Suicide Blonde

"Suicide Blonde"
Single by INXS
from the album X
B-side	"Everybody Wants U Tonight"
Released	22 August 1990 (1990-08-22)
Length	3:53
Label	WEA
Songwriter(s)	Andrew Farriss Michael Hutchence
Producer(s)	Chris Thomas
INXS singles chronology
"Mystify" (1989) "Suicide Blonde" (1990) "Disappear" (1990)

"Suicide Blonde" is the lead single from Australian rock band INXS's seventh studio album, X (1990). It was released on 22 August 1990 in the United States and on 3 September 1990 in the United Kingdom. The song reached number two in Australia, number nine in the United States, and number 11 in the United Kingdom. In Canada and New Zealand, the single peaked at number one for two and three weeks, respectively. At the APRA Music Awards of 1991, "Suicide Blonde" won the award Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[1]

"Suicide Blonde" would be the final song performed live in front of an audience by Hutchence with INXS, on 27 September 1997 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before his death on 22 November 1997.[2]

Writing and recording

"Suicide Blonde" was written by INXS members Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss, after the band had gotten back together after a year-long sabbatical in 1989. The song's title originates from the night Hutchence and then-girlfriend Kylie Minogue attended the debut of the 1989 romantic drama film The Delinquents, which stars Minogue. For the premiere, she wore a blonde wig whose colour she called "suicide blonde".[3]

The recording of "Suicide Blonde" showed some new and older influences on INXS. Jon Farriss's drums show the influence of dance music especially the acid house sounds popular in the UK. Similarly, the blues harp intro on the track, performed by Charlie Musselwhite, was sampled rather than recorded live.[4]

Critical reception

David Giles of Music Week stated that "Suicide Blonde" is "less rocky than their previous work, with an emphatic dancefloor appeal".[5]

Chart performance

In the United States, the track reached a peak of number nine on the Billboard Hot 100,[6] and it topped both the Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts.[7][8] A dance remix of the track received wide airplay on US top-forty stations, allowing it to reach the top 10 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.[9] On the UK Singles Chart the single reached a peak of number 11,[10] while on the Australian Singles Chart it reached number two.[11] In Canada and New Zealand, "Suicide Blonde" reached number one for two and three weeks respectively.[12][13]

Track listings

7-inch, cassette, and mini-CD single[14][15][16] "Suicide Blonde" – 3:55 "Everybody Wants U Tonight" – 5:08 US maxi-CD single[17] "Suicide Blonde" (7-inch mix) – 3:54 "Suicide Blonde" (Earth mix) – 5:39 "Suicide Blonde" (Devastation mix) – 6:19 "Suicide Blonde" (Milk mix) – 5:40 "Suicide Blonde" (Demolition mix) – 6:53 "Everybody Wants U Tonight" – 5:09 UK 12-inch single[18] A1. "Suicide Blonde" (Milk mix) B1. "Suicide Blonde" (Devastation mix) B2. "Everybody Wants U Tonight"

UK CD single[19] "Suicide Blonde" (7-inch version) "Suicide Blonde" (Demolition mix) "Everybody Wants U Tonight" "Suicide Blonde" (7-inch Nik mix) Japanese mini-album[20] "Suicide Blonde" (Milk mix) "Suicide Blonde" (Devastation mix) "Suicide Blonde" (Demolition mix) "Suicide Blonde" (Nix mix) "Suicide Blonde" (Earth mix) "Suicide Blonde" (7-inch single mix) "Everybody Wants U Tonight"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[11] 2 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[21] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] 4 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[23] 24 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 8 France (SNEP)[25] 23 Germany (GfK)[26] 23 Ireland (IRMA)[27] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 5 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[29] 9 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 1 Spain (AFYVE)[30] 13 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 16 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[10] 11 US Billboard Hot 100[6] 9 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[8] 1 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[9] 25 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[33] 9 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[7] 1 US Cash Box Top 100[34] 5 US CHR Airplay (Radio & Records)[35] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Australia (ARIA)[36] 42 Belgium (Ultratop)[37] 57 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[38] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 55 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 75 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[41] 14 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999) Position Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[42] 83

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36]	Gold	35,000^^
United States (RIAA)[43]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label	Ref.
United States	22 August 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl maxi-CD cassette maxi-cassette	Atlantic	[44]
United Kingdom	3 September 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl cassette	Mercury	[45]
	10 September 1990	CD		[46]
Japan	25 October 1990	Mini-CD	WEA	[47]
	28 November 1990	Maxi-CD		[48]

See also

• List of number-one singles of 1990 (Canada)
• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (New Zealand)
• List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1990s
• List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1990s

References

1. "1991 APRA Music Award Winners". APRA AMCOs. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
2. Greene, Andy (22 November 2017). "Flashback: Listen to Final INXS Concert With Michael Hutchence". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
3. Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2005). 1,000 UK Number One Hits (E-book) (2013 ed.). London, England: Omnibus Press. pp. 918–919. ISBN 978-0-85712-360-2.
4. "Charlie Musselwhite (Part II) – Komedia, Brighton, 18th November 2008 – Harp Surgery". www.harpsurgery.com. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
5. Giles, David (15 September 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 21. Retrieved 6 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
6. "INXS Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
7. "INXS Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
8. "INXS Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
9. "INXS Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
11. "INXS – Suicide Blonde". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7749." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
13. "INXS – Suicide Blonde". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
14. Suicide Blonde (Australian 7-inch single vinyl disc). INXS. WEA. 1990. 903172348-7.
15. Suicide Blonde (Australian cassette single sleeve). INXS. WEA. 1990. 903172348-4.
16. Suicide Blonde (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). INXS. WEA. 1990. WMD5-4040.
17. Suicide Blonde (US maxi-CD single liner notes). INXS. Atlantic Records. 1990. 7 86139-2.
18. Suicide Blonde (UK CD single liner notes). INXS. Mercury Records. 1990. INXS 1412, 878 087-1.
19. Suicide Blonde (UK CD single liner notes). INXS. Mercury Records. 1990. INXCD 14, 878 087-2.
20. Suicide Blonde (Japanese mini-album liner notes). INXS. WEA. 1990. WMC5-218.
21. "INXS – Suicide Blonde" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
22. "INXS – Suicide Blonde" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
23. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 43. 27 October 1990. p. V. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
24. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
25. "INXS – Suicide Blonde" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
26. "INXS – Suicide Blonde" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
27. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Suicide Blonde". Irish Singles Chart.
28. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
29. "INXS – Suicide Blonde" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
30. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
31. "INXS – Suicide Blonde". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
32. "INXS – Suicide Blonde". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
33. "INXS Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
34. "Top 100 Singles". Cash Box. Vol. LIV, no. 13. 27 October 1990. p. 30.
35. "National Airplay Overview – CHR" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 861. 12 October 1990. p. 120. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
36. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1990". ARIA. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
37. "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
38. "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
39. "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
40. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
41. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
42. Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
43. "American single certifications – INXS – Suicide Blond". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
44. Lichtman, Irv (25 August 1990). "Inside Track". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 34. p. 98. ['Suicide Blonde']'s release date is Wednesday (22).
45. "New Singles". Music Week. 1 September 1990. p. 33.
46. "New Singles". Music Week. 8 September 1990. p. 33.
47. "スーサイド・ブロンド | INXS" [Suicide Blonde | INXS] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
48. "スーサイド・ブロンド(7トラックス) | INXS" [Suicide Blonde (7 Tracks) | INXS] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 22 March 2024.

• Allmusic.com song article on Suicide Blonde
• Magazine, 16 February 1991
• "INXS: X Marks the Spot" Rolling Stone Issue 590 1 November 1990 page 85