INXS’ Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence enter The 1,000,000,000 List
INXS’ Andrew Farriss and the late Michael Hutchence are inducted into APRA AMCOS’ billionaire club.
The rockers taken their place on The 1,000,000,000 List, for their songwriting contribution to Dua Lipa’s hit ‘Break My Heart,’ lifted from her 2020 album Future Nostalgia.
Farriss and Hutchence are credited songwriters on ‘Break My Heart’ due to its reference of ‘Need You Tonight,’ from INXS’ global hit Kick.
The disco-tinged ‘Break My Heart’ is double platinum in Australia, platinum in the U.S. and the U.K. and its parent won British album of the year at the 2021 Brit Awards.
Watch Dua Lipa’s ‘Break My Heart’:
Farriss received his award at home in regional New South Wales, according to APRA AMCOS, and reps for Hutchence’s estate accepted the award on behalf of the late frontman.
“I feel very fortunate to be presented this award recognising my music writing contribution towards a billion streams of ‘Break My Heart’ by Dua Lipa,” comments Farriss.
“I thank Michael and INXS for believing in my songwriting and thank all of those at Petrol / Universal and of course APRA AMCOS, who have supported this award.”
It’s been another eventful year for INXS which, despite no longer performing, continues to bust records.
The new wave band’s diamond-certified hits collection INXS – The Very Best notched 468 non-consecutive weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart in August, more than any LP currently on the Top 100.
Earlier, in July, the new wave band’s music was given new life in Original Sin – The 7 Sins, a short film directed by Amy Tinkham, and inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Inferno.
Stream INXS’ ‘Need You Tonight’:
APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston paid tribute to the “songwriting artistry” of Farriss and the “greatly missed Michael.”
‘Need You Tonight’ “remains fresh and captivating,” he continues, “and it’s wonderful to see it inspiring a new generation of songwriters and artists. Dua Lipa’s ‘Break My Heart’ is a fantastic song and honours the lasting impact of ‘Need You Tonight.”
The list, which launched in July of 2019, takes into account streaming numbers from all major services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Vevo, Amazon, and Google Play, and serves as a way to recognise the massive success that Australian artists have had with their music.
It’s said to be the first award of its kind to fete a songwriter’s achievement.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.