Don't Change

"Don't Change"
Single by INXS
from the album Shabooh Shoobah
B-side"Go West"
Released27 October 1982
Genre
Length4:24
LabelWEA
Songwriter(s)INXS
Producer(s)Mark Opitz
INXS singles chronology
"The One Thing"
(1982)		 "Don't Change"
(1982)		 "To Look at You"
(1983)
Music video
"Don't Change" on YouTube

"Don't Change" is a song by Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 27 October 1982. This was as the second single from their third studio album, Shabooh Shoobah. The song was their first international single. It went to number 14 in Australia and number 80 in the United States.

"Don't Change" charted again in Australia. This was via download sales. It did so after the Channel 7 screening of INXS: Never Tear Us Apart mini-series. The song peaked at number 92.

Reception

Cash Box reviewed the "Don't Change" single. They stated its "churning rhythms and swirling guitars provide a straight ahead forward thrust for singer Michael Hutchence's philosophical pronouncements."

Stephen Thomas Erleweine of AllMusic described "Don't Change" as "one of the best rock songs of the 1980s". This was in a retrospective review. As part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", the 'most Australian' songs of all time, it was ranked number 28. This was in January 2018.

Legacy

"Don't Change" was inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia collection. This was in 2017.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Change"M. Hutchence, A. Farriss, T. Farris, J. Farris, K. Pengilly, G. Beers4:24
2."Go West"J. Bushelman, A. Farriss, K. Pengilly3:10

Charts

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 14
US Billboard Hot 10080
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)17

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) Gold 35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 15,000double-dagger

^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone


References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. INXS - Shine Like It Does: The Anthology (1979-1997) (2001) Review at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Do Carmo, Alejandro (November 22, 2020). "LISTAS: LOS DIEZ TEMAS MÁS ROCKEROS DE INXS (QUE NECESITAMOS ESTA NOCHE)". Madhouse (in Spanish). Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  3. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (February 24, 2023). "The 100 Best Songs of 1983, the Year Pop Went Crazy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2023. But the Australian rockers changed minds with "Don't Change," an undeniable punk-disco anthem...
  4. ↑ Shipley, Al (May 6, 2025). "Every INXS Album, Ranked". Spin. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 25, 1983. p. 9. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Here Are The Songs That Made Triple M's 'Ozzest 100'". Musicfeeds. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Sounds of Australia 2017 | NFSA. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  9. ↑ ""Don't Change" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. ↑ ""Go West" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "INXS Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "INXS Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – INXS – Don't Change". Radioscope. Retrieved 14 December 2025. Type Don't Change in the "Search:" field and press Enter.