On the Record: INXS – Kick (1987), the Album That Took INXS to the World

Kick is the sixth studio album by INXS, released in October 1987 on WEA in Australia, Atlantic in North America and Mercury in Europe. It turned the Sydney band into a global act: four US top 10 singles, a No. 1 with "Need You Tonight" and six-times platinum in the US alone. Original 1987 vinyl copies are common and affordable, so the real questions for collectors are how to spot an Australian original and which reissue to buy.

Quick facts

Released	October 1987
Label and catalogue number	WEA 255080-1 (Australia), Atlantic 81796-1 (US), Mercury 832 721-1 (Europe)
Producer	Chris Thomas
Recorded	Rhinoceros Studios, Sydney, and Studio De La Grande Armée, Paris; mixed at AIR Studios, London
Singles	"Need You Tonight", "New Sensation", "Devil Inside", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Mystify"
Line-up	Michael Hutchence, Andrew Farriss, Tim Farriss, Jon Farriss, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers
Tracks	12, just under 40 minutes

The story behind Kick

For their sixth album, Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss wrote the songs between them while working in Hong Kong. They came back with a cassette of rough ideas, and the full band built them out in the studio with producer Chris Thomas.

Recording took place at Rhinoceros in Sydney and in Paris. Bob Clearmountain mixed it in London. The result was tighter, funkier and more dance-floor friendly than anything the band had done.

Not everyone at their US label liked it. Manager Chris Murphy has said Atlantic's staff "just stared at their feet" when he played them "Need You Tonight", and he claims the label offered US$1 million for the band to go back and make a different record. Former Atlantic president Doug Morris has denied that, saying he thought it was "a wonderful record". Either way, Atlantic's promotions team got behind the single, and it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1988.

The album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on that chart for 81 weeks. It has been certified six-times platinum in the US.

Original pressings and how to identify them

Because Kick sold in huge numbers, originals turn up all the time in Australian op shops, markets and record fairs. Each country pressed its own version. Here's how to tell the main ones apart.

Version	Label and number	How to spot it
Australia, 1987	WEA 255080-1	WEA labels with 255080-1. This is the home-country original Australian collectors usually want.
Australia, 1988 "tour" copies	WEA 255080-1	Some Australian dealers list a 1988 "limited edition tour release" with an inside-out gatefold and inner sleeve. Details are thin, so compare the cover and labels with a standard copy before paying extra.
USA, 1987	Atlantic 81796-1 (also printed 7 81796-1)	Gatefold, barcode 075678179617. Copies pressed by Specialty Records have "SP" in the label matrix and an "SRC" stamp in the run-out.
Europe, 1987	Mercury 832 721-1	"Made in Holland", gatefold with printed inner sleeve, barcode 042283272118. Side two's label spells the track "Wildlife" rather than "Wild Life".

On any copy, check the catalogue number on the spine and labels, then look at the run-out groove. A reissue will usually carry a newer label design, a barcode from a later label or a "remastered" credit. If you're new to this, our guide What Is a First Pressing? walks through the basics.

What is an original Kick worth?

Not a fortune, and that's part of the appeal. Discogs sales history (as of August 2026) for the 1987 European Mercury LP shows a median sale of about US$17 and a top sale of about US$40. The 1987 Greek pressing sits at a similar median of about US$17.

Australian WEA originals vary in price with condition, but there's no big premium on Kick the way there is on rarer records. Condition is what moves the price: a clean gatefold, the original inner sleeve and quiet vinyl make the difference. Our vinyl grading guide explains what VG+ and NM actually mean.

Kick vinyl reissues you can buy now

If you just want to hear it on a clean record, there are good new options:

• Standard 180g LP. A single black LP with the original 12-track running order. The easiest way to own it.
• Coloured vinyl. Atlantic issued a limited crystal clear LP as part of its 75th anniversary vinyl series, and other coloured editions exist, including the clear/white LP we stock.
• 30th anniversary half-speed 2LP (2017). Released in November 2017 and cut at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road, spread over two 180g LPs at 45rpm.
• Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 2LP. An audiophile 180g 45rpm double LP mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from a tape copy of the original master, pressed at Quality Record Pressings in a tip-on gatefold.

Why Kick matters

Kick took an Australian band to No. 1 on the US singles chart with a sound built on funk and groove, at a time when their own label worried it was too far from the rock bands on American radio. It gave INXS four US top 10 singles and remains their most successful studio album. For anyone building a collection of Australian music, it's a cornerstone.

Frequently asked questions

When was INXS Kick released?

October 1987. It came out on WEA in Australia, Atlantic in the US and Mercury in Europe.

Is INXS Kick on vinyl?

Yes. It was released on vinyl in 1987 and has been reissued several times, including a standard 180g LP, coloured editions, a 2017 half-speed 2LP and an audiophile 45rpm 2LP from Analogue Productions.

What is the catalogue number of the Australian original?

The Australian WEA pressing is 255080-1. The US Atlantic pressing is 81796-1 and the European Mercury pressing is 832 721-1.

How much is an original INXS Kick LP worth?

Usually not much, because millions were sold. Discogs sales for the European 1987 pressing have a median of about US$17. Condition, the inner sleeve and a clean gatefold make the biggest difference.

Which Kick vinyl sounds best?

The audiophile picks are the 45rpm double LPs: the 2017 half-speed master cut at Abbey Road, and the Analogue Productions edition cut at Sterling Sound. A well-kept 1987 original is still a good listen.

Shop INXS Kick on vinyl

We stock Kick as a 180g vinyl LP and as a clear/white vinyl LP, both brand new and sealed. You'll find more of the band's records in our INXS vinyl collection.

Into Australian classics? Read about The Saints' (I'm) Stranded, AC/DC's first single, or our list of the best Australian albums on vinyl.