{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox album | name = Stay on These Roads | type = studio | artist = A-ha | cover = Stay_on_These_Roads_album_cover.jpg | alt = | released = 3 May 1988 | recorded = 1987–1988 | studio = RG Jones, London | genre = * Synth-pop * pop rock | length = 43:36 | label = Warner Bros. | producer = Alan Tarney | prev_title = Scoundrel Days | prev_year = 1986 | next_title = East of the Sun, West of the Moon | next_year = 1990 | misc = {{Singles | name = Stay on These Roads | type = studio | single1 = The Living Daylights | single1date = 22 June 1987 | single2 = Stay on These Roads | single2date = 14 March 1988 | single3 = The Blood That Moves the Body | single3date = 6 June 1988 | single4 = Touchy! | single4date = 15 August 1988 | single5 = You Are the One | single5date = 21 November 1988 }} }} '''''Stay on These Roads''''' is the third studio album by Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, released on 3 May 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. Six singles were released from the album.
==Recording== A Synclavier, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Yamaha DX-7, Roland D-50, and Roland Juno-60 or Roland Juno-106 synthesizers were used in the recording of this album, as was a Yamaha RX-5 drum machine.{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}}<!-- The whole section -->
==Release and reception== {{Album reviews | rev1 = AllMusic |rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/stay-on-these-roads-r26/review Allmusic Review]</ref> | rev2 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' | rev2Score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2007 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-84609-856-7 |pages=30 |edition=5th Concise}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Number One'' | rev3score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="NumberOneReview">{{cite magazine|last=|first=|url=https://api.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/50342582102/in/album-72157715970149126/|title=Review: A-ha — ''Stay on These Roads'' (Warners)|magazine=Number One|date=14 December 1988|page=36|issue=287|location=London|publisher=IPC Magazines Ltd.|issn=}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Q'' | rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>[http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.review.redirect&fixture_review=125637&resource=125637&fixture_artist=146042 Q Review]</ref> | rev5 = ''Record Mirror'' | rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=O'Toole |first=Lesley |title=33 - Album Reviews |magazine=Record Mirror |date=7 May 1988 |page=31 |issn=0144-5804}}</ref> | rev6 = ''New Musical Express'' | rev6Score = {{Rating|7.8|10}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Quantick David - Album Reviews |magazine=New Musical Express |date=7 May 1988 |page=31 }}</ref> }} The album peaked at number 148 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. It was another big hit by A-ha internationally, selling over 4 million copies worldwide.{{fact|date=July 2025}} ''Stay on These Roads'' achieved Platinum status in Brazil and Gold in the UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany and Double Platinum status in France. It reached number two in the European top-100 albums sales chart.
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic said "in the U.K., the album became the group's third straight to peak at number two, though it charted for a shorter period than the first two albums, and there were four Top 25 hits—the title track, 'The Blood That Moves the Body,' 'Touchy!,' and 'You Are the One'." Also included was a re-recording of A-ha's 1987 theme from the James Bond movie ''The Living Daylights'', which, in its single version, was a U.K. number five that missed the U.S. charts. In the positive review of the ''NME'', David Quantick writes : "Life is sad and so is Pal Waaktaar. Pal, writer or co-writer of all these songs, seems over-run by melancholy. His lyrics are about crying, going away and yearning, and even the happier songs seem riddled with resignation rather than out-and-out pop joy".
Lead single "Stay on These Roads", number one in Norway, was a hit across Europe, including top-five showings in the UK, France, Austria and Ireland and top-ten chartings in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. ''Stay on These Roads'' includes three more hit singles, "The Blood That Moves The Body", "Touchy!" and "You Are the One", though a final single, "There's Never a Forever Thing", was released only in Brazil.
==Track listing==
All lyrics written by Paul Waaktaar; music composers listed below. ;Side one # "Stay on These Roads" – 4:45 (Furuholmen, Harket, Waaktaar) # "The Blood That Moves the Body" – 4:06 (Waaktaar) # "Touchy!" – 4:34 (Furuholmen, Harket, Waaktaar) # "This Alone Is Love" – 5:15 (Furuholmen, Waaktaar) # "Hurry Home" – 4:37 (Furuholmen, Waaktaar) ;Side two # "The Living Daylights" – 4:47 (Barry, Waaktaar) # "There's Never a Forever Thing" – 2:53 (Waaktaar) # "Out of Blue Comes Green" – 6:42 (Waaktaar) # "You Are the One" – 3:51 (Furuholmen, Waaktaar) # "You'll End up Crying" – 2:06 (Waaktaar)
===2015 Deluxe edition=== ;Disc 1 # "Stay on These Roads" (2015 Remastered) # "The Blood That Moves the Body" (2015 Remastered) # "Touchy!" (2015 Remastered) # "This Alone Is Love" (2015 Remastered) # "Hurry Home" (2015 Remastered) # "The Living Daylights" (2015 Remastered) # "There's Never a Forever Thing" (2015 Remastered) # "Out of Blue Comes Green" (2015 Remastered) # "You Are the One" (2015 Remastered) # "You'll End up Crying" (2015 Remastered) # "Stay on These Roads" (Extended Remix) # "You Are the One" (12" Remix) # "The Living Daylights (Extended Version) # "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Extended Remix) # "Touchy!" (Go-Go Mix)
;Disc 2 - Demos & Alternate Versions<ref>{{Citation|title=Stay On These Roads (Deluxe Edition) por a-ha|url=https://music.apple.com/br/album/stay-on-these-roads-deluxe-edition/1044495108|language=pt-BR|access-date=2021-06-08}}</ref> # "Stay on These Roads" (Early Version) # "The Blood That Moves the Body" (Demo) # "Touchy!" (Original Mix) # "This Alone Is Love" (Demo) # "You Are the One" (Early Version) # "Cold River" (1987 Demo) # "Hurry Home" (Demo) # "I'll Never Find Streetful City" (Demo) # "The Living Daylights" (Demo) # "There's Never a Forever Thing" (Demo) # "Out of Blue Comes Green" (Alternate Mix) # "You'll End up Crying" (Demo) # "You Are the One" (Alternate Version) # "Touchy!" (Demo) # "Umbrella" (Rendezvous Demo) # "Thus Ended Our Love Affair" (Demo) # "There's Never a Forever Thing" (Acoustic Version) # "Evitar" (Demo) # "You Are the One" (Demo) # "Sail On My Love" (Writing Session)
== Personnel == '''A-ha''' * Morten Harket – lead and backing vocals * Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, bass and drum programming, backing vocals * Paul Waaktaar – guitars, strings, bass and drum programming, backing vocals
* Contributions to the recording of the album: Steve Sidwell, Ben Robbins, Anne Dudley, Randy Hope-Taylor, Øystein Jevanord, Kick Horns.
'''Production and Technical''' * Alan Tarney – producer * Gerry Kitchingham – recording engineer * John Hudson – mixing * Jeri Heiden – art direction * Just Loomis – band photography * Stuart Watson – "still life" photography
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Weekly chart performance for ''Stay on These Roads'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1988) ! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Australian Music Report)<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=1993 |page=13 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | 52 |- {{album chart|Austria|9|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- {{album chart|Canada|55|chartid=8699|rowheader=true|access-date=19 January 2019}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|5|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- ! scope="row"| European Albums (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/88/M&M-1988-05-21-OCR-Page-0013.pdf |title=Eurochart Hot 100 Albums |magazine=Music & Media |volume=5 |issue=21 |date=21 May 1988 |page=24 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 2 |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref>{{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language=fi |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}}</ref> | 12 |- ! scope="row"| French Albums (IFOP)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.infodisc.fr/Album_Liste_Selection2.php?Lettre=A |title=Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste |website=InfoDisc |language=fr |access-date=19 January 2019}} ''Select "A-HA" from the drop-down menu and click "OK".''</ref> | 3 |- {{album chart|Germany|4|id=706|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- ! scope="row"| Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timarit.is/page/2547963#page/n27/mode/2up |title=Ísland (LP-plötur) |newspaper=DV |language=is |date=19 August 1988 |page=44 |issn=1021-8254 |via=Timarit.is}}</ref> | 5 |- ! scope="row"| Italian Albums (''Musica e dischi'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1988/1988-06-11-Billboard-Page-0099.pdf |title=Hits of the World |magazine=Billboard |volume=100 |issue=24 |date=11 June 1988 |page=77 |issn=0006-2510 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 2 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|36|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- {{album chart|Norway|1|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- ! scope="row"| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=Spanish |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> | 18 |- {{album chart|Sweden|10|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|6|artist=a-ha|album=Stay on These Roads|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |- {{album chart|UK2|2|date=19880508|rowheader=true|access-date=19 January 2019}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|148|artist=a-ha|rowheader=true|access-date=24 January 2016}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Year-end chart performance for ''Stay on These Roads'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1988) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1988&cat=a |title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1988 |language=nl |publisher=Dutch Charts |access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref> | 51 |- ! scope="row"| European Albums (''Music & Media'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/89/M&M-1989-01-01-OCR-Page-0017.pdf |title=1988 Year End Eurocharts – Top 100 Albums |magazine=Music & Media |volume=4 |issue=51/52 |date=1 January 1989 |page=30 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 16 |- ! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1988 |title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1988 |language=de |publisher=Offizielle Deutsche Charts |access-date=24 January 2016}}</ref> | 21 |- ! scope="row"| French Albums (Top 30)<ref>Book : Top 50, Top D'Or 89, Filipacchi éditeur, janvier 1989, page 81.</ref> | 16 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications and sales== {{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''Stay on These Roads''}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1988|certyear=1994|salesamount=470,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite news |last1=de Almeida |first1=Carlos Heli |last2=Lima |first2=Eduardo Souza |date=27 February 1989 |url=http://memoria.bn.br/DocReader/154083_04/39353 |title=Na Praça da Apoteose |newspaper=Tribuna da Imprensa |language=pt |issue=12150 |via=National Library of Brazil}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Aha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1988|certyear=2001|date=18 October 2001|access-date=7 February 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1988|access-date=24 January 2016}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1988|access-date=7 February 2019}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|nocert=true|type=album|relyear=1988|salesamount=85,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vg.no/rampelys/musikk/i/rLgaLl/i-en-egen-klasse |title=I en egen klasse |trans-title=In a separate class |work=Verdens Gang |language=no |date=5 December 1998 |access-date=7 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129215326/https://www.vg.no/rampelys/musikk/i/rLgaLl/i-en-egen-klasse |archive-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|certref=<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/x263f6daopkswo8/Spanish+certifications+for+1979-1990.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |date=September 2005 |page=924 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref>}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1988|access-date=24 January 2016}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=A-ha|title=Stay on These Roads|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|id=6266-993-2|date=5 May 1988|access-date=22 January 2022}} {{Certification Table Bottom}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.A-ha.ru/albums.phtml?band=A-ha&year=1988 Lyrics] * [http://www.A-ha-mems.de/tourneen/1988.htm Tour of 1988-1989], in German
{{A-ha}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stay On These Roads}} Category:1988 albums Category:A-ha albums Category:Albums produced by Alan Tarney Category:Warner Records albums