A brief history of the mullet: 'Business up front and party at the back'

The Kentucky waterfall, the beaver paddle, the ape drape, the neck warmer – call it what you want, but the mullet has become the lockdown hairstyle of choice

'Big Bang Theory' actress, Kaley Cuoco, has lamented husband Karl Cook's mullet on Instagram, writing: 'I don’t remember saying ‘in sickness and health, oh and mullets’.' Instagram

Singer, Miley Cyrus has added a modern twist to her country singer dad's favourite style, with Billy Ray Cyrus declaring: 'My daughter has a mullet on her head right now. Instagram

'The Kissing Booth' and 'Euphoria' actor, Jacob Elordi is getting back to his Australian roots with his lockdown mullet. Instagram

He might be the epitome of suave, silver fox style now, but George Clooney rocked a very lush-looking mullet during his 'The Facts of Life' days. Getty Images

Eight-time Grand Slam champion, American tennis player Andre Agassi favoured a mullet well into the 1990s, with the hairstyle becoming part of his signature look. AFP

Emmy Award-winning actress Zendaya experimented with a mullet that featured a bowl cut up top at the 2016 Grammys. AFP

Country singing star Billy Ray Cyrus is perhaps the most famous mullet-wearer, with his daughter Miley now rocking her own updated version of it. Getty Images

Rihanna has been perfecting her lockdown mullet, with many stylists citing the singer's version as the ultimate 2021 hairdo. Instagram

Along with Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer Michael Bolton deserves an honorary mention for his decades-long loyalty to the mullet. AFP

Australian former 'Neighbours' actor-turned-pop star, Craig McLachlan remained dedicated to his curly version of the mullet. Pictured here in 1990. Getty Images

'Lethal Weapon'-era Mel Gibson was still wearing a mullet in the late 1990s, with the Australian actor pictured here in February 1998. Getty Images

The late actor Patrick Swayze remained an enduring heartthrob thanks to roles in 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Point Break' despite his dedication to the mullet. Getty Images

Late British musician David Bowie has been credited with giving the mullet its famously androgynous twist by sporting a red-hued 'do during his Ziggy Stardust phase in 1973. Getty Images

Guitarist Joan Jett of the rock band The Runaways was an early adopter of the look, giving it a rock edge in 1977. Getty Images

Comedy actor Danny McBride grew a mullet to play the character Kenny Powers, a former baseball star in the TV show 'Eastbound and Down'. Courtesy HBO

With Netflix's 'Stranger Things' set in the 1980s, Dacre Montgomery's character Billy Hargrove's hair is on trend for the era. Netflix

Lionel Richie ticked two major hair trends in one with this mullet that's also a jheri curl perm in this 1986 throwback. Getty Images

It's one of those rare hairstyles that has been worn by all genders throughout the years, and every country has its own variation and nickname for the mullet, the enduring hairstyle that's short (business) at the front, and long (party) at the back.

In the US it's been called the "Kentucky waterfall", while Canadians favour "hockey hair", and the modern use of "mullet" is usually traced back to the Beastie Boys' 1994 classic Mullet Head, which popularised awareness of the 'do, containing lyrics such as, "Number one on the side and don't touch the back" and "Spike the top because the weekend is here".

While Mullet Head might have opened generation MTV's eyes to the style, according to anthropologists, it has actually been around since humans first pulled on their primordial slime-washed jeans and decided they needed a new 'do for Saturday night at the dino-roller disco.

Historical hairdo

In his book, Mullet Madness! The Haircut That's Business Up Front and a Party in the Back, author Alan Henderson posits the theory that the mullet was likely the 'do of choice for prehistoric humans, because the long hair at the back would have kept their neck warm, while the front was kept short so their hair didn't get in their eyes as they checked for sabre-toothed tigers before they left their cave in the morning.

Henderson also notes that Greek statues dating back to the 6th-century BC have distinctly mullet hairdos, while Native Americans rocked their own version, except theirs was "Mohawk in the front".

Arguably, the mullet peaked in the 1980s, the decade when it was an actual style statement, as opposed to the ironic position it maintained from the late 1990s onward. And possibly the most famous mullet of all time belonged to Achy Breaky Heart-era Billy Ray Cyrus, with the country singer telling Kelly Clarkson on her talk show: "I had Kentucky Waterfall for a while, but I said, 'You know what? I need to update.' So, I went with this one called 'Missouri Compromise'. In Tennessee it's called a Tennessee Top hat."

The modern mullet

Exploding back on to the hairstyle scene in mid-2020, the mullet's resurgence shows no signs of losing traction. Retaining its position as the ultimate lockdown haircut, it's a style that looks like you've done it yourself even if you've paid Dhs1,500 for the privilege.

"The mullet is a look that will always come back into fashion," says Kelly Cyndrowski, co-owner of Dubai's Salon Ink. "It is a very wearable look and can be worked into most lengths from medium to long. This season's mullet has a very soft, almost beach texture to it for a more casual feel."

On the celebrity side of things, the likes of Miley Cyrus and Rihanna have both been rocking razor-sharp versions, while The Big Bang Theory actress Kaley Cuoco recently took to Instagram to bemoan husband Karl Cook's mullet, writing: "I don't remember saying 'in sickness and health, oh and mullets'."

Meanwhile, The Kissing Booth star Jacob Elordi, 23, has been rocking a mullet that seriously interferes with his pretty boy image. But being Australian, he can likely claim he's just getting back to his roots – both historically and follicly.

Scroll through the gallery above for some more classic celebrity mullets.