The question of whether Morten Harket from A-Ha is the record for the longest-held grade in a pop song is an exciting and often discussed. His singing style and his voice control have made him one of the best known, although not most praised singer in pop history (A-HA is unfortunately not considered cool). His vocal work for the song “Summer Moved On” from 1999 is particularly well known. In it, it holds a grade for 20.2 seconds.
Morten Harket’s performance in “Summer Moved on”
The song “Summer Moved On” was written for the comeback from A-Ha after a seven-year break. During the recording, Morten Harket came up with the idea of keeping a particularly long note – and he did. At minute 2:35 of the song, he puts on the word “ASK” and holds it up to 2:55, a total of 20.2 seconds.
This performance is challenging because the grade is held with an even volume and timbre. Harket uses a technique that calls itself “Circular Breathing”, but in a way that does not require artificial breathing techniques.
Are there any longer notes in music history?
Although Morten Harket is often mentioned as a record holder in the pop area, there are some other artists who have also kept grades for a very long time.
1. Bill Withers – “Lovely Day” (1977) – 18 seconds
Bill Withers holds a grade for 18 seconds in “Lovely Day” from 1977. In the last repetition of the chorus, he holds the word “Day” with breathing control and constant intonation.
2. Axl Rose – “Don’t Cry” (1991) – approx. 24 seconds
Guns n ‘Roses front man Axl Rose holds a grade for about 24 seconds in “Don’t Cry”. However, there is a small specialty: the grade has a slight modulation and fluctuates at the volume, which makes it appear a little less stable than that of Harket or Withers. Therefore: advantage of record holder Harket.
3. Freddie Mercury – “Somebody to Love” (1976) – approx. 19 seconds
Queen singer Freddie Mercury holds a grade in “Somebody to Love” for about 19 seconds.
Why is Morten Harket’s grade so remarkable?
Although there are other singers who have also kept long grades, Morten Harket’s performance remains in “Summer Moved On” for several reasons.
Clarity and stability – While many singers hold a long grade with vibrato or volume changes, Harkets sound remains even, clear and stable over the entire duration.
Live repetitions – Morten Harket has repeated the same performance several times, which shows that it was not a studio.
Was Morten Harket’s record officially recognized?
Although Morten Harket is often referred to as the singer with the longest grade in the pop area, there is no official Guinness World Record recognition for this. The Guinness World Record for the longest sung note belongs to opera singers, not a pop singer. The source situation here is ambiguous.
Does Morten Harket keep the record?
When it comes to a long, clear, stable note in a pop song, Morten Harket is definitely one of the absolute record holders. Even if there are individual cases of longer grades in music (e.g. Axl Rose), his performance in “Summer Moved On” remains unique because it was intoned and repeated live several times without visible breathing aid.