Synopsis

A-ha's "Manhattan Skyline" video turns the band into figures inside a fast-moving newspaper world. Animated drawings, connect-the-dots images, crossword clues, headlines, and printing-press machinery create a graphic portrait of modern city life. The members appear and disappear among shifting panels and layers of newsprint, while the imagery mirrors the song's blend of melancholy verses and forceful rock passages. The video closes on a recognizable Norwegian newspaper, giving its international visual language a distinctly Norwegian punctuation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in a London studio on January 10, 1987.

• Its visual concept was built around newsprint rather than a conventional performance setting. The production combines live-action footage with animation and graphic newspaper imagery.

• The connect-the-dots sequences transform the three members into drawn figures, while crossword puzzles and printing-press imagery reinforce the editorial theme.

• The newspaper shown at the end is Aftenposten, one of Norway's largest newspapers.

• "Manhattan Skyline" was released as the third single from a-ha's 1986 album "Scoundrel Days" and reached No. 13 in the UK.

• The song itself grew from a split writing process: Magne Furuholmen created the quieter section, while Paul Waaktaar-Savoy wrote the harder rock passage.