Hunting High and Low is an extraordinary record which sold more than eight million copies worldwide and produced two international number one singles, both heralded by award-winning videos. Released in 1985, it transformed the lives of three young, hard-up Norwegian musicians cobbling together demos in London bedsits, turning them into global princes of pop and launching a roller-coaster career spanning 25 years.

It is a breathtaking debut album of enchanting, melancholic, electro-orchestral songs beautifully sung by one of the world’s finest vocalists, Morten Harket. The infamous “Take on Me” and majestic “The Sun Always Shines on TV” jostle for space with several other sublime tracks including “Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale”, which is painfully poignant and the gothic, lamenting “Here I Stand and Face the Rain”.

While I admit that the existential lyrics of principal song-writer Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – described by Q magazine as one of the best unknown lyricists of his generation – on the brilliant “Train of Thought” and “I Dream Myself Alive” were lost on me as an eight year old, their hypnotic rhythms, haunting melodies and addictive synth hooks made a profound impact.

It is not all Nordic introspection though. As well as the magical “Take on Me”, there are further nuggets of pop bliss on here – “Love is Reason”, “And You Tell Me” (tellingly, both co-written by ‘cheeky chappy’ keyboardist Magne Furuholmen) and “The Blue Sky” display a lightness of touch that complements the darker moments on the album.

As a child I could only respond to these love songs in a visceral sense and Harket’s emotional, wolfish vocals on the heart-breaking title track would actually bring me to tears – in a good way (they would usually spring up half-way through, just after the seagull’s cry). His voice, as pure and icy as a Norwegian fjord, still makes me shiver with delight.

Of course, I – along with a million other girls – fell for the smouldering Harket as much as the music and I wore my leather wrist bands and Morten t-shirts with pride. So, yes, I am guilty of playing a part in the a-ha mania of the eighties. It makes me a little sad to think that it was because of us, the screaming fans, that these serious artists were often dismissed as nothing more than teenage heartthrobs. Thankfully, the fans grew up and a-ha’s noughties renaissance brought with it a long-overdue critical reappraisal.

It could be said that Hunting High and Low – especially “Take on Me” – became a-ha’s albatross, overshadowing their richly diverse back-catalogue of nine (yes, that’s right, nine) studio albums. Despite this, it will remain my favourite a-ha record (with Scoundrel Days coming in a close second) simply because every single song on it is completely captivating. Nostalgia may have something to do with this, but as a music-loving adult I can safely say it is a masterpiece in its own right.