0
John Paul Young
John Paul Young
Australian singer
1
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Australian band
2
The Potbelleez
The Potbelleez
musicians
3
Birds of Tokyo
Birds of Tokyo
Australian rock band
4
John Butler Trio
John Butler Trio
Australian band
5
Sneaky Sound System
Sneaky Sound System
Australian dance group
6
The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap
Australian band
7
Boy & Bear
Boy & Bear
Australian indie folk band
8
The Waifs
The Waifs
Australian folk rock band
9
Dragon
Dragon
New Zealand rock band
10
Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley
Australian musician
11
Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods
Australian hip-hop group
12
Rogue Traders
Rogue Traders
band
13
Chrissy Amphlett
Chrissy Amphlett
Australian musician
14
The Presets
The Presets
Australian electronic music duo
15
Skyhooks
Skyhooks
Australian band
16
Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
Scottish-Australian songwriter, rock singer
17
Pete Murray
Pete Murray
Australian singer
18
Lisa Mitchell
Lisa Mitchell
Australian singer
19
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Australian band
20
John Farnham
John Farnham
Australian singer
21
Divinyls
Divinyls
Australian rock band
22
Stephen Cummings
Stephen Cummings
Australian singer
23
The Living End
The Living End
Australian band
24
Amy Shark
Amy Shark
Australian recording artist and singer-songwriter
25
Jet
Jet
Australian band
26
Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Australian actor and singer
27
Men at Work
Men at Work
Australian rock band
28
Luke Steele
Luke Steele
Australian musician
29
Models
Models
australian rock band
30
Hunters & Collectors
Hunters & Collectors
Australian band
31
Daniel Merriweather
Daniel Merriweather
Australian musician
32
Crowded House
Crowded House
pop rock band from New Zealand/Australia
33
Bliss n Eso
Bliss n Eso
Australian hip hop trio
34
The Rubens
The Rubens
Australian five-piece alternative rock band
35
Evermore
Evermore
rock band from New Zealand
36
Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke
Australian singer-songwriter and musician
37
Mario Millo
Mario Millo
Australian musician
Mental As Anything
Australian new wave/pop-rock band

Mental As Anything

Intro
Australian new wave/pop-rock band
Record Labels
News

Mental As Anything are an Australian new wave and pop rock band that formed in Sydney in 1976. Its most popular line-up (which lasted from 1977 to 1999, and recorded all of their charting singles and albums) was Martin Plaza (birth name Martin Murphy) on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa (birth name Christopher O'Doherty) on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne de Lisle (birth name David Twohill) on drums; and Andrew "Greedy" Smith on vocals, keyboards and harmonica. Their original hit songs were generated by Mombassa, O'Doherty, Plaza and Smith, either individually or collectively; they also hit the Australian charts with covers of songs by Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

Their top ten Australian singles are "If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too?" and "Too Many Times" (both from 1981), "Live It Up" (1985) and "Rock and Roll Music" (1988). Internationally, "Too Many Times" made the Canadian top 40 in 1982, and "Live It Up" peaked at No. 3 in the UK, No. 4 in Norway, and No. 6 in Germany, after it featured in the 1986 Australian film "Crocodile" Dundee.

All of the early members are visual artists and have had combined studio displays, some have had solo studio displays with Mombassa's artwork also used as designs by the Mambo clothing company. The majority of the group's record covers, posters and video clips have been designed and created by the band members or their art school contemporaries. On 27 August 2009, Mental As Anything was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame alongside Kev Carmody, The Dingoes, Little Pattie and John Paul Young. Most of the original group members left during the 2000s, and Andrew "Greedy" Smith -- the only original band member still touring with Mental As Anything -- died on 2 December 2019, aged 63, after a heart attack. Mental As Anything has not been active since that time, nor have they announced any future plans.