Welcome to watchmojo.com. This is Perna and I am going to be profiling INXS for you. Now, the band consists of six members. It started out with Michael Hutchence. When he was 16 years old, he met Andrew Farriss. Now, in 1977 they started out with the name 'The Farriss Brothers,' but then two years later, they changed it to INXS right before their self titled album came out.

Their second album was called 'Underneath The Colors' and it became an instant hit in their home country of Australia. Their third album 'Shabooh Shoobah' was released in 1983 and became a huge hit in the US. The album entered the top 50 list immediately. When their fourth album came out, 'The Swing' in 1984, it had number one international hit called 'Original Sin.'

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Host: Now, it has been really that it didn't get a lot of air play in the US because of the anti-racist and strong critical views that were expressed in the lyrics. Now, INXS broke out with major success all over North America and all over the world when they released the album 'Listen Like Thieves.' Now when their next album was released called 'Kick', it sold over nine million copies and it generated four number 1 hits around the world including 'I Need You 'Tonight' and 'New Sensation.'

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Host: Around this time the lead singer Michael Hutchence started gaining a lot of attention from the media and from the fans. Now around this time, he also started getting more involved with the use of drugs and alcohol so when 'X' was released, it had similar musical style as the previous album, but it didn't quite live up to the exceptions. Now with the next two albums that INXS released, you could really hear that they were trying to change their music style a little bit so they can fit into the mainstream and they could stay popular.

Unfortunately, that also didn't do very well and their record label Atlantic told them just to release a greatest hits compilation. Now at this time, a lot of rumors started spreading that they were going to split up as well, but in 1997, they released what is considered a comeback album called 'Elegantly Wasted.' Now while INXS was on tour supporting the album, Michael Hutchence unfortunately did commit suicide in 1997 at the end of November.

INXS did try to move on without Hutchence. They put together a reality TV series called Rock Star- INXS. Now, this gave the opportunity for many people across North-America to get together and compete for the position as a lead singer for the band. J D Fortune won the position and with the rest of the members of the band, they put together an album called 'Switch' which was released in November 2005. This is Perna. Thanks for checking out watchmojo.com