Air Supply

Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock met on May 12, 1975, during the first day of rehearsals for the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Sydney, Australia. Bonding over a shared love of The Beatles and vocal performance, the two quickly formed a musical partnership.

After evening performances that ended around 10:30 p.m., the pair performed at local pizza parlors, coffee bars and nightclubs using only one guitar and two voices. Their early performances helped establish their signature harmony-driven style and original songwriting approach, with Russell frequently composing new material.

They recorded a demo cassette featuring the songs "Love and Other Bruises" and "If You Knew Me" and submitted it to multiple record labels in Sydney. Although most companies rejected the demo, CBS Records recognized their distinctive sound and signed them.

The duo later signed with Arista Records, and in 1980 released "Lost in Love," which became one of the fastest-selling singles globally and reached the top of international music charts. The follow-up single "All Out of Love" achieved similar chart success. "Lost in Love" was named Song of the Year in 1980 and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide alongside the group’s other hit singles.

The band Air Supply achieved seven consecutive top-five singles during this period, matching the chart performance of The Beatles at the time. Their albums Lost in Love, The One That You Love, Now & Forever and The Greatest Hits collectively sold more than 20 million copies.

The group’s signature sound combines Russell Hitchcock’s soaring tenor vocals with Graham Russell’s melodic songwriting style, creating a recognizable soft rock identity that defined their international success. The 1980 hit "Lost in Love" and later the 1983 release "Making Love Out of Nothing at All," written by Jim Steinman and featured on The Greatest Hits album, helped solidify Air Supply’s place in modern pop music history.

Air Supply also became known for their global touring success. The duo was among the first Western pop acts to perform in China and Taiwan, helping introduce Western pop music to audiences in regions that previously had limited exposure to the genre. They continue to perform live concerts internationally as a long-standing soft rock duo.