"Need You Tonight," INXS

Nearly twenty-five years later, this song still has one of the hottest hooks:

“Need You Tonight” sounded like nothing else at the time.  It seamlessly combined rock, dance, and electronic elements with Michael Hutchence’s come-hither vocals, making it INXS’ first – and biggest – international hit. 

The video certainly didn’t hurt its success.  While it borrows slightly from The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” the final product is as unique as the song itself, combining the band’s performance with animation in a style that was new at the time.  Dressed in a leather jacket and tight pants, Hutchence tries to entice the woman who shows up briefly throughout the video – but, who are we kidding, it looks like he’s aiming his message to another person watching through the video camera.  Some of video is a bit silly (the jail montage, the guitarst’s mullet), but it all contributes to the lighthearted, sexy feel of the song.  (In case the title and lyrics didn’t give away what the song was about – Hutchence’s jacket has a “sex” pendant on it.) 

The video then transitions into “Mediate,” a stream-of-conscious, political song that seems to be the complete opposite of “Need You Tonight.”  Guess which one people remember more today.


Want more great 80s videos?  Check out our throwbacks on A-ha's "Take on Me" and George Michael's "Faith."