No one can challenge Hello Sailor's place in the evolution of Kiwi music. They surfaced among the inner city student population in the midst of the 1970's disco boom playing, soul, Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones and their own distinctive brand of South Pacific Rock'n'Roll come 'Ponsonby Reggae'. Their debut self titled album released in 1977 was the first locally made New Zealand record to achieve Gold Record status and Hello Sailor had the country at its feet.
In 1978 the band based itself in Hollywood and came close to securing a signing to an American major. It was not to be and Hello Sailor come home and then tried Australia before running out of money and steam in 1980.
Hello Sailor first debuted in the Official New Zealand Top 40 Albums on 28 August 2006 with the album When Your Lights Are Out. There are two entries by Hello Sailor in the charts.