Forty-six years after it first hit Australian record stores, INXS has released their very first single, “Simple Simon,” as a digital single for the first time. Titled Simple Simon (Original Recording, 1980), the track is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major streaming services, complete with the raw, urgent energy that introduced the world to one of Australia’s most enduring rock bands.
Simple Simon – Original Recording, 1980
Listen to Simple Simon – Original Recording, 1980 on Spotify. Song · INXS · 2026
The timing couldn’t be more fitting. With INXS newly nominated for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and riding a wave of 40th-anniversary reissues—including the deluxe edition of Listen Like Thieves and an audiophile vinyl pressing of Kick due May 1—the band is giving fans a direct line back to the very beginning.
Recorded in early 1980 when the band was still known locally as a fiery live act fresh out of the Sydney pub circuit, “Simple Simon” was INXS’s official debut. Released in May 1980 on Deluxe Records (with distribution via RCA Victor in some territories), the 7-inch single paired the title track with the quirky B-side “We Are the Vegetables.” At just 2:34, “Simple Simon” crackles with the jittery new-wave energy, skittering ska rhythms, and punky attitude that defined the band’s earliest sound—well before the slick funk-rock grooves of Kick made them global superstars.
Michael Hutchence’s unmistakable voice already sounds fully formed: equal parts sneering and vulnerable, delivering lines about a lovestruck everyman who “found love, in love he thinks he found himself.” The track was written by the core songwriting team of Hutchence and keyboardist/guitarist Andrew Farriss, with the full lineup—Tim Farriss on guitar, Jon Farriss on drums, Garry Gary Beers on bass, and Kirk Pengilly on saxophone and guitar—laying down a tight, nervy performance that captured the band’s live fire in the studio.
It wasn’t a massive chart hit at the time (the band’s breakthrough would come later with “Just Keep Walking” and the self-titled debut album), but “Simple Simon” served as the perfect calling card. It announced INXS as a group that could blend pub-rock muscle with sophisticated pop smarts, setting the stage for the international success that followed.
The 2026 version is billed as the original recording, untouched by later remixes or overdubs. According to the band’s official announcement, the single is “available now for the first time on all streaming platforms,” giving new generations an unfiltered taste of INXS before the world knew the name.
Fans have already taken notice. The original 1980 music video—featuring a fresh-faced Hutchence and the band tearing through the song on a simple set—has seen renewed interest, and the digital release has sparked conversations about the band’s Hall of Fame chances. Supporters point to “Simple Simon” as proof of how fully realized INXS was right out of the gate.
In an era when many legacy acts chase nostalgia with lavish box sets and colored vinyl, INXS has taken a refreshingly straightforward approach: just put the music out there. “Simple Simon” isn’t dressed up in 2026 production tricks. It’s the same scrappy, energetic two-and-a-half minutes that once blasted from car stereos and jukeboxes across Australia.
For longtime fans, it’s a reminder of the band’s roots. For newcomers discovering INXS through TikTok clips of Kick or the emotional weight of Hutchence’s later work, it’s an invitation to hear where the legend began—raw, immediate, and full of promise.
Stream it, crank it up, and remember: every rock revolution starts with a simple first step. In this case, it was “Simple Simon.”
