Hot Fuss

Wouldn't call myself a killers fan but the first half of the album is full of hits. Reminds me of uni. Second half isn't as good All killer(s), half filler..... I'll see myself out

This album was massive and inescapable when it was released, and it's a banger. I believe that as time goes on and the band is less oversaturated in the popular culture, appreciation for this album will grow. Best track: Mr. Brightside

Today, in 2023, I am no longer a 12-year old American boy. No longer am I the pimpled king of "Roller Kingdom," scared to death to meet the eyes of my middle school crush in the adjoining Birthday Party Room. Nor do I wait for the 6:45am bus, scribbling frantic answers to a history worksheet– a poor writing surface, those bus seats!– that has small, pitying holes in it from my erasable pen. These facts put me at an extreme, almost disqualifying disadvantage to rate an album like this. A genuine handicap for an album whose influence is foundational to many of my 2000's peers, but in retrospect may only be a good time if you're deep in Angst Mode. I knew kids who picked up guitar because they listened to this CD! The patron saints of Lazer Zones everywhere. In seriousness. I like my Blur, I like my Arctic Monkeys, I like my Strokes. This is hard to get through. Grating. This shouldn't happen, because I know all the songs already. Halfway through, I'm thinking, "Maybe I'm having fun! Maybe I should sneak one of these songs in at my wedding." Alas. Not Enough Fun. A generous 3 might be possible. But I have dutifully deducted a point for the refrain, "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier," sung forty times behind a gospel choir. That line's been bouncing around in my head since the Roller Kingdom Days, and unfortunately, now illuminated by the scribes of Genius, it yields no special magic. 2/5

** VOMITS LOUDLY **

I find the Killers fatiguing. They fatigued me when I first listened to them when this came out in high school, and they still fatigue me 18 years later. They just zap my energy. I will say, Mr. Brightside is the one bright spot on the album. They really nailed a particular emotion, and it resonates. I was at a karaoke bar in Minneapolis this weekend, and someone sang that song - the whole bar sang along, which was really a blessing since the guy was tone deaf. But the song still resonated, and we could all feel the energy. I watched a Song Exploder episode on one of their songs recently - I like that show, but this episode was boring, it lacked content, and I blame The Killers. The song was not from this album, but it doesn't matter that much because all their stuff sounds kind of the same. It added to my dislike of them, hearing how they could barely articulate where the lyrics came from, or what the song was about. The most compelling moment was when they said the guitar riff sounds like "the desert" - they are from Las Vegas. But the song sounded more like Las Vegas itself - a grotesque manifestation of capitalism, an illusion of prosperity and vitality, a thin veil concealing a vast emptiness. That's how this album makes me feel, and not in a good way.

How is this album better than their greatest hits one

Not ground-breaking, not deep lyrics, but simply banging tune after banging tune.

Love

Amazing

The front of this album is phenomenal, hard to believe they had so many hits on their first release.

Initial thoughts: some good moments shine through but overall the vocals are mediocre and the mixing is terrible. You can tell Mr. Brightside is what they put effort in because they knew it would be the radio hit, everything else is filler so far. Final thoughts: bad. Mixing and vocals stay horrible, lyrics are lame and sometimes misogynistic or slightly transphobic?? Best song: Mr Brightside Worst song: Everything else (specifically On Top, Midnight Show, Everything Will Be Alright)

Booo

Absolute classic - entire album is sublime.

Classic all time rock album

Great album

Plenty of skill there, a great mix of electronic and rock. Kept being surprised at how many great songs kept coming

Hot Fuss is one of the best alternative albums of the 2000's. An absolute classic. "Mr.Brightside" is one of the best songs ever made in the genre and it's popularity proves that. You'll discover something new you love about the album every time you listen. For me this listen, I really appreciated "On Top". 5/5. Favorite Songs: "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It", "All These Things That I've Done", "Jenny Was A Friend of Mine", "Change Your Mind", "On Top"

What a strong debut album. With several hit singles, it's got a great combination of new wave and post punk influenced indie rock.

I felt sure this would be a 5 based on personal history with this record; an actual listen left me feeling it was a 4 but I will maintain my rating based on nostalgia (which is probably wildly inconsistent with other scoring decisions). There were many THE ALBUMS during my college tenure, but this one might have been the most played of all of them. Wore this album out with friends, it was perfect background music for a party, a card game, or a quieter Sunday morning. The Vegas synth vibes are so unique and defining. Every song such a turn from the last, but still cohesive. My recollection was that this was a non-stop 12 tracks of greatness; my revisit made me realize I don't remember the last 3 tracks on it very well at all, and there is a fall off. Strange how memory is. Regardless, there is a 7 song tear here that's unparalleled.

Cuando el primer disco de un grupo es así de bueno luego pueden pasar dos cosas, que se superen (creo que lo hicieron al menos con algunas canciones) o que nunca brillen tanto. Es un grupo que me sigue gustando, pero creo que el impacto general que me causó este disco no lo han repetido. Imprescindible del nuevo siglo. Empieza fuerte con 4 canciones como son "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine", "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It" y "Somebody Told Me". Tiene un parón y remonta con "On Top", "Change Your Mind" y "Believe Me Natalie" para llegar al final catártico de "Everything Will Be Alright". 5 estrellas *****

Not one of the 1000 most valuable albums of all time in my opinion

I don’t know who decided this band was good, but it wasn’t me.

So gooooooooddddd

*inhales* SOMEBODY TOLD ME was no one going to tell me the other killers songs are actually good too? I should have listened to this sooner

Oh I know this one, so many fave Killers songs. Jenny was a friend of mine is a banger opener, love that bass line. A couple songs I did not recognize.

I remember when I first heard “Mr. Brightside” in a middle school PE class where we had to select songs to choreograph a dance too. We played that song 500 times and it never got old. I remember the first time I heard “All These Things That I’ve Done” on the radio on KROQ in my Mom’s Ford Explorer and it stopped me dead in my tracks; I had to know who wrote this; probably the first time I ever felt that. I remember first hearing “Somebody Told Me,” also on the radio, and wondering how a boyfriend could look like a girlfriend. I remember when I finally bought the CD and discovered this band of 3 radio-friendly songs had numerous other hits on the very same debut album; namely, “Jenny,” “Smile,” “Andy,” and, my favorite, ”Change Your Mind.” I remember high school, and feeling ashamed for ever having liked these songs. I remember in college when it became cool to play these songs again, at parties and karaoke and such; later, weddings. I remember Phoebe Bridgers’ atmospheric rise and how she and her moment suddenly made Brandon Flowers “cool” and “significant” again. I remember at one time thinking this album was front-loaded with hits, but listening again, I can attest it is truly front-to-back loaded with hits. Last week, this album hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only because of the nostalgia I have wrapped up inside it. But truly because of how solid and emotional a record it is. How good the songwriting is. How good it all sounds. I have it on CD. The same CD I bought all those years ago—one of the first CDs I ever bought honestly—and still in great condition. The production and mix is awesome. This album and this band is as good as any that came to fruition in the mid-aughts. I’d take this in the same hand I’d take the Strokes debut. And honestly, a comparative study of those two albums might yield an interesting piece on music criticism, fashion trends, song-writing, rock populism, and stardom in the first decade of the century. They are perhaps the two most significant debuts of the era, after all. Sadly, where the troubled Julian Casablancas was heralded as some kind of genius and critical darling, Brandon Flowers was written off as a pop star. When critics turn their back on bands, bands tend to turn their back on critics. And when band’s turn their back on critics, they play for fans. I think you can see that happen to The Killers after this album. Where this album is specific, nuanced, and personal, latter efforts are broad and populist. Where Hot Fuss finds a group of Las Vegas natives stumbling upon songs that would speak to hundreds of millions all across the globe, subsequent efforts finds that same group working to write more songs like that. All I can say is it’s a shame. It’s a shame we didn’t foster and encourage the artistry of a band that gave us one of the best debuts of any era. I’m giving this a 5 for posterity’s sake if nothing else. But Hot Fuss is every bit deserving.

The perfect early 2000s alt-pop album. Hot Fuss is one I revisit a few times a year. The Killers is a solid band all around.

great bass playing, full of classics, and before what i think is their best album. shame they didnt fire on as many cylinders afterwards.

It’s hard to disentangle nostalgia from merit on this album, but I definitely enjoyed listening to it. The songs do a good job of feeling distinct but tied together

Huge nostalgia bump for this one - was popular with the crowd I ran with when I first moved to Japan. "Mr Brightside" is a stonking karaoke tune, but there are a bunch of other tunes I regard fondly too, it turns out. Fave track - toss up between "Mr Brightside", "All These Things That I've Done", and "Somebody Told Me"... They really front loaded this one, eh.

que buena banda the killers

Ja lekker hoor, lekker vrolijk, goede beats en paar echte klassiekers. Misschien iets te poppy/fout, maar ach. 5*

Great album!

Wahnsinn. Teil meiner Jugend. 10/10 für mich!

I really wasn't expecting to give this 5 stars but I don't see any other option. There was a little bit of a lull in after the first half or so, but that first half was pretty incredible.

i'm not sure how it got in my head that this had soured for me, perhaps a slight overdose of mr. brightside and the fact that i maybe never spent as much time with the album as a whole as i thought, but wow does this still hold up start to finish (listened previously) 1 albums listened/heard previously

In a full circle moment, as the album's penultimate track "Everything Will Be Alright" plays, that first curious memory and through today, the absolute satisfaction of an album being more than a single song plays into the rating. While nostalgia is an unreliable judge, here is an album where it gets it right without much if any argument.

Know most of these already

Overplayed but still a classic

such an iconic album. can’t get better than mr bright side and somebody told me when you’re going 2000s. i loved this throwback 😂 also sweet disposition by the temper trap came on after the album ended and nothing can put me in a better mood. such a jam

Fantastic album from start to finish, just straight up good music with a rollercoaster of sounds and feelings starting off just above mid-level, rising up to peak and then gradually coming back down with some fast bumps finally tailing off with a bit more subtlety and delicacy. Full of great hits and not a single bad song among them; this is an album that almost anyone can listen to in some sort of capacity and not really have anything negative to say about it other than a song or two has probably been overplayed when it came out but those were certainly deservedly overplayed.

Maybe I’m just looking for a (mister) bright side right now but this was a nice throwback to arena alt-rock, lots of songs I thoroughly enjoy. Really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, but in terms of surprises, this was a nice one.

Did you know that in Super Metroid if you place bombs in sync to Mr Brightside you can propell yourself up and sequence break?

Throwback, strange to listen through again. Mr bright side isn’t even the best song.

Really liked this. Knew Mr. Brightside from many a club night obviously, but some of the others were surprisingly familiar too.

Fine. I feel like I’m watching TV in the late ‘00s. Full disclosure: I’m pretty bummed and currently not in a music mood. Sorry, The Killers.

Perhaps it’s just the dim aftermath of the events of yesterday that have left me with a disconnected inability to enjoy things, but the numbness I felt while listening to this gave me a pretty “meh” reaction to it. It’s fine.

I was surprised how much I knew some of these songs having never intentionally listened to them. Almost a manufactured in a lab feel. The hits are full on ear worms. The vocals are often obfuscated to probably make up for something lacking or it seems to be just a producer obsessed with a new vocal effect. It's one of the more listenable versions of New Wave. Sonically it can feel a little repetitive at times. Andy, You're a Star had some cool bits. I hate the last track. Started as a high 4 for me but halfway through cracks formed.

So these are the lads who did "I've got ham but I'm not a hamster"?

Not super into it, but it wasn't bad either. The Killers are good at writing tunes that are catchy at first but don't have a lot of real substance. But there's nothing in their music I actively dislike, so I guess it's a solid "average" record for me.

Corporate indie for elliptical machines and hockey games. Super high-energy hype up music expertly assembling the most excitable elements of millennial guitar rock from alt rock, emo & pop-punk, post-rock and garage revival (epic reverby guitars, driving bass, synth hooks, marching drums) to create an explosive anthemic sound. They blow their wad on track two with Mr Brightside though and the rest can't reach that level. A compilation of the best of Killers, Bloc Party, Snow Patrol, Twilight Sad, post Is This It Strokes, mid-career Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, the Arcade Fire jock jams and all the other bands from this era that sound like this would be an awesome CD-length album representing the last gasps and final dying fling of guitar rock. But there's too much samey filler on this album and oh my god the 'soul not a soldier' and 'INDIE ROCK AND ROLL' bits made me throw my headphones into the bin. What about this makes it sound incredibly British?

literally only tried for the first three songs, they're calling it the worst closer in history, tragic loss of life, etcetera, etcetera.

Good pop-alt rock, but overall it does feel like it lacks something to make it special outside of the popular singles

It's like Wonder bread.. flavorless, mushy, boring, soft and pale white.

Never listened to this album end to end before, but felt like I had already such was and is the frequency with which they seem to get air time. Not really my bag. Over produced to hide a poor vocal performance, and the songwriting seems to become progressively more low-effort stadium rock towards the end. Stinks of trying to wrap up an album because you've already written the money-makers. Generous 2.

U2 have a lot to answer for. Soulless arena rock for chartered accountants. Stopped after 4 songs and put on Spirit of Eden 😡.

You can boil this record down to three or four things: Two hit singles A bunch of U2 impersonations A couple Beatles impersonations And the dumbest lyric your ever heard: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier…” I don’t know about you, but when I think about people who have soul, soldiers are the first people that come to mind…you know how they’re always following and not questioning orders…very soulful. Also, bold choice to include a song with the refrain “It’s Indie Rock and Roll for me” on your MAJOR LABEL DEBUT. Maybe it’s making fun of indie purists like myself (which I doubt, this band is too dumb for that), but the lyrics are too vague and devoid of any real meaning to actually tell what the song is about. This is “indie rock” for people who couldn’t tell you if “Matador Records” was a record label or just another way of saying “Bullfighting Statistics”.

Womp womp

[9/10] Absolutely slammin for a debut. They figured it out immediately

One of my favorite go to albums. It’s front loaded with the hits, but the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint. People know this album for Mr Brightside, but the star of the collection is All These Things That I Have Done.

Amazing album. The first half of the album has the famous tracks, but honestly the second half may be the better part of the album. Some really awesome slow-burn jams on the second half, including Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll, which should've been just as famous as Mr. Brightside. One of the best albums we've had so far.

Loved it

All great songs on this album. Mr Brightside was a classic. Absolutely love it.

I know I'm doing this to broaden my music taste but the first 5 of my profile HAS to go to this album. Obviously, I've listened to it a few times beforehand but it was nice to really digest it. Brandon's vocals were incredible as always. I'm going on a bit of a ramble but this is a 9/10 album EASILY. I'd love to see Sam's Town on here some day.

One of the greatest albums ever

Not an unpleasant listen Strange it reminds me of 90's British pop rock. Good catchy riffs abd enjoyable lyrics

Ich habe mir auf meiner Hochzeit 2 Lieder beim DJ gewünscht: Brings - Kölsche Jung The Killers - Mr. Brightside Den kompletten Text auf meiner Hochzeit mitzugröhlen einfach toll in Erinnerung geblieben. Aber auch einfach ein Knaller auf jeder Party und für mich ein Top 10 aller Zeiten Lied. Wer das nicht mitsingen kann, verpasst was. Somebody told me auch 5/5. Hab nie das ganze Album gehört, hat mir top gefallen. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Mr. Brightside, Somebody told me

Great album with some massive hits.

Formative for a generation, without being dated. “It’s indie rock and roll for me.”

C/K: 8/10, love it so much, a couple of maybe-skips but mostly hit after hit, love how cinematic it gets, never boring.

I have a lot to say about this album. I was raised in a very conservative household, and wasn’t allowed to listen to “secular” music for most of my childhood. In middle school in the late 90’s I was exposed to pop radio and snuck in some MTV, and by early high school I was burning CD mix tapes with music I liked. But then my family moved out into the country where internet availability was very poor for the first couple of years we lived there. We had satellite TV, and my music consumption mostly came from listening to the various DISH music stations. One night I was flipping through these stations when I heard a song called Mr. Brightside. I do not recall a song before or since that floored me like it did. I was a bit of a socially inept kid in those days, and something about the lyrics and the passion in the song connected with me like I’d never felt before. I had to hear more, and I spent night after night flipping through the DISH music stations and MTV/VH1 hoping Mr. Brightside would play. I eventually got my hands on Hot Fuss and discovered The Killers were far from a one hit wonder, and it became my favorite album from my high school years. Twenty years later (whoa…), it’s still one of my all time favorites, and I’ve never tired of Mr. Brightside even though it’s probably the song I’ve heard most in my lifetime. It’s one of those albums that makes me question what is the purpose of music critics: it was not well received at the time by critics even though it was clearly a millennial masterpiece. I’m a pretty big consumer of recorded music from all over the past 60 years, and I think it was a watershed moment in the evolution of rock and roll. Other rock bands may have incorporated elements of dance music and glam before them, and the influence of The Strokes and Oasis is obvious, but The Killers found gold in a mix of influences and sounds that made Hot Fuss a masterpiece. The production is excellent: big, bombastic, and clear. It also has, I’d argue with all sincerity, one of the best starting five song runs of all time. The Beatles, Stones, Michael Jackson, Bowie, Stevie Wonder… none of these all time greats had a starting 5 song run as good as Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Mr. Brightside, Smile Like You Mean It, Somebody Told Me, and All These Things That I Have Done. I’m not kidding. The second half does not hold up to the first. How could it? It is still very good though, and songs like Change Your Mind and especially Believe Me Natalie are deserving of high praise. As big as this album was, I think it’s criminally underrated as a full record, probably in part because of how popular a song Mr. Brightside still is (nearing 2.5 billion listens on Spotify as of this writing). One of the true great pieces of art of the millennial generation.

Favourite tracks: Jenny was a friend of mine; Mr brightside; smile like you mean it; somebody told me; all these things that I've done; on top

Sometime in 2004, I was a poor student living in London trying to make an impression on my younger brother who was visiting my humble home for a week. I rushed out to the local Virgin Megastore and picked up a recently released album by a band that was getting a lot of hype from the British music press. That band was The Killers and that album got played non-stop that week. All this to say that in no way can I be objective about this album—it came out at a pivotal time in my life and was a listening experience shared with some of the people closest to me. With that out of the way, let's talk facts! Hot Fuss was a defining album of the early 2000s, ushering in a new wave of indie rock alongside contemporaries like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol. Most bands would be delighted to pen just one track that transcends eras and becomes a cultural staple. The Killers produced two in the form of “Somebody Told Me” and "Mr. Brightside," a track allegedly written in 10 minutes. Its blend of catchy melodies, polished production, and emotional depth made it accessible across genres. Everyone was listening to it, regardless of race, gender, or age. The album is heavily influenced by 1980s synth-pop and 1990s Britpop, with a mix of glam, rock, and electronic elements. Yes, the band wore their influences—Duran Duran, The Smiths, and New Order—on their sleeves, sometimes to a fault, but the end result was so accomplished that this felt like a continuation rather than a photocopy. Most of all, the album rarely lags, providing hook after hook. Dave Keuning is channelling his Brian May dreams, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. is a powerhouse whose propulsive energy drives the album's pacing, while Mark Stoermer anchors the band's rhythm and contributes harmonies. It wouldn't be the same without Brandon Flowers, whose voice carries both emotional weight and charisma—not bad for a Mormon. Hot Fuss is The Killers' most immediate album, filled with electrifying hooks and fresh energy. It is telling that they would never reproduce this form—after all, few bands could. But for a brief moment, The Killers' debut album set the world ablaze. Did/Do I own this release? Yes, on CD. Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? Yes Will I be listening to it again? Every time I hear these tracks it throws me right back.

Sound of my childhood. Got weirdly emotional listening to it again.

It’s hard to deny an album which has contributed so much to excellent karaoke nights.

This came out when I was in my early teens - the songs were massive, and are still everywhere. When listening, the songs have aged well and it's a strong album back-to-back. All These Things That I've Done is a classic

So many hit singles on this album. A really great listen. Incredible debut for the band.

The Killers - killing it. Love this album! Five stars and an addition to my Tidal library.

In my opinion it might be one of the best, or most important indie albums of 2000s. In my mind this record started a mini-revolution of those soft rock/emo bands that are just perfect for a long sitting in a pub on Friday night. Great album, where every song has its own merits - not perfect, but very entertaining, simple but stylish. Small symbol of early 2000s.

Banger after banger

I'm a fan of the Killers, and this is my favourite album of theirs. I was happy to see it show up, it's always a pleasure to listen through. I think All These Things That I've Done is my favourite track.

Great album

Love this album! I've listened to Day and Age a million times, but somehow never listened to this one cover to cover. It isnt as slick as Day and age, but still has some real bangers.

Really enjoyed this. Those singles are just fantastic. But the whole album is great.

I knew what my rating for this would be instantly. What an album! We had Hot Fuss on cd growing up so these songs brought back a lot of nostalgia. I listen to half of these songs all the time, but it was nice to go back and hear the whole thing in full This album was banger after banger, and what a way to start the album with those first 5 songs!! Also they are so fucking good live, it makes me love these songs even more Muah chef's kiss 5 ⭐️

Classic indie album. Every track is a banger

Front loaded with so many good tracks, but it plummets after Believe Me Natalie. I’ll always return to this one, though.

I’m significantly familiar with the Killers as a band, but I’ve never listened to this album in full and I LOVED it. A huge fan of this and yes a little bias because I’ve grown up with a couple of these songs for a while but I really like it.

yes

Classic album, brought back memories of being 18

Most of these songs are 4 stars for me but I liked Mr. Brightside a lot so I’m going to give this a 5

Iconic hits, solid all the way through! 4.5.

I wanted to write a lot, but I'm lazy so I won't. This album has a ridiculous 7 song tear of greatness. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Easily one of the best albums of the decade

Easy 5 stars for me. It does lose some steam towards the end but ends with a strong song.

One of the bands that started my music journey in the early 2000s. Hell of a debut and I can't help but be nostalgic for it.

I love this album and I refuse to admit it's flaws. It might be slightly repetitive and it might rely too heavily on distorted/fuzzed vocals. It might overuse synth and play it too safe but for the era it was a defining jewel of the alt-rock 00's. Fav Track: Believe Me Natalie

It’s hard to believe Hot Fuss has been around for twenty years. This album practically defined mid-2000s indie rock, and it still holds up. Listening takes me right back to shouting, “Hey shut up!” in the backseat of a friend’s car along with Andy, You’re a Star, or trying my best to sing Somebody Told Me on Singstar (though maybe without the rapturous applause I clearly deserved). Hot Fuss is packed with brilliant, anthemic tracks that demand a sing-along. What’s surprising, to me, is how strong the album’s second half is; even though the opening tracks got more radio play, every song here shines. Tracks like All These Things That I’ve Done and On Top showcase just how much range The Killers were aiming for, layering Brandon Flowers’ unmistakable vocals with that soaring, synth-heavy sound. Though the band’s later albums have their own highlights, Hot Fuss will always have a special place in my heart. It’s a debut that feels timeless, still every bit as exciting and raw as it was back then. Standout Song: Mr. Brightside Score: 5/5

Great album with very recognizable songs

Loved this album since its release. No skips.