Album · INXS
X by INXS
X is an album by INXS, released in 1990. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 50 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Suicide Blonde”, on 21 lists with a best position of #8.
X, INXS's seventh studio album, came out on 25 September 1990, with Atlantic handling it in the US, and it had the thankless job of following Kick, the massive seller that had made them international stars. Chris Thomas produced it, his third INXS record in a row, and the band kept to what worked: Andrew Farriss's lean, funky songwriting, Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly's clipped guitars and Pengilly's sax, Garry Gary Beers and Jon Farriss locking down the groove, and Michael Hutchence purring over the top. The title is the Roman numeral for ten, marking a decade since their 1980 debut.
The twist is the blues harp. A sample of Charlie Musselwhite drives "Suicide Blonde", a sleazy, strutting single that went Top 10 in the US alongside the gleaming rush of "Disappear", and Musselwhite shows up in person on "Who Pays the Price" and "On My Way". "Bitter Tears" and "By My Side" followed, with less luck on the charts.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from X on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suicide Blonde | 21 | #8 | – | 1990–2026 | |
| 2 | Bitter Tears | 18 | #64 | – | 1990–2022 | |
| 3 | Disappear | 11 | #27 | – | 1990–2005 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.