ARTIST · ROCK / NEW WAVE

INXS

Australian groove machine—funk bass, tight hats, and Michael Hutchence magnetism.

Rock
New wave

Updated 27 October 2026

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Biography

INXS fused rock guitars with dance-floor rhythm sections at a time when MTV demanded both.

Kick (1987) packaged swagger singles that still rotate on classic and alternative hybrids.

Later eras navigated tragic loss while catalogue highlights remained timeless on playlists.

Remastered streams reveal Simmons fabric, horn stabs, and vocal breath that radio chains compress.

The band was formed by the Farriss brothers, Tim, Andrew, and Jon, with Michael Hutchence, Garry Gary Beers, and Kirk Pengilly. Listen Like Thieves (1985) brought the first international hits, and Kick (1987) made them superstars with New Sensation and Never Tear Us Apart.

X (1990) and Welcome to Wherever You Are (1992) extended the run. Hutchence died in 1997. After a reality TV search, J.D. Fortune fronted the band for a time, and Andrew Farriss retired from touring in 2012.

Interesting facts about INXS

01 Australian rock band formed as The Farriss Brothers in Sydney in 1977, adopting the name INXS in 1979.
02 Kick (1987) included Need You Tonight, Devil Inside, and New Sensation.
03 Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2001.
04 Never Tear Us Apart appears on Kick (1987).
05 J.D. Fortune was chosen as singer on the TV show Rock Star: INXS.