Listen Like Thieves
by INXS

Listen Like Thieves by INXS
Year: 1985
Release date: 1985-10-14
Overall rank: 3,598th   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
73/100 (from 164 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1985 (45th)
Award Top albums of of the 1980s (530th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,598th)

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INXS bestography

Listen Like Thieves is ranked 3rd best out of 17 albums by INXS on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by INXS is Kick which is ranked number 628 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 2,704.

INXS album bestography « Higher ranked (3,246th)
The Swing
This album (3,598th)
Listen Like Thieves
Lower ranked (4,410th) »
X

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Listen Like Thieves rankings

Listen Like Thieves rankings summary
Overall rank: 3,598th | 1980s rank: 530th | 1985 rank: 45th  Overall chart history
(Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings). (Last updated: 5 hours ago).

Listen Like Thieves collection

Listen Like Thieves ratings

Average Rating: 
73/100 (from 164 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album.  | Show all 164 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
65/100
 !
07/26/2026 02:28 xhitmanx  Ratings distribution  1,57274/100
 
80/100
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06/02/2026 22:26 BorderFreeAndrew  Ratings distribution  15,71374/100
 
80/100
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01/13/2026 21:29 traistboar  Ratings distribution  1,75379/100
 
100/100
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12/18/2025 01:38 Devilwoac  Ratings distribution  1,40097/100
 
60/100
 !
11/12/2025 23:33 NYAndreas  Ratings distribution  1,43344/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album has a Bayesian average rating of 73.1/100, a mean average of 72.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 73.2/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.0.


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Listen Like Thieves comments

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Rating:  
70/100
Through their previous three albums ‘Underneath the Colours’, ‘Shabooh Shoobah’ and most notable ‘The Swing’ INXS had slowly built their reputation to become one of Australia’s premier bands. So when ‘Listen Like Thieves’ hit in 1985 with its suit of smash hit singles there was no debate - INXS had risen to undeniably without question become Australia’s number one artist
I recall seeing INXS on the Listen Like Thieves tour and by then they were playing massive outdoor theatres playing to 50,000 having well and truely outgrown any indoor venues

However this album was INXS’ breakthrough album in America eventually cracking the US top 10 and setting the scene for superstardom with follow up ‘ Kick’

My favourite INXS album except for the filler instrumental track “ Three Sisters” ( what were they thinking?)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
The album from the time I got into INXS and probably the most listened to after Kick. More of a straight up rock album that still sounds good today. The four singles are obvious highlights but Shine Like It Does is my personal favourite. Although Kick was my favourite album full-stop for a long while I think other INXS albums (this one included) have aged better.
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Rating:  
80/100
From 01/09/2015 17:09 | #131139
perhaps not as good as Kick but it has a 'looser, more relaxed' feel to it.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 12/03/2014 01:11 | #128557
Kiss The Dirt is the best track on this album
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
30/100
From 04/26/2014 21:39 | #110162
they wanted it all - and they got it - after this one. but it's a clear pointer to kick.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
Not quite on the level of Kick and X, but still worthwhile. INXS has found their sound, but aren't as confident as they were on Kick.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 11/18/2012 23:55 | #55427
INXS best album,
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
It becomes obvious with the first track "What You Need" that INXS was shooting for international superstardom with Listen Like Thieves. "What You Need" was after all their first American Top 10 Hit in 1986, peaking at #6 on the Billboard charts. The title track and "Kiss The Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain" (one of their best tracks they ever recorded) continue this winning streak, however beyond these tracks it becomes apparent that the band's Aussie edge has been tempered somewhat. As a result the remainder of the album is a hit or miss affair. The hits ("Shine Like It Does," "Biting Bullets," "This Time" and "Red Red Sun") are memorable while the misses, while not bad, are somewhat less memorable. More success would be in store for the group with the follow-up Kick.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 05/26/2012 17:40 | #43036
Meh. Its OK.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 05/19/2012 00:00 | #42668
Good album! This album feels a lot more put-together than their previous ones did, all the pieces are in place.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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