The INXS Bio-Pic a Such HUGE Hit in Australia That Their Greatest Hits Album Holds 3 Spots in the Top Ten. Wait–What?

Next to AC/DC, INXS has been Australia’s biggest musical export.  And because of the spectacularly controversial death of singer Michael Hutchence in 1997 (not to mention all his well-publicized love affairs), the country’s fascination with the group lives on.

Sunday saw the first of a two-part bio-pic of INXS called Never Tear Us Apart air on the Seven Network.  Almost two million people–a little less than a tenth of the Australian population–tuned in.  That’s a pretty incredible number.  Ratings for the show were far, far higher than for the Sochi Olympics.  (Okay, so Australia isn’t exactly a Winter Olympics powerhouse, but still….)

And there’s more.  INXS today accounts for 40% of all the albums in the Top 20 in Australia’s iTunes store.  Five records are in the top 10.

The #1 album is The Very Best compilation.  It’s also at #6 and #7.  How is that possible?  Different packaging.  The 20-track single version is the best-selling edition while the two-disc version is at 6 and the three-disc set at 7. Can anyone think of another occasion where essentially the same album occupies three different spots in the Top 10?

Kick, the band’s best-selling album sits at #2 and their Live at Wembley Stadium ’91 is at #4.  Looking further down the chart, Shabooh Shoobah is at #13, The Swing at #14 and Listen Like Thieves at #20.  Crazy.