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Cover of Shabooh Shoobah by INXS
Cover: Shabooh Shoobah

Song · INXS

“Don't Change” by INXS

From the album Shabooh Shoobah (1982)

“Don't Change” by INXS appears on 58 radio countdowns from 18 stations between 1983 and 2026. It was first released in 1982 on the album Shabooh Shoobah. Its best result is #28 on the Triple M Ozzest 100 (2018). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #162 alternative song of 1983 and #311 alternative song of all time.

58countdowns
18stations
#28best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1983–2026years charted

Watch

INXS - Don't Change (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (INXS Videos). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Don't Change" came out as a single from INXS's Shabooh Shoobah in October 1982, and it's the song that's been credited with making the Australian band famous around the world. All six of them share the writing credit: Michael Hutchence, Andrew, Tim and Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly and Garry Gary Beers.

It's pop rock with its heart on its sleeve and its foot on the gas. Andrew Farriss lays down a bright, chiming keyboard line, the guitars of Andrew and Tim Farriss and Pengilly churn beneath it, Beers' bass pushes and Jon Farriss drives the whole thing forward like the band is racing the sunrise. Pengilly adds saxophone too. Hutchence sings it like a plea and a promise at the same time, reaching up for the chorus with everything he's got. Mark Opitz produced it and engineered alongside David Nicholas and Andrew Scott, and Mercury released it.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1983 78 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1983 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 97 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1989 144 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 78 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 139 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 250 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 120 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 48 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 265 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1992 133 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 498 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 335 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 197 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1995 203 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 128 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 239 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 73 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 199 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1998 122 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 142 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 527 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 360 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 359 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 816 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2002 366 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 409 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 738 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 384 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 965 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 490 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 434 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 595 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 570 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 577 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 596 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 593 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 598 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 604 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 617 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2018 211 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2018 28 Triple M Triple M Ozzest 100 (2018) 100
2020 807 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 46 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2021 131 WYEP WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown 168
2022 43 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 98 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 104 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 640 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2025 738 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800
2026 30 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s 498
2026 493 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: Dont Change.

Charting alongside it in 1983

Best songs of 1983 →
  1. 1New Year's DayU2
  2. 2Let's DanceDavid Bowie
  3. 3The LovecatsThe Cure
  4. 4Every Breath You TakeThe Police
  5. 5Rebel YellBilly Idol
  6. 6In a Big CountryBig Country

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