In 1985, Australian rock band INXS released their fifth studio album, Listen Like Thieves, and earned an international following that resulted in three straight multi-platinum albums in the U.S.
This album saw the band shifting from their New Wave/pop beginnings to a harder rock sound. As a casual fan, this is the version of INXS I know best (particularly from follow-up album Kick) so I’m curious to hear those first four albums. I’m always intrigued by bands that go through stylistic phases.
As I’ve already demonstrated, 1987 was a great year for iconic rock albums. I can’t wait to get to this year in my Decades series. Add INXS’ Kick to the list.
I could see any number of songs from this album making an impactful appearance in the next season of Strange Things. Start with the title track (and today’s SOTD), which has a propulsive chorus that could punctuate a scene of our plucky heroes fighting back against the dark forces of the Upside Down.
‘Men and Women’ is the final track on INXS’ 1992 album Welcome to Wherever You Are. This was the band’s fifth straight Platinum album in the United States (and their last).
The album fared a little bit worse in the band’s native Australia, where it achieved Gold status and broke a streak of five straight Platinum albums there.
Like yesterday’s SOTD, today’s track comes from the 1980 debut album of a popular rock band with a brash, charismatic lead singer. Only these lads come to us all the way from Australia.
INXS’ self-titled debut doesn’t sound at all like the music that would make them famous. Five years before Listen Like Thieves and seven years before Kick, they were searching for an identity, mixing up New Wave and post-punk into an unremarkable stew.
Often after I make a list on this blog of any sort, I spend the next few weeks rethinking what I put on it and running into things that might have fit better.
When today’s song popped up as a random iTunes selection, I immediately wondered how INXS’ Kick escaped my list of the best albums of the 80s.
Meet Me In Montauk 