‘Foot of the Mountain’ enters the UK album chart at #5!

The album chart results are in, and ‘Foot of the Mountain’ has entered the UK chart at #5, and was the highest new entry this week!

For the first time since ‘Stay On These Roads’ was released in May 1988, a-ha has a Top 10 album in the UK. ‘Foot of the Mountain’ has also been A-listed by Radio 2, which means that presenters can choose any song on the album to play.

The band has been in the UK for a month doing promotion, and will soon return to Germany for a few appearances. In Germany the album has spent six weeks in the Top 20, having debuted at #1 on June 22 and spending several weeks on the top of the chart.

Here are some quotes from UK album reviews:

• “Their ninth album ‘Foot of the Mountain’ is a welcome return to the electronica of their early hits and a glorious reminder of their soaring melodies.” BBC Music, July 7
• “The kind of album that sounds like it should be No 1 in Germany, which, of course, it was recently.” The Guardian, July 12
• “Talking about Foot Of The Mountain, which is the group’s ninth studio album, [Magne] said: ‘It was a real thrill to re-examine our formative elements and use them hopefully in ways that rejuvenates them and makes us move forward as opposed to backward.’” Music News, July 17
• “Aha keyboard player Magne Furuholmen has told me his new album is a recipe for success with a new way of working.” Teletext, July 18
• “Bursting to life with soaring synths, a memorable chorus and Morten Harket’s instantly recognisable vocals, ‘Foot Of the Mountain’ is an a-Ha classic that sees a return to their early recording methods and synth sensibilities, reminiscent of tracks that made them the 36 million selling band they are today.” Norway.org, July 27
• “A-Ha are set for a huge chart comeback this coming weekend as they head towards their highest position on the albums countdown in more than two decades.” Music Week, July 28