegian band A-ha has surpassed one billion views on YouTube.
The music video for the 1984 hit became a staple on MTV and, here in Canada, MuchMusic (as the channel was then known), featuring a mix of live-action footage of the band along with pencil-sketch animation known as rotoscoping, in which live-action footage is traced over by hand, frame by frame.
As Deadline notes, the meticulous process took about 16 weeks to complete in order to result in the four-minute video.
RELATED: Jimmy Fallon And Weezer Perform A-ha’s ’80s Hit ‘Take On Me’ With Classroom Instruments
There have been numerous parodies and homages over the years, with “Family Guy”, Weezer, and others producing versions.