Real Name: Colin Hay, and others
Date of Birth / Formation: 1978
Age / Status: Active 1978–present (with breaks)
Origin: Formed in Melbourne, Australia (nucleus established June 1979)
Lead / Key members: Colin Hay (frontman, lead vocals/guitar) with Greg Ham (flute, saxophone, keyboards) as a distinctive voice in the band's sound
Primary style: New wave and rock with reggae and pop inflections; notable use of saxophone and flute textures
Peak era: Early 1980s international breakthrough following 1981's Business as Usual
Notable honours: Grammy Award for Best New Artist (1983); ARIA Hall of Fame inductees (1994); over 30 million records sold worldwide
Men at Work is an Australian rock band that achieved massive international success in the early 1980s. Their 1981 debut album 'Business as Usual' was a global phenomenon, producing the number-one hits 'Who Can It Be Now?' and 'Down Under'. The band's sound blended new wave, rock, and reggae, characterized by Colin Hay's distinctive vocals and the band's tight musicianship. They won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983. Men at Work became one of the most successful Australian acts in history, selling over 30 million records worldwide. While the original lineup eventually disbanded, Colin Hay continues to perform the band's classic hits for fans across the globe.
Colin Hay began performing with Ron Strykert as an acoustic duo in 1978. By mid‑1979 they expanded into a five‑piece in Melbourne when Jerry Speiser (drums), Greg Ham (flute, sax, keys) and John Rees (bass) joined. The band built a grassroots reputation on the Australian pub circuit and adopted the name Men at Work as they began gigging locally. [1]
Their debut album Business as Usual (1981) produced global hits — notably "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under" — and launched Men at Work into international stardom. The band achieved simultaneous No. 1 album and single positions across multiple markets and won the Grammy for Best New Artist, before lineup tensions and changing pop tastes shifted fortunes mid‑decade. [1]
Single, 1983, UK [2]
Album, 1983, UK [2]
Chart summary: Men at Work achieved 1 UK Number 1 single and 1 UK Number 1 album on the main Official UK Singles and Albums Charts. The cards above list each verified chart-topper. [2]
Colin Hay, Ron Strykert and Jerry Speiser established the nucleus of Men at Work in Melbourne; Greg Ham and John Rees joined later that year to complete the classic five‑piece. [1]
"Who Can It Be Now?" is released in Australia and becomes a long‑running hit, launching broader attention for the forthcoming album. [1]
Debut album Business as Usual appears and soon becomes a national and international commercial phenomenon. [1]
"Down Under" reaches No. 1 in Australia for several weeks and later becomes an international hit, helping to propel the album's global sales. [1]
By early 1983 the band held No. 1 positions for album and single across multiple major markets and won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. [1]
The third album, Two Hearts (1985), underperformed; internal tensions and member departures led Colin Hay to retire the Men at Work name and pursue a solo career by 1986. [1]
A concise 1980s snapshot paired with a source-linked status update checked on 17 July 2026.
The profile’s own 1980s timeline captures Men at Work’s era-defining momentum. These late-decade milestones anchor the period in the original profile.
Band/act record. The linked Wikidata record does not list Men at Work as dissolved. MusicBrainz lists Hard Labour (Live 1982) (1 February 2019) as the newest catalogued album linked to Men at Work. This conservatively documents catalogue activity without asserting current touring, membership, or a specific 2026 project.
No short interview quotation was included because an exact, attributable public transcript could not be verified for this profile.
Below are concise annotations for the listed songs: release context, confident peak chart labels when verifiable, release year, and a short thematic summary.
Lyrics note: Full copyrighted lyrics are not reproduced. The notes below are original summaries of each song’s themes and imagery.
Lyric theme: A rollicking, observational anthem mixing national imagery with travelogue‑style storytelling and sardonic wit.
Lyric theme: A claustrophobic, sax‑lined new wave single about unwanted visits, privacy and social awkwardness.
Lyric theme: A brooding, melodic meditation on anxiety and the pressures of touring and success.
Lyric theme: A tense, politically‑tinged new wave track reflecting Cold War fears and miscommunication.
Lyric theme: A tongue‑in‑cheek pop story inspired by classic Jekyll‑and‑Hyde motifs, delivered with upbeat production and catchy hooks.