A Celebration Of INXS!
My wife Alex bought me a cool new turnable last week – yes, I have saved a hundred albums from my “growing up” years…and as I was unpacking them from a crate I saw one of my favorites – and it was from the iconic band INXS…
I put it on and was taken back to a very specific time in my life…I realized I haven’t been listening to enough classic INXS lately, so why not keep the celebration going?
Let’s play some of their greatest hits, OK?
Some quick history: INXS was originally formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, Australia.
Along with the Farris brothers Jon, Tim and Andrew, there was guitarist Kirk Pengilly, bassist Garry Gary Beers and charismatic leader singer and lyricist Michael Hutchence.
For 20 years, INXS was fronted by Hutchence, whose magnetic stage presence made him the focal point of the band – but they were all expert musicians and showmen who created a unique sound – and lots of massive worldwide hits!
In 1984, INXS had their first number-one hit in Australia, with the song “Original Sin”.
Here it is:
The world was next!
The band would later achieve international success in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s with a series of great albums like these:
“Listen Like Thieves”
I love this album, and the epic sound of the title track! After giving it a spin on vinyl, I knew I had to share it with everyone!
Here’s the music video:
“Kick!”
Many grew to know the band when these best-selling albums came out – packed with great songs and bit hits.
Among their big hits was “Need You Tonight”, which was their only #1 chart-topper in the US!
Here is the video:
Here’s another one of their big hits, “Never Tear Us Apart”:
Here is this video:
“New Sensation!”
They had such a great sound, and Hutchence was such a formidable performer – they deserved all of the accolades they received.
Here is that video:
A Shocking End…
The music world was stunned on 22 November 1997, when Michael Hutchence was found dead in his Sydney hotel room.
His death was ruled a suicide, with the report stating he had been depressed and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of his death.
Despite the official coroner’s report, there has been continued speculation that Hutchence’s death was accidental, while other reports listed auto-asphixiation as a potential cause of death as well.
It was such a sad end to his life, and fans have mourned his death ever since…he was in many ways the soul of the band, although INXS continued to make music…their body of work is impressive and always joyful…
INXS has sold over 75 million albums worldwide, making them one of Australia’s highest selling music acts of all time.
Michael’s sister wrote a memoir about her brother as well…a sad end to a terrific band and singer…I included the band in my countdown of “songs with an I”:
Yes, Hall & Oates made the list, and so did Sam Smith and The Beatles too! Click here to see them all:
And speaking of Daryl and John – here are some of my favorite Hall & Oates album tracks!
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Let me know your favorite INXS songs!
Categories: Art, Australia, Classic Rock, Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I normally like you’re musical choices, and today is no exception, John. I never owned any of their albums, but I listened to all of their hits. I had forgotten all about Michael’s passing. It’s tragic how often these tales end. I’ve got to imagine it’s tough being on the road all the time and all of the pressures of performing and writing the next hit song. One of the all-time fabulous group names—INXS!
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Yes to all of your points Pete – thanks for commenting!
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I fell in love with Michael Hutchence as a teenager. Favorite song: The One Thing!
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Goodness this brings back some memories! I used to love their sound and the innovation of their musicality, it was certainly some of my favourite music to listen to at the time — I will have to spend some time listening to them again!
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INXS was huge when I was a teenager, John. I remember the death of Michael Hutchence and I also recall there was a lot of speculation about it. Wonderful music!
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I haven’t thought of them in forever, but used to love their music
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I never owned any of their albums, but I thought they were a good rock band, and bought some of the CD singles. My favourite was always ‘Need You Tonight’, and still is.
Best wishes, Pete.
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