| "Never Tear Us Apart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byINXS | ||||
| from the albumKick | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 13 June 1988 (1988-06-13)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| INXS singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Never Tear Us Apart" onYouTube | ||||
"Never Tear Us Apart" is apower ballad by Australian rock bandINXS, released in June 1988 byWEA as the fourthsingle from their sixth studio album,Kick (1987). The music was written by keyboardistAndrew Farriss, and the lyrics were written by vocalistMichael Hutchence for his then-girlfriend,Michele Bennett.
In 1988, the single peaked at No. 7 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, No. 5 onBillboard US Mainstream Rock chart, No. 14 on theARIA Singles Chart, and No. 24 on theUK Singles Chart. In 1989, the song was nominated for fourARIA Music Awards, winning two; forBest Group andBest Video. In 2014, the single peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart following the success of the miniseriesINXS: Never Tear Us Apart. It was ranked at No. 282 onRolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", and in 2025 was voted in 1st in theTriple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.[6]
The music was written by keyboardistAndrew Farriss, who recorded a blues-style demo;[7] vocalistMichael Hutchence wrote the lyrics for his then-girlfriend, Australian film producerMichele Bennett, who was described as Hutchence's "first real love",[8] with whom he was in a relationship from 1982 to 1987[9] and remained close friends until his death – Bennett was the last person that Hutchence called on the morning of his death, on 22 November 1997.[10] In a 2019 interview withNME,Richard Lowenstein, who was friends with Hutchence and directed the music video for "Never Tear Us Apart", said of the song after reading Hutchence's diaries as part of his research for his 2019 documentaryMystify: Michael Hutchence:
He felt guilt over every break-up because it brought back memories of his parents' divorce and their break-up. When he got successful he'd feel the guilt of leaving his brother and it just seemed to be everywhere. Going back into his diaries, we'd find evidence of the guilt – it wasn't just all happy-go-lucky rockstar. There was always problems being presented. His break-up with Michele (Bennett, his childhood flame), he was utterly torn between this woman he loved and how their lives were going in so many different directions. That’s why it inspired ‘Never Tear Us Apart’.Kick had gone to Number One and suddenly there's this kid-in-a-candy store mentality – he was travelling around the world and thought he'd never settle down. There was the hedonistic side to him, but always an almost catholic sense of self-flagellation too.[11]
"Never Tear Us Apart" is aballad, written in the tempo of a modernViennese waltz, layered withsynthesizers and containingdramatic pauses before the instrumental breaks.Kirk Pengilly lends asaxophone solo near the end. According to theliner notes ofShine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979–1997), the song was composed onpiano as a bluesy number in the style ofFats Domino. ProducerChris Thomas suggested a synth-based arrangement instead.[citation needed]
A reviewer fromCash Box said that "more impassioned crooning fromHutchence elevates this song" and also praised the "searing sax solo."[12] The Stud Brothers ofMelody Maker wrote, "This pleads for passion by jump-starting a cello-like synth that kangaroos unhappily along until it collides with a great fairy of a saxophone which ultimately drags it to a sad demise."[13]
The music video for the song, featuring an extended intro, was filmed in various locations inPrague[14] along with "Guns in the Sky" and "New Sensation", all directed byRichard Lowenstein.[15] It won theARIA Award for Best Video at the1989 ARIA Music Awards.[16]
As of November 2025, the video has a total view count of more than 150 million onYouTube from two versions, making it their most popular song on the platform.[17][18]
In March 2024, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Never Tear Us Apart", INXS shared a video on their official YouTube channel featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the music video, deleted scenes and interviews with Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss.[7]
After Hutchence's death in 1997, his coffin was carried out ofSt Andrew's Cathedral by the remaining members of INXS and his younger brother Rhett as "Never Tear Us Apart" was played in the background.[19]
In October 2008, Australian soccer clubNewcastle Jets adopted the song as a club anthem.[20][21] In late 2023, the club introduced a special cover of the song by singerLyn Bowtell for thewomen's team.[22]
In March 2014,Australian Football League clubPort Adelaide also adopted the song as an unofficial anthem leading up to the opening siren at its home groundAdelaide Oval.[23] Fans organically created the tradition[24] and faithfully began raising scarves above their heads as it was sung.[25] By June 2014, the club printed official scarves featuring the words "Never Tear Us Apart" that fans have since held aloft during the song.[25][26] INXS membersTim Farriss andJon Farriss attended a match in April 2015, partaking in a rendition of the song.[27]
In January 2018, as part ofTriple M's "Ozzest 100", listing the 'most Australian' songs of all time, "Never Tear Us Apart" was ranked number 18.[28]
In 2021, it was listed at No. 282 onRolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[29]
The song appears inEuphoria, in season 2, episode 3. During the cold open flashback, Cal dances and embraces his friend Derek to the song.[30] It was also prominently used in the 2024 drama filmBabygirl.[31]
In 2025, the song was voted 1st in theTriple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs.[6]
The song is used in the teaser trailer for the upcomingPixar filmToy Story 5, which is expected to be released in June 2026.[32]
The single reached No. 24 in the UK, and stayed on the charts for seven weeks. In the US, it reached No. 7 on theBillboard Hot 100.
In February 2014, after theChannel 7 screening ofINXS: Never Tear Us Apart mini-series, "Never Tear Us Apart" charted again in Australia via download sales. It peaked at No. 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart, surpassing its original peak position of No. 14 back in 1988.[33][34]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[58] | 7× Platinum | 490,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[59] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | June 1988 | — | [60] | |
| Australia | 8 August 1988 | 7-inch vinyl | WEA | [35] |
| Japan | 25 September 1988 | Mini-CD | [61] |
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ARIA Music Awards | Best Group | INXS – "Never Tear Us Apart" | Won | [16] |
| Best Video | Richard Lowenstein – "Never Tear Us Apart" | Won | |||
| Single of the Year | INXS – "Never Tear Us Apart" | Nominated | |||
| Artisan Awards – Song of the Year | Andrew Farriss /Michael Hutchence | Nominated |
| "Never Tear Us Apart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byTom Jones feat.Natalie Imbruglia | ||||
| from the albumReload | ||||
| Released | 27 September 1999 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:08 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Johnny Douglas | |||
| Tom Jones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was covered byTom Jones for his 1999 albumReload featuring the Australian singerNatalie Imbruglia. The cover version also includes a music video.
CD single
| "Precious Heart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byTall Paul vs.INXS | ||||
| from the albumINXS²: The Remixes | ||||
| Released | 6 August 2001 (2001-08-06)[62] | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Paul Newman | |||
| INXS singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In August 2001, a remix called "Precious Heart" was released as a single, and credited asTall Paul vs. INXS.
Australian CD single
UK CD single
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[63] | 27 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[64] | 57 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[65] | 30 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[66] | 10 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[67] | 14 |
| UK Dance (OCC)[68] | 2 |
| USDance Club Songs (Billboard)[69] | 6 |
| "Never Tear Us Apart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byINXS featuringBen Harper | ||||
| Released | 12 August 2010 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:00 | |||
| Label | Petrol Electric | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| INXS singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
INXS re-recorded "Never Tear Us Apart" withBen Harper and French singerMylène Farmer, who wrote new French lyrics, for their twelfth studio album,Original Sin. The song was released on iTunes on 12 August 2010, and also as a promotional single to radio stations prior to the release of the album.
| "Never Tear Us Apart" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byPaloma Faith | ||||
| from the albumFall to Grace (reissue) | ||||
| Released | 23 September 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Nellee Hooper | |||
| Paloma Faith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Never Tear Us Apart" onYouTube | ||||
"Never Tear Us Apart" was recorded by British singerPaloma Faith for a television advertisement campaign forJohn Lewis. The advert began airing in the UK from 15 September 2012.[70] Faith later confirmed that the song would be released as her next single on 23 September 2012.[71] She commented "I have always loved this song and I feel honoured to sing it."[71] "Never Tear Us Apart" was released as the first single from the reissued version of Faith's second studio albumFall to Grace and serves as the third single overall.[71] The artwork for the song shows the singer saluting, while wearing a metallic gold dress, with "a honeycomb-like bottom half".[71]
Faith's version of the song can be heard on the opening scene ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit fifteenth-season episode "Beast's Obsession." It is also heard in the Netflix seriesUmbrella Academy. Faith's version also appeared in the first episode of the Showtime seriesYellowjackets.[72]
Digital Spy's Lewis Corner gave Faith's version of the song four out of five stars. He stated "It's a brave task to reinterpret a much-loved hit, but Faith's soulful tones immediately thwart any doubts that she can't do the song justice." He added that while it was always going to be tough topping the original, Faith comes "admirably close."[73]
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[75] | 42 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[76] | 18 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[77] | 16 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[78] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 23 September 2012 | Digital download | RCA | [71] |
In April 2021,The Teskey Brothers released a cover of "Never Tear Us Apart" in dedication toMichael Gudinski. Upon released, Josh said "This is an all-time classic Australian song that all of us love, its a pleasure to sing it and I don't know why we didn't do it earlier. We're very proud to dedicate this release to our friend Michael Gudinski who was a huge supporter of Australian music and The Teskey Brothers. Our two worlds collided and we will always be grateful for that."[79]
First Chart Date: 25/06/1988
