INXS Have Topped Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs with 'Never Tear Us Apart'

Australians will never be torn apart from their love of an 80s power ballad by one of the nation's most-successful rock bands: that's what the first-ever Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs revealed. First announced in June 2025, open for voting for a month and unveiling its countdown on Saturday, July 26, the public-voted ranking of the country's favourite homegrown tunes of all time culminated with INXS topping the poll with the yearning refrains of 'Never Tear Us Apart'.

The Michael Hutchence-crooned song was one of two by the band to make the list. The other: 'Need You Tonight', also from their 1987 blockbuster album Kick, which came in at number 59. Although Triple J advised that the largest number of voters hailed from the 18–29-year-old age group, everyone took the task of truly surveying classic Aussie tracks seriously, with more than half of that demographic's picks going to songs released before they were even in high school.

Nothing in the top ten initially hit airwaves before 2011. After 'Never Tear Us Apart', the Hottest 100 of Australian Songs featured Hilltop Hoods' 2003 release 'The Nosebleed Section' in second place, followed by The Veronicas' 2007 track 'Untouched' in third, then 'Scar' by Missy Higgins from 2004 in fourth and Crowded House's 1986 tune 'Don't Dream It's Over' by Crowded House in fifth.

Next came 2000's 'My Happiness' by Powderfinger — the highest-ranked former annual Hottest 100 winner — then a Cold Chisel double with 1984's 'Flame Tree's and 1978's 'Khe Sanh', Paul Kelly 1996 Christmas favourite 'How to Make Gravy', and Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 smash 'Somebody That I Used to Know'.

As well as 'My Happiness' and 'Somebody That I Used to Know', a heap of other prior yearly Hottest 100 victors made the all-Aussie ranking: Powderfinger again with 'These Days', Angus and Julia Stone courtesy of 'Big Jet Plane', Jet's 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Flume featuring Kai with 'Never Be Like You', Augie March's 'One Crowded Hour', Vance Joy with 'Riptide', Bernard Fanning's 'Wish You Well', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', 'Confidence' by Ocean Alley and The Whitlams with 'No Aphrodisiac'. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' also featured after winning the Hottest 100 of the 2010s.

Indeed, only Spiderbait's 'Buy Me a Pony', Alex Lloyd's 'Amazing', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Say Nothing' and The Wiggles' cover of 'Elephant' didn't make the Hottest 100 of Australian songs after previously topping the yearly poll.

A range of artists ranked up multiple appearances in the countdown, starting with Fanning with four — three courtesy of Powderfinger. Hilltop Hoods, Crowded House, Jimmy Barnes, AC/DC, Silverchair, Midnight Oil and Gang of Youths all picked up three, while not just INXS but also The Veronicas, Higgins, Cold Chisel, Kelly, Gotye, Angus & Julia Stone, Empire of the Sun, Hunters & Collectors, The Church, Icehouse, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Avalanches and Spiderbait nabbed two places apiece.

Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact tied into one big caveat with the poll, with voters needing to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

Stats-wise, the chosen 100 tunes came from 2,655,826 total votes, the fourth highest that have ever been received for a Triple J Hottest 100. Also, more tunes sprang from the 2000s than any other decade, while 24 artists on the list championed the benefits of Triple J Unearthed, because that's where they got their start.

Daddy Cool's 'Eagle Rock' from 1971 is the oldest tune that made the cut, while 2021's 'Hertz' from Amyl and The Sniffers is the most recent. And yes, both 'You're the Voice' by John Farnham and 'The Horses' by Daryl Braithwaite earned a place.

Here's the full Hottest 100 of Australian Songs list:

1 'Never Tear Us Apart', INXS
2 'The Nosebleed Section', Hilltop Hoods
3 'Untouched', The Veronicas
4 'Scar', Missy Higgins
5 'Don't Dream It's Over', Crowded House
6 'My Happiness', Powderfinger
7 'Flame Trees', Cold Chisel
8 'Khe Sanh', Cold Chisel
9 'How to Make Gravy', Paul Kelly
10 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Gotye featuring Kimbra
11 'Sweet Disposition', The Temper Trap
12 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again', The Angels
13 'Thunderstruck', AC/DC
14 'These Days', Powderfinger
15 'You're the Voice', John Farnham
16 'Innerbloom', Rüfüs Du Sol
17 'Tomorrow', Silverchair
18 'Beds Are Burning', Midnight Oil
19 'The Less I Know the Better', Tame Impala
20 'Big Jet Plane', Angus & Julia Stone
21 'Down Under', Men at Work
22 'To Her Door', Paul Kelly & the Messengers
23 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl', Jet
24 'Walking on a Dream', Empire of the Sun
25 'Throw Your Arms Around Me', Hunters & Collectors
26 'Never Be Like You', Flume featuring Kai
27 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', Kylie Minogue
28 'Straight Lines,' Silverchair
29 'Under the Milky Way', The Church
30 'The Horses', Daryl Braithwaite
31 'Highway to Hell', AC/DC
32 'Torn', Natalie Imbruglia
33 'One Crowded Hour', Augie March
34 'Booster Seat', Spacey Jane
35 'Great Southern Land', Icehouse
36 'Treaty (Radio Mix)', Yothu Yindi
37 'Back in Black', AC/DC
38 'Better Be Home Soon', Crowded House
39 'Reckless', Australian Crawl
40 'Covered in Chrome', Violent Soho
41 'Prisoner of Society', The Living End
42 'Magnolia', Gang of Youths
43 'Joker & the Thief', Wolfmother
44 'Into My Arms', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
45 'Eagle Rock', Daddy Cool
46 'Shooting Stars', Bag Raiders
47 'Solid Rock', Goanna
48 'Riptide', Vance Joy
49 'It's Nice to Be Alive', Ball Park Music
50 'Holy Grail', Hunters & Collectors
51 'Brother', Matt Corby
52 'The Special Two', Missy Higgins
53 'Better in Blak', Thelma Plum
54 'I Touch Myself,' Divinyls
55 'My People', The Presets
56 'Working Class Man', Jimmy Barnes
57 'Wish You Well', Bernard Fanning
58 'Frontier Psychiatrist', The Avalanches
59 'Need You Tonight', INXS
60 'Let Me Down Easy', Gang of Youths
61 'Talk Is Cheap', Chet Faker
62 'Australia Street', Sticky Fingers
63 'I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)', Redgum
64 'Cosby Sweater', Hilltop Hoods
65 'Confidence', Ocean Alley
66 'Power and the Passion', Midnight Oil
67 '! (The Song Formerly Known As)', Regurgitator
68 'Chemical Heart', Grinspoon
69 'Weather with You', Crowded House
70 '(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind', Powderfinger
71 'Jimmy Recard', Drapht
72 'Freak', Silverchair
73 '1955', Hilltop Hoods featuring Montaigne and Tom Thum
74 'London Still', The Waifs
75 'The Unguarded Moment', The Church
76 '4ever', The Veronicas
77 'Weir', Killing Heidi
78 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', Eskimo Joe
79 'Hello', The Cat Empire
80 'We Are the People', Empire of the Sun
81 'Berlin Chair', You Am I
82 'High', Peking Duk featuring Nicole Millar
83 'Cigarettes Will Kill You', Ben Lee
84 'Streets of Your Town', The Go-Betweens
85 'Delete', DMA's
86 'Hearts a Mess', Gotye
87 'The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows', Gang of Youths
88 'Chateau', Angus & Julia Stone
89 'Hertz', Amyl and the Sniffers
90 'Black Betty', Spiderbait
91 'No Aphrodisiac', The Whitlams
92 'Electric Blue', Icehouse
93 'Since I Left You', The Avalanches
94 'Clair de Lune', Flight Facilities featuring Christine Hoberg
95 'Calypso', Spiderbait
96 'Evie', Stevie Wright
97 'I Want You', Savage Garden
98 'Red Right Hand', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
99 'Blue Sky Mine', Midnight Oil
100 'Better', The Screaming Jets

Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs was unveiled on Saturday, July 26, 2025. For more information, head to the Triple J website.

Top image: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images.