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Cover of Shabooh Shoobah by INXS
Cover: Shabooh Shoobah

Song · INXS

“The One Thing” by INXS

From the album Shabooh Shoobah (1982)

“The One Thing” by INXS appears on 52 radio countdowns from 17 stations between 1983 and 2024. It was first released in 1982 on the album Shabooh Shoobah. Its best result is #10 on the KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989). In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #82 alternative song of 1983, #212 alternative song of all time and #214 of the '80s.

52countdowns
17stations
#10best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1983–2024years charted

Watch

INXS - The One Thing (Official Music Video)

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

"The One Thing" was the song that led INXS into Shabooh Shoobah, their third album, from 1982, going out as a single ahead of the record. Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence wrote it, with Hutchence handling the words, and Mark Opitz produced it and engineered it with David Walsh.

It's a sleek, prowling slab of rock with a funky, insistent groove, the band locked in tight while Hutchence purrs and struts over the top, all sultry menace and restless desire. It's tough enough for a sweaty club and slinky enough for the dance floor.

It was nominated for Best Australian Single at the 1982 Countdown Music Awards, and "Don't Change" followed it as a single.

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

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1983 37 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983 107
1984 80 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1984 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1988 85 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 30 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1988 107 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of All-Time (1988) 200
1989 77 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 49 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 10 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1989 164 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) 500
1990 115 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 62 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1991) 500
1992 89 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1992) 500
1992 60 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1992) 299
1994 277 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1994) 497
1994 96 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1995 189 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 41 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1996 361 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1996) 500
1996 176 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1999 204 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 294 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 983 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
2000 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 492 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 241 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 117 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 250 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 174 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 361 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 231 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 362 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2006 381 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2007 737 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 635 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 607 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 586 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 608 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 602 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 611 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2019 779 102.5 KZOK KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 1025
2020 962 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2020) 1025
2021 597 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s 909
2022 1002 102.5 KZOK KZOK Classic Rock Top 1025 (2022) 1025
2022 364 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2022) 500
2022 122 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 144 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s 850
2023 695 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 219 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738

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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