Men at Work

Men at Work formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1979. The initial lineup included Colin Hay on lead vocals and guitar, Ron Strykert on bass guitar, and Jerry Speiser on drums. They were later joined by Greg Ham on flute, saxophone, and keyboards, and John Rees on bass guitar, with Strykert transitioning to lead guitar. The band quickly gained recognition on the pub rock circuit, establishing a strong local following before signing with CBS Records Australia in 1981. Their debut single with CBS, “Who Can It Be Now?”, reached number two in Australia, paving the way for their international breakthrough.

The band’s debut album, “Business as Usual”, released in October 1981, achieved significant commercial success, spending nine weeks at number one on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. The album featured the re-arranged version of “Down Under”, which also topped the Australian singles chart for six weeks. By January 1983, Men at Work made history as the first Australian artists to simultaneously hold the number one album and number one single spots on the United States Billboard charts with “Business as Usual” and “Down Under”. This success was replicated across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, solidifying their international presence. Their second album, “Cargo”, released in April 1983, continued their chart success, reaching number one in Australia, number two in New Zealand, and number three in the U.S. In 1983, they received a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and a Crystal Globe Award recognizing $100 million in record sales from their US label.

The original lineup experienced changes in 1984 when Speiser and Rees departed. Hay, Ham, and Strykert recorded their third album, “Two Hearts” (1985), with session musicians. During its production, Strykert also left, and soon after its release in 1985, Ham departed, leaving Hay as the sole remaining original member. The band officially dissolved in early 1986 as Hay pursued a solo career. However, Hay and Ham revived the Men at Work name for tours between 1996 and 2002, culminating in a performance at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. In 2019, Colin Hay once again revived the Men at Work name with a new group of musicians, continuing to perform their music globally.