What does The Best of INXS sound like?

Clipped funk guitar and dance-floor rhythms carry INXS from new-wave urgency to sweeping rock ballads. Rooted in alternative rock and new wave. Start with "Need You Tonight".

Is The Best of INXS a good place to start with INXS?

Yes, The Best of INXS is recommended as a starting point for new INXS listeners. Clipped funk guitar and dance-floor rhythms carry INXS from new-wave urgency to sweeping rock ballads. Released in 2002, The Best of INXS gathers recordings from across the Australian band’s career, from its early-1980s breakthrough through the 1990s. It appeared five years after the death of lead singer Michael Hutchence, while the surviving members were continuing to perform with guest vocalists.

Who is The Best of INXS for?

The Best of INXS works well if you're into steady energy for social gatherings, nostalgic anthems for sing-alongs and infectious grooves for dancing.

How many songs are on The Best of INXS?

The Best of INXS has 21 tracks, running approximately 78 minutes.

The Best of INXS

INXS · 2002

78 min · 21 tracks · alternative rock

Clipped funk guitar and dance-floor rhythms carry INXS from new-wave urgency to sweeping rock ballads.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Need You Tonight Start here — A clipped guitar riff and spare beat leave room for Hutchence’s close, conversational vocal, distilling the band’s rock-and-dance crossover.
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Original Sin — Produced by Nile Rodgers, this early international hit gives the band’s new-wave attack a sleek funk pulse.
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Never Tear Us Apart — A stately orchestral arrangement and saxophone solo show how the band could turn its rhythmic precision toward a dramatic ballad.
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Don't Change — Its driving guitars and ascending synthesizers close the collection with the expansive urgency of the band’s early work.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

54 /100

Lowland

Higher than 3% of albums we've rated

This compilation captures INXS's varied sound but lacks cohesive flow due to its mixed track origins.

What we noticed

Several tracks incorporate prominent funk and dance rhythms, particularly in songs like 'Need You Tonight' and 'New Sensation'.
The last three tracks include remixes and lesser-known songs, which may disrupt the flow established by the earlier hits.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 5/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 5/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 4/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

steady energy for social gatherings
nostalgic anthems for sing-alongs
infectious grooves for dancing
background soundtrack for celebrations
catchy hooks for repeated listens

Maybe skip if you

prefer slow, introspective music
dislike upbeat, danceable tracks

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Starting Point — A comprehensive collection of hits ideal for new listeners to explore INXS.
Themes: post-Michael Hutchence legacy· 80s dance-rock revival· Australian rock scene
Career context: Released in 2002, The Best of INXS gathers recordings from across the Australian band’s career, from its early-1980s breakthrough through the 1990s. It appeared five years after the death of lead singer Michael Hutchence, while the surviving members were continuing to perform with guest vocalists.
Stylistic neighbors: Duran Duran· The B-52's· Midnight Oil