Men at Work Songs Ranked
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in 1979 and best known for hits such as “Who Can It Be Now?” and “Down Under”. Its founding member was Colin Hay on lead vocals and guitar. After playing as an acoustic duo with Ron Strykert during 1978–79, he formed the group with Strykert playing bass guitar, and Jerry Speiser on drums. They were soon joined by Greg Ham on flute, saxophone, and keyboards and John Rees on bass guitar, with Strykert, then switching to lead guitar. The group was managed by Russell Depeller, a friend of Hay, whom he met at Latrobe University. This line-up achieved national and international success in the early 1980s. In January 1983, they were the first Australian artists to have a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single in the United States Billboard charts: Business as Usual (released on 9 November 1981) and “Down Under” (1981), respectively. With the same works, they achieved the distinction of a simultaneous No. 1 album and No. 1 single on the Australian, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom charts. Their second album Cargo (2 May 1983) was also No. 1 in Australia, No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 3 in the US, and No. 8 in the UK. Their third album Two Hearts (3 April 1985) reached the top 20 in Australia and the top 50 in the US. Here are all of the Men at Work’s songs ranked.
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15. No Sign of Yesterday (Cargo, 1983)
“No sign of yesterday is a standout track, different in style, extended with some great composition. A long, ghostly track. Frankly a terrific use of synth.”
14. Catch a Star (Business as Usual, 1981)
“Their sound is certainly distinctive, as is Colin Hay’s voice. This is probably what makes people pay attention – the slightly ‘off’ pop, with the reggae fusion, or even close to outright reggae stylings on Catch A Star for example.”
13. Everything I Need (Brazil, 1998)
“One of my favorite songs of theirs from their last studio album. Highly recommended! Soaring choruses are always a plus and this song has it in spades.”
12. Still Life (Two Hearts, 1985)
“Still Life,” is one of the best MAW tracks ever, really capturing the exhilarating tunnel-vision that occurs when you are trying desperately to hold on to a relationship that is slipping from your grasp.”
See more: Men at Work Albums Ranked
11. Upstairs In My House (Cargo, 1983)
“This is an excellent collection of Men at Work music. Full of the interesting music and sharp lyrics, this music is a must for Men At Work fans. I would definitely recommend adding this music to your collection!”
10. Underground (Business as Usual, 1981)
“This is an excellent, timeless CD and timeless music. Men at Work had some very talented performers and musicians. I would highly recommend this CD!”
9. Hard Luck Story (Two Hearts, 1985)
“This album is musically and lyrically their best stuff. But it’s not the friendly pop sound of Business As Usual. If you want to re-live the 80’s you don’t need this one. If you appreciate musicians and signers as artists I recommend it.”
8, Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive (Cargo, 1983)
“Certainly not as strong as their best work, this one sounds more like a mildly-favored album track than a single. Evidence that the car was running out of gas a bit quicker than we expected.”
7. High Wire (Cargo, 1983)
“Most listeners who grew up on new wave music in the 80s will feel right at home with the music on this. All the familiar hits don’t need any introduction.”
6. Maria (Two Hearts, 1985)
“As is often the case, especially with performers beginning in the early 80’s, they got better with age. This album is easily the best work of the three 80’s releases. It’s happened so many times, the first album is loaded with hits, bouncy, pop, radio friendly songs.”
See more: Parliament Albums Ranked
5. It’s a Mistake (Cargo, 1983)
“It’s a Mistake” was my favorite Men at Work single, which is a good feat considering i liked quite a few of their singles. I wouldn’t give up my worldly possessions for this band or anything, but they did some really good music along the way and had a great sound. Can’t really ask for much more than that.”
4. Be Good Johnny (Business as Usual, 1981)
“Only an “MTV single” in the US, played on radio stations if they felt like it. I’m sure I’d like this less had it been more omnipresent back then, but since it wasn’t, it’s still a fun listen.”
3. Down Under (Business as Usual, 1981)
“I did some research, and I’m actually pretty convinced this is there most popular song. I love men at work in general, but this is their best work. Down Under was the very first song thought of as the best song. As newer songs are added they tend to become “No.One” on the radio and of course the last No. One songs start to slip to oldies status.”
2. Who Can It Be Now? (Business as Usual, 1981)
“This song is really good the sax in this is amazing Everyone knows this one. But even looking past that, the dude’s voice rocks and gets more emotional as the song goes on, the lyrics are fun and super paranoid for pop music, and it’s just all a really good time. Better than “Down Under” in my opinion.”
1. Overkill (Cargo, 1983)
“Basically a do-over of “Who Can It Be Now”, but rather than a whimsical look at paranoia, it’s a rather somber look at anxiety. The music is peppy enough to keep the song from getting too depressing, but the deeper I listen, the more I relate.”