DID YOU KNOW THAT ... Men At Work's debut "BAU" Sold MORE Copies, than ALL 3 of Duran Duran's 1st 3 LPs combined!

MetalSludgeCEO · Post by **MetalSludgeCEO** » Wed Dec 20, 2023 2:50 pm

Crazy.... but it's true.

Think of how massive Duran Duran was... magazine darlings, MTV darlings, girls going crazy, the New Wave Beatles, etc...

But.. their first 4 LP's sold 1M, 2M, 2M and 2M....

Men At Work "Business As Usual" sold over 6M copies (globally sold 10M) and the follow-up "Cargo" went triple platinum (3M).

Those are crazy numbers... Colin Hay's royalty checks must have been insane... as some of those hits, had much more staying power over the last 30+ years!

Duran Duran while they had hits too... they were essentially a bigger "fashion" statement or a fad... safe to say?

$tEvil

rockker · Post by **rockker** » Wed Dec 20, 2023 8:34 pm

Duran Duran had the longer career but I agree you can’t get a 80’s compilation that doesn’t have “Down Under” or “Who Can It be Now?” On it… that must have set them up for life easily

Psychobolia.com · Post by **Psychobolia.com** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 12:20 am

I would have guessed BAU was on par with Rio.

1st 2 Duran Duran albums are awesome. Every album after that also has a few gems on it. I highly recommend All You Need is Now (13th album, 2010), that album is WTF crazy good, it would have been a killer follow up to Rio.

whiteowl yesterday · Post by **whiteowl yesterday** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 3:27 am

i have men at work's first 2 albums on cd.
i have duran duran's first 4 albums on cd.

love 'em all.

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:40 am

"BAU"?

TooOldToCare · Post by **TooOldToCare** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 5:22 am

I celebrate their entire catalog.

As a 1984 high school grad, aside from KISS, Maiden, Rush, and hair bands, these pop-rock and/or new wave bands were the soundtrack to my best decade. Colin Hay and DD continue to be amazing acts to me. I still like Colin's folksy solo stuff. That statistic is mind-blowing.

DangerZone · Post by **DangerZone** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 5:58 am

I would’ve guessed rio & business sold equally.

But Duran weren’t even close to a flash in the pan- that record was huge and also musically sound.
The OP’s final sentence is crazy

sirthx2 · Post by **sirthx2** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 6:42 am

What I remember most about BAU & Cargo was how fucking amazing they sounded. Audiophile greatness! I hated them at the time for no other reason that they took 'best new artist' from my beloved Stray Cats at the 83 Grammys.

FreddyFender · Post by **FreddyFender** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:40 am

Considering it was their first album, you have to wonder how much money they really got from it when all was said and done.

Mister Freeze · Post by **Mister Freeze** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:48 am

The Power Station and Arcadia both went platinum.

BootyDaddy69 · Post by **BootyDaddy69** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:10 am

BAU had a bit of help with Australia 2 winning the America Cup yacht race, 1983 anything Australian was blowing up big time, Down Under was our unofficial national anthem around the world especially for the yacht race

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:45 am

Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:48 am The Power Station and Arcadia both went platinum.

The Power Station shits the beat out of anything that any of its members did, except maybe the 1st few Chic records.

DiamondDog · Post by **DiamondDog** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:51 am

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:45 am
Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:48 am The Power Station and Arcadia both went platinum.
The Power Station shits the beat out of anything that any of its members did, except maybe the 1st few Chic records.

And talk about a record that sounded huge. Thompson's drums were monstrous. Fantastic album.

MetalSludgeCEO · Post by **MetalSludgeCEO** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:15 am

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 4:40 am "BAU"?

"Business As Usual" is the name of the Men At Work debut album!

$tEvil

Nobodyspecial · Post by **Nobodyspecial** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:44 am

Men at work lost a law suit a while back over the flute solo from campfire song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree and were ordered to pay a 5% of royalties. Really a messed up story. The woman who wrote Kookabura had no problem with it. After she died Someone bought the rights to the song from her estate sued Men at work and the record label. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/m ... 37974ea1ce

Nobodyspecial · Post by **Nobodyspecial** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:47 am

Duplicate post

TravisBicklesMohawk · Thu Dec 21, 2023 11:48 am

DiamondDog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:51 am
Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:45 am
Mister Freeze wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:48 am The Power Station and Arcadia both went platinum.
The Power Station shits the beat out of anything that any of its members did, except maybe the 1st few Chic records.
And talk about a record that sounded huge. Thompson's drums were monstrous. Fantastic album.

This ^^^

A fantastic band that should have done a lot more.

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 3:11 pm

TravisBicklesMohawk wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 11:48 am
DiamondDog wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:51 am
Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 8:45 am

The Power Station shits the beat out of anything that any of its members did, except maybe the 1st few Chic records.
And talk about a record that sounded huge. Thompson's drums were monstrous. Fantastic album.
This ^^^

A fantastic band that should have done a lot more.

I think they just viewed it as a one-off, so there was no real succession plan. Apparently, their original concept was to have rotating all-star vocalists like EVH originally wanted to do after Roth left, but once Palmer walked in, they clicked and he got the gig. Then, he ran off with Nile and 'Nard as fast as he could and copped their sound for his solo album. It was like WS 87, an album that came together with the right vibe at the right time but due to circumstances was never properly followed up on.

CrankerBait · Post by **CrankerBait** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 3:38 pm

I like a lot of Duran Duran's stuff, in spite of all the teeny bopper shit. (I always thought they were kind of like a poppier version of Roxy Music, marketed for a younger, female audience.) In fairness to them, they released a lot of good songs and they were very solid musicians. The albums were OK, but no shortage of filler. Videos were a major part of the phenomenon.

Men At Work's debut and second album were both excellent. They still sound really good forty years later. Cargo didn't sell as well as Business As Usual and didn't have a hit as big as "Down Under", but it was far from being a sophomore jinx release. (Unfortunately, album #3, Two Hearts, minus a couple of the original members, was a major disappointment.)

I actually saw Men At Work in a theater for the Business As Usual tour and in an arena for the Cargo tour. They sounded amazing both times, but weren't exactly the most exciting live band to watch, especially in a large venue. (The opener for the first show was an Australian band called Mental As Anything. The opening act for the next tour was an up and coming band called INXS...)

HoldenSSV · Post by **HoldenSSV** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:45 am

On May 14 of 1983, Cargo was #4 and Business As Usual was #7 on the Hot 200 album charts. That's impressive, considering Thriller was #1 and Pyromania was #2.

pieceofme · Post by **pieceofme** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:24 pm

HoldenSSV wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:45 am On May 14 of 1983, Cargo was #4 and Business As Usual was #7 on the Hot 200 album charts. That's impressive, considering Thriller was #1 and Pyromania was #2.

What was number 3?

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:29 pm

pieceofme wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:24 pm
HoldenSSV wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:45 am On May 14 of 1983, Cargo was #4 and Business As Usual was #7 on the Hot 200 album charts. That's impressive, considering Thriller was #1 and Pyromania was #2.
What was number 3?

Here's your answer

VinnieVincentsVag · Post by **VinnieVincentsVag** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 4:43 pm

Nobodyspecial wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:44 am Men at work lost a law suit a while back over the flute solo from campfire song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree and were ordered to pay a 5% of royalties. Really a messed up story. The woman who wrote Kookabura had no problem with it. After she died Someone bought the rights to the song from her estate sued Men at work and the record label. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/m ... 37974ea1ce

Didn’t this eventually lead to the dude taking his life?

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Fri Dec 22, 2023 5:22 pm

No he choked on a vegemite sandwich

TooOldToCare · Post by **TooOldToCare** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:56 am

Overkill, It's A Mistake, and Dr. Heckyll were awesome songs from Cargo.

IMO, I'll take Overkill any day over LDU or WCIBN, but I get the quirky first reaction to the hits off BAU.

The first time I saw MAW on TV (pre-MTV) was some all-star concert that I swear was from Washington, DC. It also was the first time I'd seen/heard of Rick Springfield. Does anyone recall this televised concert around 1980 or 81?

I remember thinking, "Guy has a wonky eye." referring to Colin Hay during close-ups.

Bono Nettencourt · Post by **Bono Nettencourt** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:14 am

TooOldToCare wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:56 am Overkill, It's A Mistake, and Dr. Heckyll were awesome songs from Cargo.

IMO, I'll take Overkill any day over LDU or WCIBN, but I get the quirky first reaction to the hits off BAU.

The first time I saw MAU on TV

https://youtu.be/wT_Oic6Fx3g?si=HUqL0gk_MzTCmCL8

Turner Coates · Post by **Turner Coates** » Sat Dec 23, 2023 10:12 am

Bono Nettencourt wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 5:22 pm No he choked on a vegemite sandwich

On his 27th birthday.

Nobodyspecial · Post by **Nobodyspecial** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:00 pm

VinnieVincentsVag wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 4:43 pm
Nobodyspecial wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:44 am Men at work lost a law suit a while back over the flute solo from campfire song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree and were ordered to pay a 5% of royalties. Really a messed up story. The woman who wrote Kookabura had no problem with it. After she died Someone bought the rights to the song from her estate sued Men at work and the record label. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/m ... 37974ea1ce
Didn’t this eventually lead to the dude taking his life?

I believe so

Tommy2Tone84 · Post by **Tommy2Tone84** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 8:39 am

MAW and DD are both cool with me. I probably prefer DD slightly more because of their musicianship and longevity.

Joe Jackson, The Cars, INXS, Dexy’s, Blondie, The Police, Eddy Grant….I love all that music.

DangerZone · Post by **DangerZone** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 5:51 pm

Nobodyspecial wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:00 pm
VinnieVincentsVag wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 4:43 pm
Nobodyspecial wrote: ↑Thu Dec 21, 2023 10:44 am Men at work lost a law suit a while back over the flute solo from campfire song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree and were ordered to pay a 5% of royalties. Really a messed up story. The woman who wrote Kookabura had no problem with it. After she died Someone bought the rights to the song from her estate sued Men at work and the record label. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/m ... 37974ea1ce
Didn’t this eventually lead to the dude taking his life?
I believe so

what dude?