Kick by INXS

Kick, the sixth studio album from INXS, was released on 12 October 1987, with WEA handling Australia, Mercury taking Europe and Atlantic covering North America, and it's the moment the Australian band's rock and dance-floor pop locked into perfect, hip-shaking alignment. Chris Thomas produced, David Nicholas recorded the sessions in Sydney and Paris, and Bob Clearmountain mixed it at AIR Studios in London, which is why every snare crack and guitar chop sounds polished to a mirror shine.

This is pop rock built for sweat. "Need You Tonight" is all slinky tension, coiled like a spring, and "New Sensation" kicks down the door with a strut. "Devil Inside" slinks and smolders, "Mystify" is pure swagger, and the title track bounces along with a cocky rhythm. "Never Tear Us Apart" is the grand exception, a slow, sweeping ballad that makes the rest of the record feel even more like a party.

Kick became the band's most successful studio album. It reached number three on the Billboard 200, went six times platinum in the US, and threw off four singles that made the US top 10: "New Sensation", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Devil Inside" and "Need You Tonight", with "Need You Tonight" going all the way to number one on the Billboard singles chart.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.