Before they filled stadiums and soundtracked every late-’80s mixtape, INXS were a group of Australian brothers and friends chasing one goal: to make the kind of music that felt just as good in headphones as it did blasting out of a car stereo. In 1985, Listen Like Thieves became their passport to the world—an album that pulsed with urgency, confidence, and a kind of smooth swagger that couldn’t be taught. It was the moment INXS stepped out from cult favorites to global contenders. And it almost didn’t happen. Here are five things you might not know about this incredible record—and why it still matters.
1. The hit that broke them in America came at the last possible moment
With recording finished and time nearly up, producer Chris Thomas told INXS they were still missing a hit. The band had one day left in the studio. Andrew Farriss pulled out a groove he’d labeled “Funk Song No. 13,” and Michael Hutchence helped transform it into “What You Need.” Two days later, the track was done—and it became their first U.S. Top 5 single. When pressure meets instinct, sometimes you get magic.
2. “Listen Like Thieves” captures everything the band stands for in four words
The title track wasn’t just another song—it was a mission statement. A call to pay attention. To tune into what’s being said—and what’s being felt. Hutchence delivers the lyrics like a sermon and a dare, wrapped in a taut, rhythmic groove that still sounds like it could kick open the doors to any arena.
3. The band wrote most of the album as a collective
At a time when most bands split into “the singer” and “the rest,” INXS remained a unit. Multiple tracks were co-written by all six members, and even the B-sides showcased each member’s individuality—Garry Gary Beers sang the gentle “Sweet as Sin,” while Jon Farriss contributed and performed his own track “I’m Over You.” It wasn’t just Hutchence’s voice—it was their voice.
4. They recorded it at home, but they were thinking globally
After sessions in New York and the UK for previous albums, INXS returned to Sydney’s Rhinoceros Studios to make Listen Like Thieves. But this wasn’t a retreat—it was a launch pad. The album fused funk, rock, and new wave into something slick but raw, bold but unpretentious. It was their way of saying: We’re from here, but we’re ready to go anywhere.
5. Hutchence found the sweet spot between sex appeal and soul-searching
“What You Need” and “This Time” introduced the world to Hutchence as both frontman and force. He didn’t just sing—he prowled, he preached, he pulled listeners in. But even when the groove was tight, the heart was never far. Listen closely to “This Time” and you hear yearning beneath the beat. The charisma was real—but so was the vulnerability.
Listen Like Thieves is more than the album that brought INXS into the international spotlight—it’s the moment their sound crystallized, their chemistry snapped into place, and their confidence became unshakable. They weren’t following trends. They were following the rhythm in their bones, and trusting the world would catch up.
It did.