Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide top ten hit, and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including tour dates announced in support of the release of two studio albums, Men Without Hats Again , in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Ivan Eugene Doroschuk is an American-born Canadian musician. He is the lead vocalist and founding member of Men Without Hats, best known for the hit song "The Safety Dance".
Rhythm of Youth is the debut studio album by Canadian new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in April 1982 by Statik Records in Europe and Canada and in 1983 by Backstreet Records in the US. It propelled them to fame with its second single, "The Safety Dance". It was released under the Statik Records label in Canada, distributed by Warner Music Canada where it achieved Platinum status for sales of 100,000 units.
Folk of the 80's (Part III) is the second studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in early 1984. The album reached #127 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. It was the band's final album with the lineup consisting of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Colin Doroschuk (keyboards) and Allan McCarthy (keyboards).
"MacArthur Park" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb that was recorded first by Irish actor and singer Richard Harris in 1968. Harris's version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four on the UK Singles Chart. "MacArthur Park" was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a 1970 Grammy-winning version by country music singer Waylon Jennings and a number one Billboard Hot 100 disco arrangement by Donna Summer in 1978. Webb won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the Richard Harris version.
Pop Goes the World is the third studio album by Canadian new wave and synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released on June 29, 1987, by Mercury Records. It features the single "Pop Goes the World", which reached the Top 20 in Canada and the United States. The album went platinum in Canada.
The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, often shortened to In the 21st Century, is the fourth studio album by Canadian synth-pop group Men Without Hats, released in 1989. It was the second and last album to be released with the lineup of Ivan Doroschuk (vocals), Stefan Doroschuk (guitar), Marika Tjelios (bass), Heidi Garcia, Richard Samson (drums) and Bruce Murphy (keyboards), which was also the lineup that toured to promote the previous album Pop Goes the World.
Sideways is the fifth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released on 30 April 1991, it featured a new sound based around electric guitars instead of the group's normal use of synthesizers. It was the second album to be recorded at Hudson Studios in New York and produced by bassist Stefan Doroschuk, with Mike Scott as co-producer.
No Hats Beyond this Point is the sixth studio album by Canadian synthpop group Men Without Hats. Released in 2003, it was their first album in twelve years. After the release of the album, the group broke up. It was the group's third and final album to be produced by Stefan Doroschuk.
"Always on My Mind" is a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee, and first released by Gwen McCrae in March 1972. Lee's version was released three months later in June 1972. The song has been a crossover hit, charting in both the country and western and pop categories. Elvis Presley's recording was the first commercially successful version of the song.
"The Sign" is a song by Swedish group Ace of Base from their first North American studio album, The Sign (1993), and their re-released debut studio album, Happy Nation (1992), titled Happy Nation . The song was released by Arista and Mega as a single in Europe on 1 November 1993 and the US on 14 December 1993. It was written by band member Jonas Berggren, who also produced the song with Denniz Pop and Douglas Carr. "The Sign" is a techno-reggae, Europop, and pop ballad with lyrics describing a couple contemplating the state of their relationship.
"The Safety Dance" is a song by Canadian new wave/synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in Canada in 1982 as the second single from Rhythm of Youth. The song was written by lead singer Ivan Doroschuk after he had been ejected from a club for pogo dancing.
"Whenever You're Near Me" is the second single from Swedish group Ace of Base's third American record, Cruel Summer. The original version of the song, "Life Is a Flower", was a huge hit in Europe and Japan. The lyrics were rewritten by song composer Mike Chapman, and the song was released to radio stations in North and South America on October 6, 1998. This version peaked at number 76 in the United States and number 51 in Canada; it was the band's last charting hit in both countries.
Folk of the 80's is an EP released by Canadian synth-pop group Men Without Hats. Recorded in the summer of 1980 at Studio A in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and released later that year, it was their first release.
"Stand" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from the album Green in 1989. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming R.E.M.'s second top 10 hit in the United States, and topped both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. The song reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 in Canada. It was placed on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records "best of" album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 in 2003, as well as the 2011 compilation album Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage.
"Signs" is a song by the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band. It was written by the band's frontman, Les Emmerson, and popularized the relatively unknown band, who recorded it for their true first album, Good-byes and Butterflies, in 1970. The LP "Five Man Electrical Band" had begun as a Staccatos album with Brian Rading, the band's bassist suggesting the band's new name from the song title.
Freeways is the second EP released by Canadian synth-pop group Men Without Hats. It was released in Canada only, and for a limited time. Released in 1985, it contains songs originally released on the group's 1980 EP Folk of the 80's, plus several versions of the song "Freeways".
"Hey Men" is a song from Canadian new wave/synthpop band Men Without Hats' fourth album, The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century, released as the album's first single in 1989.
My Hats Collection is a compilation album by Canadian new wave/synthpop group Men Without Hats, released in 2006. The compilation is notable for including "Tomorrow Today", a song by a pre-Men Without Hats band called Heaven 17, which featured Ivan Doroschuk on keyboards, and "Gravity is My Enemy", a song from the original demo tape that got the group signed to Statik.
This article presents a full discography of the Canadian band Men Without Hats.
