He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.

His music also appeared in the television series What About Brian, The Black Donnellys, Cane, and the BBC medical drama Casualty.

[3][2] His parents owned a small music shop; his father, a piano tuner, had been a stage singer and dancer in Glasgow.

[2] In 1979, Hay and Strykert added Jerry Speiser and Greg Ham started composing songs for what would become Men at Work.

[2][6] The band released their debut studio album, Business as Usual, in 1981, which was followed by Cargo (1983) and Two Hearts (1985) before breaking up in January 1986.

[11] The album was credited to the Colin Hay Band, which consisted of Gerry Hale, Paul Gadsby and Robert Dillon.

[2] On 1 October 2000, Hay performed with Men at Work at the 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

[2] In July 2003, Hay released his eighth studio album, Man @ Work, re-recording some Men at Work hits and his solo songs,[2] including a reimagined version of "Down Under" recorded with Hay's wife, Cecilia Noël, described as "more carnivale than outback".

[2] In 2004, Hay launched his one-man show named Man at Work, a mixture of songs and stories.

Performing alongside Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, Fee Waybill of the Tubes, Venice, and over 70 members of the Santa Monica High School Orchestra and Girls Choir, the benefit helped to provide funds for the continuation of music education in public schools.

[citation needed] In August 2009, Hay released his tenth studio album, American Sunshine.

[2] In August 2010, Hay performed in Missoula, Montana with a Los Angeles roots rock band named Patrolled By Radar.

[2] In 2011, Hay commented on his early solo career, stating, "After Men at Work, for the better part of a decade, I was stumbling around being unfocused.

The album features 10 versions of some of Hay's favourite songs from the Beatles (Norwegian Wood, Across the Universe) Blind Faith, Del Amitri, Dusty Springfield, Faces, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Glen Campbell (Wichita Lineman), Jimmy Cliff (Many Rivers to Cross) and the Kinks (Waterloo Sunset).

[23] In late 2021, Australian producer Christian "Luude" Benson (from the Tasmanian electronic dance music duo Choomba)[24][25][26] remixed Men at Work's "Down Under" as a drum and bass track, with Hay re-recording the vocal for the track's release on the Sweat It Out[27][28] record label.

Hays lends vocals to the song and part of the music video was filmed at his house.

Hay is married to singer Cecilia Noël,[35] who often provides backing vocals at his shows.

[37] On 13 February 2009, former Men at Work band member Ron Strykert was arrested for allegedly making death threats against Hay.