Using a widely used stellar-population synthesis model, we study the possibility of using pairs of AB system colours to break the well-known stellar age-metallicity degeneracy and to give constraints on two luminosity-weighted stellar-population parameters (age and metallicity). We present the relative age and metallicity sensitivities of the AB system colours that relate to the u, B, g, V, r, R, i, I, z, J,H and K bands, and we quantify the ability of various colour pairs to break the age-metallicity degeneracy. The results also show that the stellar ages and metallicities of galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey can be estimated via photometry data.