Hot Fuss

Love love love

didn't see it coming, but it's an easy five stars — such a pleasure

I mean… a classic.

Yeah, we all know it. It's a huge album for my generation (oh god! Did I just say that out loud?!). Yep, the singer's not very likeable. And apparently they're massive bible bashers. Oh, and 'Mr Brightside' is a massive 'woo girl' anthem (is it still in the charts?). Still, it's a good album. But, is it good the whole way through? Tracks 1 - 5 are well known. Love them or hate them, they are important. I could take or leave 'Mr Brightside' (because I'm just a hipster like that). But the rest are decent, catchy and well produced songs. And, it might be a little cheesy, but I've always been a big fan of the closer 'Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll'. However, there's that group of songs inbetween. I have never owned this album, but feel like I've heard it many times, until this grey area. So, let's review: Andy, You're a Star - not bad! On Top - Still, alright! Change your mind - I like this little synth song, I really do Believe me Natalie - Yuck Midnight Show - Meh Everything Will Be Alright - It's alright... A little top heavy, but still an important album and worthy of it's ranking. 5 stars.

Absolute banger of an album with a handful of timeless anthems. If I could give half stars I’d give it 4.5, so I’ll round up to 5.

One of my favorite albums. Great from the opening bass line on Jenny Was a Friend of Mine. Mr Brightside is the rock anthem of the century. I love every single song on this album. Favorites are All These Things That I’ve Done (a perfect rock song), Change Your Mind, and Jenny… It’s cool that all the songs sound so different but the album still feels like one piece of work. The various parts of the songs and the way they transition through those parts is really amazing. Great percussion. Brandon Flowers is maybe the best vocalist of the last 20 years. All around greatness. 5 stars.

Incredible album, filled to the brim with anthems, fantastic production that gives every song a depth/weight that was rare for indie rock in the early oughts. My only criticism is closing the album with the track they did, I feel like it's the weakest song on the album and should have been swapped with Everything is Alright. That said, still on my top 20 all time.

Love it

One of the best debut albums ever. It's amazing to think that they came out of the gate with so many great songs. It's also held better than most of the big albums from 2004-2005 (other than being overplayed).

Oh, The Killers. When this album first came out, I hated “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” I can’t even remember why I hated them, but I was definitely not into this album. And then a few years later, “When You Were Young” was on one of the Guitar Hero games, and I fell in love these guys. After getting hooked on Sam’s Town, I gave Hot Fuss a shot, and I really loved it. I haven’t listened to all of Hot Fuss in quite a while though. I knew I was going to get to review it at some point, and I also tend to gravitate towards Sam’s Town when I want to listen to The Killers (that might wind up being my addition to the list when I’m done). I’m really pumped to fire this album up today! I’ll admit, I was worried that this album had possibly soured on me since the last time I listened to it. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all, because Hot Fuss absolutely rules. With the exception of “Everything Will Be Alright,” every song on this album is incredible. The guitars, the synths, the drumming, the bass, the vocals, the songwriting. Every aspect of this album is incredible, and each song offers something new and unique, and despite that, Hot Fuss is an incredibly cohesive album. This is everything I could want in an album, and I hate that I went so long without listening to it, because I didn’t want to spoil my review. Oh well, live and learn. Now I can listen to this all the damn time, and I intend to. And because I love this album so much, here’s my notes on each song: “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine” is a hell of an opening track. The intro is fantastic, and the bass and synths are incredible. The guitar on the chorus is fantastic, I just love that chord progression so much. “Mr. Brightside” is still an all-time jam, even 21 years later. The guitar and synth are just perfect. The lyrics are great too, and the little tweaks to how Brandon Flowers does his vocals throughout the song are incredible. This is just an amazing song in every way. Those lead-in guitar notes are perfect, and the drumming kicks so much ass. Just a masterpiece of a song. The outro is perfect too, and it makes me wish this song would never end. “Smile Like You Mean It” has more incredible synths. The bridge is wonderful too, with stellar guitar playing and awesome vocal effects. “Somebody Told Me” has more amazing guitars and synths. The lyrics and vocals are great too, and so is the bass. What I really love on this song though, is that double kick drum on the lead-in to the chorus. Inject that straight into my veins. As amazing as these first four songs are, “All These Things That I’ve Done” is probably my favorite Killers song. I love the drumming coming out of the intro into the first verse, because it always gets my blood flowing. This is easily my favorite Killers song to sing along to. The guitar playing is great, and so is the drumming. The song gets better and better as it goes along. Fantastic lyrics too. Man, this song makes me want to run through a brick wall. That choir section at the end is absolute perfection. “Andy You’re A Star” is good, but it’s at its best at the end of the song. I love those choral vocals making another appearance here too. The distortion on the guitar playing is great. The synths used for “On Top” are some of my favorite on the album; they go so well with the guitar playing. The lyrics and vocals are excellent too, and I just love the way the song flows. There’s another awesome bridge on this song too. That line ‘It’s like a cigarette in the mouth or a handshake in the doorway’ is so awesome. I love the way Brandon sings it. I love the bass and synths on “Change Your Mind.” It’s such a different vibe from the other songs, and I love how bright and fun it is. The lyrics and vocals are excellent too. The drumming and bass on “Believe Me Natalie” are amazing, and the synths are great too. I love that the synths are underneath everything and not in the driver’s seat for most of this one, but when they take over towards the end, it’s incredible. The bass and guitar on “Midnight Show” are fantastic. Another really unique song on this album. I love how the musical elements are used in such different ways throughout the album. “Everything Will Be Alright” is my least favorite song on the album. The vocal effects are a big turn-off, but the synths are still really strong. Hot Fuss is an amazing album, and I had a total blast listening to it today. This is easily one of my favorite albums of the aughts, and one of my favorite albums of all time. What a debut from The Killers.

Man I love the Killers.

Just a great early 2000's alternative rock album. It blows my mind that they still rock out to Mr. Brightside at bars 21 years later too.

Banging debut album, half a dozen top drawer tracks

I mean, we start off hot with “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine”. I didn’t believe the murder theory when I was younger but it makes more sense now… God the keyboard is just so juicy and perfect and amazing. No matter what time of day I listen to this, it just makes me feel like I am listening to this in the dark either alone in my closet or like while driving really fast down the highway. I do not know how they maintain that energy throughout this entire album. It does lull a liltle bit around tracks 8 & 9 but those are just their naturally slower songs. Then we have “Mr. Brightside” an obvious classic. We love. “Smile Like You Mean It” a mf banger. “Somebody Told Me” a mf banger. “All These Things That I’ve Done” I mean when do you see a slew of FIVE SONGS LIKE THIS that just rock so hard. ‘Time, truth, and hearts” It is SOOO OF THE TIMES. 2005 baby. The best times. I freaking forgot about “Andy, You’re A Star” make that SIX SONGS IN A ROW. I’m pretty sure that “On Top” I forgot how much momentum this album really has until tracks 8 & 9. 8 & 9 are not necessarily slower or bad by any means. We’ll discuss when we get there. “On Top” another high energy really great keyboard post-punk song. “Change Your Mind” (Track 8) I forgot this song is a banger too. So not sure why I’m being negative about it. “Believe Me Natalie” is great too. “Midnight Show” did he murder her? Idk man. I think this album is more Indie sleaze than true crime but maybe that’s just what I want to believe. “Everything WILL Be Alright” is right. “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” was a very pivotal song/moment for me. 10/10. No notes.

endlessly listenable, danceable, and important to 00s indie. where would we even be right now without mr. brightside, i shudder to think....the uk might not even exist at all.......

i think the killers remain really germain to their sound whilst also having a diverse variety of moods and tones, really so many songs for so many feelings. the album still feels really complete tho. JEALOUSYYYYYY TURNING SPACE INTO THE SEAAAAA

In the words of an indie rock redditor: “Boomers have Sweet Caroline, Gen X has Don't Stop Believing, and Millennials have Mr. Brightside.” This album is front loaded with hits. While Brightside proved to be most enduring, it was fun to revisit the others, especially All These Things That I’ve Done. Loses its steam toward the very end, especially the last song, but overall highly listenable. Plays a bit dated now but can’t deny the defining sound of the early aughts. 4.5 rounded up.

I was originally going to give this a 4 before I did a re-listen. I always forget that this album is is nothing but absolute bangers the whole way through.

uhhh freu mi no easy, kenn nur mr. brightside und au das ehrlich gseit nödso guet jenny isch jz nüt insane speziells aber git gueti stimmig DAAAMN ich han gwüsst, dass mr. brightside beliebt isch aber das isch ja ganz krass es isch au seehr en coole song es bizli erinnerets mich ah my chemical romance, eifach weniger theatralisch hahaha eifach zwei mal genau de glich text smile like you mean it ischmer jz chli zu apathisch aber easy OMG stimmt somebody told me isch ja au vo ihne de synthi isch schono lustig de vocal effect fangt aber ah chli nerve andy you're a star het na es cools riff und de uufbau zum schluss lohnt sich mega! s ganze entspannt sich wie hindergrundgsang super ouh und de stereo isch na fun, ischmer erst jz ufgfalle FUNNY SYNTHI hahaha iwie hanis gfühl "ufem papier" müsst mier on top nöd megaa gfalle aber ich gnüsses huere die "befreiende" refrains hets mega druff, macht das iwie sinn? hahahah au glamorous indie rocknroll müsstmer iwie nödso gfalle, iwie würdis suscht chli lame finde aber es slappt eifach?? und au wieder mega mcr für mich de switch bi natalie isch suuper hä scho wieder ischs ufeme 5er-kurs oder bin ich übermüetig DRIIIVE FASTER BBBOOOYY everything will ne alright isch na cool als closer, als lied ischs eifach ok 4 oder 5 fuck hahahah weisses nanig jaa you know the drill NOMAL ich lieb amdy you're a star

Very cool. More hits on it than I remembered. No bad songs really.

Noniin. Tämä ei silloin ilmestyessään herättänyt sen kummempia tunteita. Tietysti Mr. Brightside oli (ja on) ihan ykköskorin bängeri, mutta muuten en ihan hirveästi tästä levystä innostunut. No sitten 2015 ilmestyi Brandon Flowersin soololevy Desired Effect, josta itseeni iski välittömästi parikin biisiä todella lujaa. Sen innoittamana palasin sitten Killersiinkin, ja erityisesti tämä levy olikin +10 vuotta ilmestymisensä jälkeen muuttunut ihan hemmetin raikkaaksi ja hyväksi. Nyt viimeisen kymmenen vuoden aikana olen kuunnellut tämän levyn lukemattomia kertoja, mutta siltikään ei harmita että se tuli tässä haasteessa vastaan, vaan oikein mielelläni kuuntelin sen jälleen kerran uudestaan. Tässä on jo mainitun Mr. Brightsiden lisäksi itselle todella rakkaiksi muodostuneita biisejä useampikin. Jenny was a friend of mine, Smile like you mean it, All these things that I've done, Andy you're a star, Change your mind sekä Glamorous indie rock'n'roll. Sitten kun fillereinä on vielä Somebody told me'n, On topin ja Midnight show'n kaltaisia biisejä, niin onhan tämä ihan kirkkaasti viiden tähden levy. Brandon Flowersin ääni jakaa mielipiteitä, itse suorastaan jopa rakastan sitä. Siihen kun lyö pinnassa olevat tiukat bassottelut, hienot synat ja hurjat toisiaan seuraavat rumpufillit, niin puhutaan kokonaisuudessaan itselleni jopa ihan kaikkien aikojen top 5 suosikkibändeistä.

Excellent album

"I'm so much older than I can take." This came out when I was a senior in high school. I’m learning that I have a strong inclination towards nostalgia. I don’t think I would have regarded it so highly even then, but grandiose sentimentality ages well.

Man, this album is great. Just banger after banger. What a debut!

Good album

I’m already a big killers fan, but this album is so good! Probably a real score of 4.5/5 but still great

Like them or hate them, The Killers are one of the biggest rock bands in the last 20 years.

Tolles Rock-Album, geht gut ab. 5/5

Modern classic

mr. brightside literally takes me over like it's a psychological pathogen and the only symptom is having an awesome time

COMIN OUTTA MY CAGE AND IVE BEEN DOIN JUST FINE

Outstanding. debut Jenny was a friend of mine Mr. brightside Somebody told me

As far as debut albums go, this is one of the best. The singles from this album aline warrant 5 stars. As a whole I do prefer ‘Sam’s Town’ as I think it flows better as a complete record. But that takes nothing away from this brilliant album.

Ahh, memories.

Super fun. Not the Strokes, but pretty awesome nevertheless.

A millennial classic.

The soundtrack to my uni days. Mr Brightside will never die.

Killer drums. Buttery smooth lyrics. Give me this album, on an open highway, in the outskirts of the city, at any dark hour of the night. 5 outta 5.

Brilliant album

Always a favorite

Forgot what a great album this was start to finish. Could be the college nostalgia but it really is great to listen to and is basically one hit after another.

Oh hell yeah! This is high school all over again in the best way.

82/100 one thing i think is weird is that i prefer the streaming version over the physical version which is very very rare for me but overall, this is an incredible album, mr. brightside and somebody told me are uk classics and have slated the killers into british music history, and music history in general. on top of that, the two closers to the album, depending on which versions you go to, everything will be alright and glamorous indie rock & roll (not the record version that's abysmal) are both also 10/10's and show peak the killers for me. they went 12/12 on this album and there are only two songs i would say i have issues with and that's the record version of glamorous indie rock & roll because it truly is just a demo lmaooo but not the good kind that shows potential it just makes me distrust the streaming version despite the fact i've listened to it countless times and know it's insane quality. the only other song i'd have an issue with is change your mind, it doesn't feel like a hot fuss song necessarily, it sounds like midnight show had a baby during an affair with blur and they just tagged onto the hot fuss family, if you get what i mean. but other than that, this is a nearly perfect album to me, one that i'd heard previous to this project and can 1000% say that it deserves a spot on this list and is one that really will be hard to top for me. maybe it'll take a year on this project to pull one out that tops it lol

Highly influential to me and probably one of the first records where I branched away from my dad's music collection and taste. One of those albums where each song has been my favourite at some point (also weird hearing Change Your Mind on this album as the UK version didn't have it).

I wanted to listen to this one for a quite long time, but kept forgetting about it, lol. It's finally time to give it a listen! So, I found it quite similar to Interpol's "Turn on the bright lights", mostly vocals. Probably because they share the same post-punk revival genre. But "Hot fuss" is a bit more pop-sounding and it perfectly suits the album's vibes. Finally something that I did truly enjoy.

First CD I ever owned. What a debut!! This thing is packed with bangers from beginning to end (except indie rock n roll is just ok IMO).

PEAK!!!!!!!!!!

I’ll try my best to judge this by its merits alone and not that they released one of my favorite albums of the current decade. Still, their very first album rocks. So many bangers - 0 skips - 5 stars.

One of the best albums of the 2000's by one of the best bands of the past 20 years.

Listening to this album was like meeting an old friend. One that I'm familiar with but for some reason, haven't kept up with. This album falters a bit at the end, but starts off super strong and is overall fantastic! 'Mr. Brightside' is an easy to point to banger, but I grew up with 'Somebody Told Me' as my anthem. It's a hard tossup between both for a fave.

I saw The Killers live when they were touring to support this album. They played it in its entirety plus maybe one more song. It was probably the shortest show I've ever seen but was great nonetheless.

teraz si uvedomujem ze vobec neviem ratovat albumy. Kazdopadne tento album som si uzil cely boli tam trochu slabsie momenty no na zaklade mojich predoslich hodnoteni davam 5. Overall dost dobre taky strong 8 / light 9 asi. ale treba to brat s rezervou lebo neviem co robim

For what it’s worth, I think ‘Mr brightside’ is as close to a rock anthem as we American millennials ever got, even though it didn’t feel huge at the time. One of those songs you didn’t realize you knew all the words to until it’s 11pm at a wedding and you’re belting it out with everyone else. The rest of this album is very solid too, even if it has a few goofy moments (I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier. Ok. Cool. What?) within otherwise good songs. I don’t know - I would never consider myself a killers fan but on this listen I hear a lot of good stuff. I may be grading on a curve with the sad state of rock in the 21st century but I’m feeling generous.

Was pretty amped when I saw this, so I went “sit-down & headphone” for this one. Major bias alert 😂 This album dropped when I was going full stream buying 99 cents singles on iTunes. The four hits on this have been weaving in and out of my memories for the last 20 years. Truly a coming of age album for me. And oddly enough, I dig some of this more than what I used to. Jenny was a friend of mine, Change your mind were great additions on top of the mega hits. All around, great tunes, real emotion, longstanding value. 5/5

Lively and fun—I love Mr. Brightside.

so fucking peak

Another banger. Album holds up and has lots of great songs. It's phenomenal and I really enjoyed.

Good classic album

It has Mr. Brightside on it. No more need of add antyhing

Bangers Galore !

So many feelings about this album, lovely to see you old friend

Solid

cmon now, an all time classic from front to back. Your coworkers will love it - and you will too.

the gay undertones of this mormon album. brandon flowers let’s get that eyeliner back on and sing about boys wrestling again! genuinely tho an album that changed my life. hit after hit from m’boys

This is such a weird album that shouldn't work an american band that was influenced by eurotrash electro bands. I played this album to death when it came out. and when I came out. Andy your a star has such a place in my heart. I burnt out of listening to this eventually but listening again I now know why I listened to it so much. its one great song after another. and what a well conceived album from start to finish sonically. It's a perfect album in its time and place. Everything that people don't like about the album is why it works. its just so off kilter but that's the point. of course its a five.

Completely get all the Fuss over this album. Love it.

this albummm this album is so nostalgic to me. not only are the vibes creepy dancy and otherwise immaculate but somebody told me reminds me of playing badminton in gym class when it would always come on the radio, all these things that i’ve done reminds me of the time i was at a house party back in the day and the guy i was madly in love with (older, drove a mustang, extremely cool) asked “hey do you like the killers” and put it on (i swooned), and mr brightside has been and always will be an absolute white girl anthem, and of course i can’t forget about the fact that they sparked my decade long obsession with mormonism and other nice religious groups (idk either bruh) i love u brandon flowers i love the killers yes. however this is actually not my favourite album of theirs (gasp) so it’s a 4.5 but ill round up because why not

Half the songs on this album have been staples of my life since 2004. Of course I like this for the nostalgia but it’s also just a good record. Murder mystery, a diss track to a childhood bully, gospel choirs, strong guitar riffs and THE white person party anthem of the past 20 years… you can’t really go wrong.

This album is one of my favourites of all time. Of course, everyone knows Mr. Brightside; but there are so many other songs on this record. The first half of the album is more surface-level, but the back half does not disappoint in any capacity. It is made up of more emotional sounding, rawer pieces. This album goes from sounding really happy and upbeat, to melancholy and sad. I really do think that it’s a wonderful album, and The Killers’ best work. 10/10

Absolute classic

Easy 5 stars. So many killer songs …. See what I did there??

this came out when i was 13 and me and my best friend listened to it every time we met for just about two years. absolute core memories.

One of my fave albums. So fun all the way through

Locked in. What a blast to listen to. Is it perfect? No. Is it a 5-star joyride? Absolutely. One of my favorite albums from the early- to mid-2000's.

One of the best indie albums of all time, hit fulled to fuck

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. I’ve listened to this album I don’t know how many times. Modern classic to say the least. This one had a bonus track called Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll at the end which was cool.

CAUSE IM MR BRIIIIIGHTSIDE

such an amazing album, listened to the album multiple times now and had to change from 4 to 5!

Banger after banger AND every song is good. The vocals are a perfect pair for the instrumentals. Expectations were high, and it delivered; just a really fun album. Favourite Song: Mr. Brightside Honourable Mentions: On Top, All These Things That I've Done, Change Your Mind, Somebody Told Me

Vaya temazos en el disco súper míticos, no sabía que estaban todos en el mismo disco. Para tenerlo en consideración y recordarlo para el futuro, he recordado a Camerón Díaz cantando it was only a kiss!

Mood

BANGER

Crazy good, crazy catchy, crazy Killers. I've listened to this and Sam's Town countless times and will probably never get bored of them. The way Flowers almost never truly hits a clean note on this is impressive. Catch the UK version so you get the superior 'Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll' instead of 'Change Your Mind'.

When “Mr. Brightside” is one of the first songs you write as a band, it should be smooth sailing from there. My Danish edition of the book told me to listen to the version with “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” on it - lucky, as it’s easily the superior track. It would have almost made sense as a track on The Black Parade; killer track. Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town was quite the one-two combo, influencing the direction of rock in the 2000’s.

8.5 / 10 - Album full of classic british bangers, tunes that are still sung and known today

may be biased, love the killers albums filled with hits and iconic songs

An album packed with Killer(s)-songs. Every time a fun listen. Easy five stars for me.

Never actually listened to the full album, and didn’t realized that it basically contains all their jams.

I've got soul but I'm not a soldier.

Also hadn’t heard this in about a decade & surpassed my memory of it. Real good

Mr Brightside remains the GOAT song of the 21st century

I love this album. Every single is great. I haven't listened much to some of the songs, but they're all good Killers songs. Mr. Brightside and Smile Like You Mean It are two of my all-time favorites.

Absolute banger.

To jest mój gimnazjalny klasyk. Słuchałam tej płyty do upadłego. Łączy syntezatory, rock i emo w taki bardzo znośny miks. No i jest na niej hymn millenialsów. 8.5/10 równane w górę.

Oh this is 5 I don't need to listen (I did). Thought my mum was having a mid life crisis when she bought this on CD to play in the car. So nostalgic.

I absolutely love this album. It's nostalgic but still fresh, and nearly every track is a banger.

I fukin love this album (Mr Brightside was My fav song in 2021)

now i see what all the hot fuss was about

The Killers’ 2004 debut album “Hot Fuss” opens with five hits that are some of the most-known rock songs of the 21st century. “Mr. Brightside” is the peak, and the most memeable and iconic, but the others are just as memorable. “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” wasn’t even a single, and yet is still fairly permeated in the culture. Those five tracks are the most known, but the rest of the album is just as strong. “Believe Me Natalie” is probably my favorite of the rest, but they are all terrific. The Killers crafted a sound that somehow merged 80s synthy post-punk and new wave with something more modern. It all adds up to make the Killers’ debut one of the biggest of the last 20 years, and it is ridiculous that the album has been removed from the 1001 book.

Top 10.

I’m in.

This is one of my favorite albums period. Great to listen again. The only thing I have a gripe about is in the streaming era, they added Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll as the last track, after Everything Will Be Alright. EWBA is the perfect ending to this album and what I still consider the correct ending, just like my original CD album had. Call me old, it’s just a better ending.

имба.

This album is fantastic. My only possible criticism would be that they front-loaded the singles but even still, no skips on this one.

Their debut album. Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine is such a cool yet dark opening track. The tune belies the dark lyrics. The next four tracks are all 2000s anthems. Mr Brightside, Smile Like You Mean It, Somebody Told Me and All These Things That I've Done. Half an album of bangers! The final track, Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll is also a great track. Such a punchy and dancy album. Brilliant!

This came out in my first year of university. Nonsense lyrics aside this album (and The Black Parade) was omni-present in the most formative years of my life. Five stars all day.

I liked it, very dinamic and rebelious.

Probably one of my favorite debut albums of all time, Hot Fuss is an absolute banger of a way to kick off a career in music. Legend has it that this album was set to release in 2001, until Brandon Flowers heard "Is This It" and scrapped the album, saying they needed to do better, and they sure did. Obviously, little needs to be said about "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" that hasn't been said before, but there's a reason why those songs have come to define what it means to be Caucasian. They're certified suburban classics. That said, if this album were a baseball lineup, the half-of-famers aren't the only ones scoring runs on this album. "All These Things I've Done", "Smile Like You Mean It", and "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" would still be the best songs on most of their contemporary artists' albums, and the back half of the album is entirely comprised of solid to better-than-average songs. While not every song is the most memorable, there aren't really any tracks that I ever feel a strong desire to skip, and an album entirely comprised of unskippable songs is worthy of some of the highest praise a record can receive. 9.4/10

This band saved my life

Banger after banger

I liked it! My teenage baby punk-rock-emo self got a kick out of it

Sehr nah an dem, was ich eh höre

There’s not a bad track on Hot Fuss, plain and simple. But those first five tracks? Hard to deny their greatness. “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It,” “Somebody Told Me” it’s just one banger after another. I bought this album when it was released, and honestly, it still holds up incredibly well. Whether it's nostalgia or something more, there's a fun energy that’s hard to beat. It captured lightning in a bottle, and I’d put it up there with the best debut albums of the 2000s.

One of the best debut albums ever. Hard to separate this from and review more objectively because of how much these songs colored my teenage years. Lots of nostalgia, but also alt rock that goes supernova popular but is still good and enjoyable even if they weren't bringing much new to the table from a creativity standpoint. Standouts are the first five airwave-permeating tracks ("Jenny Was a Friend of Mine", "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It", "Somebody Told Me", and "All These Things That I've Done"), but "Change Your Mind" a personal favorite as well.

This quixotic coming of age tale has touched nearly everyone, though the depths of its story varies. Some will only know the modern generation's Don't Stop Believing in Mr. Brightside. Many will know the incredibly strong and marketable front half of the album with all of its' stylistic quirks and complications, but the full picture is not revealed without the B-side. Growing up isn't all hope, nor is it all heartbreak. Life incorporates belief, grief, gentle understanding, acceptance, and most of all experience into who we are as individuals. It's hard to find an album that captures all of that and the uncertain emotions behind it all quite like this one does. An essential listen for the new music revolution

One of the best freshman albums to be released

Full of hits and such a great opener. Loved it!

Amazing, as expected 👏

lifechanging

Best album of Killers in my humble opinion. Song "On top" is the one I always listen to first. One of my favourite albums of all indie music❤️❤️❤️

So incredibly good.

Fantastic album.

Loved them the first time I heard them and loaded them on my iPod. (Old guy!!)

such a solid album. I love the killers!! this album has been such a staple for me for so long. the instrumentation in everything will be alright is one of my favourite parts of the album. singles are obviously great too but often get to a point of hearing them tooo much.

This album has been an all time favourite for as long as I can remember. It's incredibly consistent and still diverse, and even the huge singles like Mr Brightside manage to bland in seamlessly, which is something many album have a hard time doing with the most iconic tracks. Never have I ever listened to an album that is so anthemic and yet so intimate, and I don't think that any other band but The Killers could pull that off.

Had a mate in uni who wrote a whole stage musical for this album - never went anywhere but good for him

My parents used to listen to this album, very nostalgic. Good music and I like other albums of the killers too.

One of my favorite albums

A really good album with lots of great songs, my favorite being Mr Brightside. Definitely one to listen to again and again!

A classic. Really a 4* but gets five for the memories / nostalgia (sixth form common room)

"All my pets are serial killers, they make their victims listen to The Killers" - Shakerz and Dakerz lyrics. This album was actually full of tunes and I really enjoyed it. Gonna be generous. Don't tell Seymour.

Starts off with 4 absolute bangers. The rest of the album is good but doesn’t hit those heights again. If they reordered the tracks on the album it’d be a very solid unquestionable 5 but instead it’s just a regular 5

The killers.are.a great band. Finally some good music

Some absolute bangers. A great, solid album. Mr Brightside might as well be the UK’s national anthem.

Oh wow- a doozy of an album. This one is incredible, and I don't know how or why, but these songs are so timeless and impossible for me to get sick of. "Smile Like You Mean It", "Somebody Told Me" "All These Things That I've Done" are all songs that could individually be good enough to prop up an album on this list, and yet for The Killers they are all here on the same record. "Mr. Brightside" is the true star of this one though, and one of the best anthemic stadium pop/rock tracks ever. I saw them at a festival around 2-3 years ago and they absolutely killed ;) and it was hit after hit after hit, with immense energy. Even if you don't feel like moving, some of their songs really make you move. I remember walking around after their set and just saying "wow" to myself. Great production throughout. The bass shines so much on this record. Great album cover too. Easy 5/5!

Insane run on the first 5 songs. The rest of the album isn't quite as good but it would be hard to maintain that list of banger after banger. I had Killers fatigue when this came out since it was everywhere but 20 years later I can really appreciate this album.

Otroligt att detta är ett debut-album

So many amazing songs on this list. Would be disrespectful to not give this album a 5.

This album was the first in this list where I’ve genuinely enjoyed listening to the whole thing. No track was boring and every song made me engaged. The Killers are a phenomenal band and this is them at their best

BANGER AFTER BANGER AFTER BANGER nothing else to say

Great album with a couple of songs I recognize. Not typically the type of music I listen to every day.

This still has one of my favourite intro songs of all times and it just sets the pace for the rest of the album. It’s a rare thing on an album that nearly every song is a banger. It was also enjoyed by so many different subsets of people (although that was also its downfall and made it unpopular too). I also like it as much 20 years later even though my taste in music has evolved. Some of the songs even transported me back to that time, containing memories and emotions.

The most British band to ever come out of Las Vegas. The front half of this album is incredible stuff. Just hit after hit. The back half is pretty great too.

Incredible album that sounds as good as the day it dropped. Everyone loves Mr. Brightside.

A legit modern classic full of passionate, kick-arse, singalong rock songs. Three tracks were already on my playlist of favourites and I added two more after this spin. All These Things That I've Done is probably the standout, in my opinion. Let's do this, ladies and gentlemen... let's give it the 5 stars it deserves.

Very nice. Exceptional album.

I hadn't actually listened to this album in its entirety before, but I do know many of the individual tracks. I've always enjoyed The Killers - a blend of rock and punk that isn't too loud or obnoxious. Sitting down with it was a pleasure.

Jenny was a friend of mine.

Классный альбом, есть много очень крутых треков

Straight bangers

Great album, already have listened to some of the songs in this album, I love them all 🔥

Awesome! First listened to in college. One of my favorites of the 2000s

Favorite tracks: Jenny is a Friend of Mine Mr. Brightside On Top Everything Will Be Alright

All These Things is my favorite song of all time.

Am I supposed to act like this isn't one of the best albums of all time?

I don't understand why The Killers are so big, but this album almost convinces me. Thoroughly enjoyable, and at least three of the songs will sometimes pop into my head out of nowhere--they're a part of my personal soundtrack now. I have to give it 5 stars.

This is classic rock

So good!! Can't believe how many hits in one album...

Damn this is just back to back bangers all the way through. The second half is a little weaker but just fun music all around.

10/10

I'm speechless.

It's probably the best album I bought in the early 2000. Love it

Fan of this album for 8 years now. First half banger after banger. Second half has some underrated songs like On Top and Believe Me Natalie. Fun vocal performances and nice synths

5- Stars (13/15)

Bangers from start to finish. Seriously, no bad or even mid songs. Love it. Mixes every genre with every kind of vibe. Bass player needs a raise. First half is absolutely amazing. Last song is kinda funny concidering how big the band is now 😅. 'Jenny Was a Friend of Mine' was a new one but definetly noted. Lowkey wanna say perfect album.

Classic and nostalgic

one of the most underrated post-punk revival albums from the 2000's era. It is an all-time classic!

This is a very good album.

Super good

Hard not to be influenced by nostalgia here. It’s a high four but I’m rounding up because it contains the single greatest pop song of the 2000s.

Instant classic, voice of a generation, etc etc

This is one of my top five albums from the aughts. Five of the songs are in my regular rotation on a couple of different playlists. I'd never heard anything but Mr. Brightside back in the day though...so didn't fall in love with it until more than 15 years after it was released. Favorite track: Change Your Mind

Love this album. Listened to it a ton when it came out. Really enjoyed relistening.

This was an album my friends and I totally loved it is by far The Killers best album to this day and I can sing it all the way through! This is top tier stuff and their break out album! Classic! It's amazing how much I still hear Mr. Brightside to this day haha I don't think I like Sam's Town a little bit more but this is a classic!

Great album, strong 7. Hadn't listened all the way through but has a very nostalgic feel to it. Really enjoyed Change Your Mind.

This came out when I was 14 so, yeh. Still SLAPS.

01) Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - 10,0 02) Mr. Brightside - 10,0 03) Smile Like You Mean It - 10,0 04) Somebody Told Me - 10,0 05) All These Things That I've Done - 10,0 06) Andy, You're a Star - 9,0 07) On Top - 9,0 08) Change Your Mind - 8,5 09) Believe Me Natalie - 8,0 10) Midnight Show - 8,0 11) Everything Will Be Alright - 8,5 12) Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll - 9,0 TOTAL: 9,17 (92/100) Current ranking: 31/488

it's hard to think of an album with a stronger first half than this one. unfortunately, the second half doesn't quite rise to meet it, but it's such an unprecedented slew of heavy-hitters at the start that i don't even really care. perfect time capsule of the early 2000s with a charmingly sleazy sound. mr brightside still hits every time, imo.

i'm a millennial (so i'm definitely biased) but this is a great album and incredible for a debut. the front half is wall-to-wall bangers! mr. brightside has been huge since its release in 2003 and still performs damn well on the charts TO THIS DAY. it's NUTS! the first five tracks are all exquisite. if you lived through this era and not under a rock, these songs were everywhere. this album would've been perfect with just those five. the weaker side B crumbles against the titanic tunes of side A, but the album tells an interesting story as a whole. all in all, probably a 4.5 for me but it's not really fair to punish side A for side B's relative inferiority. favorites: tracks 1-5 1000%, andy you're a star is ok too

10/10 I love every song on this record. Is it rational. I don't know, is your face? ask your face...asking me such weird questions...don't have to justify shit...anemoia is fun. 3-10-2025

I had only really heard a couple songs from the Killers before this, but I really dug this. Actually, one of their big hits, Mr. Brightside, was probably my least favorite track from this album, as it was just a bunch of shouting and no real melodic/harmonic fun. The rest of the tracks were really good, brooding, melodic rock and I really enjoyed them and hummed along the entire time. I listened to it twice -- five stars.

Sehr gutes Album

This album doesn't let up. I get lost in the songs in such an empowering way - I am a big fan. I loved to roll from Mr. Brightside to Smile Like You Mean It and then into Somebody Told Me. It makes me want to go dancing like it's circa 1992.

I have seen them live twice, more than 10 years apart, and they were absolutely incredible each time. The least played song on this album has been played 20 million times. Like it or not this album deserves its spot here. And I bloody love it.

- If you want any white person under 40 to feel like the party is popping, turn on "Mr. Brightside." Even my students, who were born years after this album came out, know that song by heart. - An album that I listened to more times than I can count in high school. Wild to think how popular this was and how new this sounded when it first hit the scene. - Flowers is definitely the face of the band, but major props to the basslines in particular. The other members do not get enough credit for the musicality of these songs. - The first five tracks go about as hard as that of any album you can imagine (shout out to "Smile Like You Mean It"). It then suffers a slight lull, but comes back strong. With only one or two exceptions (I never cared for "Andy, You're A Star" that much), you can see justifications for someone calling each track their favorite.

drums is sick, i like synths and vocals.

This must be one of the albums I've listened to most in my life but I haven't heard it for 10+ years now. It's a weird feeling going back to something after that long and realising you still know all the lyrics, feeling very emotional and nostalgic just now. I saw them at my first festival (TITP) when this had only just come out but everyone knew all of words, even to the album tracks, it was lovely being part of that crowd. It's not as full of bangers but I do really love the second half (although I'm convinced Change My Mind wasn't on any version I had and therefore it's bobbins). Andy, You're A Star is my favourite now, not something I thought 20 years ago. I think I'd be kidding myself if I gave it anything apart from a 5, the nostalgia is too strong

Real soft spot for this album as one of the first I ever bought. Opening run immense, probably a 4 musically but giving an extra star for the memories

4

Love this album

I’m glad I listened to this with my good headphones on. The whole first half is bangers that are still hits 20 years later and I really enjoyed the back half of songs I wasn’t as familiar with. The bass player was in his bag throughout this whole album. I expected to like it, didn’t expect to love it. Great album.

So many bangers, so nostalgic.

What a debut. The first five tracks are all bops and bangers, especially "Mr. Brightside", "Somebody Told Me", "All These Things I've Done", and "Smile Like You Mean It". This record was definitely a part of the soundtrack of my life 20 years ago. It is always a treat to revisit this modern classic.

this is my vibe

Just an iconic aughts album. Still holds up well on the ~50th listen.

Reminds me of high school in a good way

Absolute belter. It's rare to meet someone who doesn't dig the killers....

One of the best indie albums of 2000s

Always good to have a bit of the killers

I've heard people say this album is super frontloaded and tbh it is. The second half is still good but it's just the first half is life changing. Anyway Brandon Flowers the goat.

Some of the most played songs on radio show once it came out.

I really enjoyed revisiting this album. It definitely drops off in the second half, and I wish the 4 great singles had been spread out better (imagine All These Things That I've Done as an album closer), but the first half is so strong I'll forgive them. As an aside, I saw Bill Bailey at a festival where The Killers were playing, and he did a version of All These Things That I've Done with a chorus of "I've got ham but I'm not a hamster) and it's been how I sing along to it ever since.

For a debut studio album, IMO The Killers absolutely knocked it out of the park. Unfortunately though, they might have knocked one of the songs too far out of he park. The clip of that 1 hit ended up overshadowing the entire game. Which is what happened here with Mr. Brightside, a song which such staying power that I don't know if there'll ever be a time when people stop listening to it. For me, this is a 5/5

I love this album so much. Bought it in 2004. I will forever right for "Somebody Told Me" supremacy over "Mr. Brightside." This album screamed Las Vegas to me. It was the first time I'd heard a rock band use disco bass lines ("Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," "Somebody Told Me") and I was so hooked. I've blasted this album countless times over the nearly 21 years since its release. Glam rock for the emo crowd.

Great album has most their best songs

The best album of ALL TIME

It's the Killers. Of course it was amazing. But I heard a few deep cuts I'm going to add to my Spotify so that's cool

Great great fun. Excellent debut

First album of theirs that I listened to. Remind me of 80/early 90’s alt music when alt actually sounded different than just rock/pop. Vocals, guitar and percussion all very well done.

I’m a Killers fan and like this a lot and I do think it’s interesting how they thought it was going to be their last but in hindsight they were wrong

Bangers. Great indie album that actually has a bunch of really solid tracks rather than just 2 singles that were beat into the ground. They make fun of themselves and their genre and perceived lifestyle which adds so much. Really don’t have anything negative to say bout this one.

Awesome! Hits the spot, as usual.

Well I may not be objective but this album is a masterpiece, I used to listen to it when I was a teenage boy and that's still one of my favourite album for sure. What I love about this album is the vibe it brings, the singer's voice which is soo characteristic and I love it and also for me the best thing is their bridges in their songs. My top 3 since the beginning is "Somebody Told Me" (I SAID MAYBEEEEE, BABYYYY, PLEASEEEEEE), "All These Things That I've Done" (I GOT SOUL, BUT I'M NOT A SOLDIIIIER) and "Smile Like You Mean It" (I used to imagine this song when I was reading One Piece, when I first listened to this song, I was reading volume 41 where the Mugiwaras are on the court's roof, standing on front of Robin, Franky and the CP9. I don't know why but I always thought that this song would match perfectly with the scene. In conclusion, this album is insaaaaaaane, I love it, it's a big 5 for me.

Love every song except Midnight Show. W H A T an album. Special shout out to Change Your Mind which I feel doesn't get talked about enough. Also Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll is so sweet.

I listened to this a lot on a burned cd.

It took some time before I gave this full album a chance, but I'm glad I did. The chord progressions can take interesting turns. The build ups and break downs. The perfect mix in tonality of the synths, vocals, and guitars. Catchy, dancy, accessible, and still passionate. Vocals are melodic and rhythmic, and at times anthemic. Hot Fuss is moving, musically and emotionally, and it is instantly nostalgic. It is everything one would want from an electro-synth-dance-pop album. I hope my being terse is not taken for indifference. There is no way to point out a highlight song or three; this album is great from beginning to end. Put it on and let it play, again and again.

First day of work in a while today, and I expect my album pace to slow down quite a bit now. This has been a really fun thing to do over the past year and a half or so, and my music appreciation and taste has grown quite a bit listening to a ton of music that I never would have listened to otherwise. That said, it feels fitting that today I don't get something new to me. This album is very well-known to me already, and is a favorite of mine. A great way to turn the page on this chapter for me. I could try to be objective, but I won't. I truly love this album. It came out a bit before my time, but it feels like it's been pervasive in my life (my college friends seem to think my music taste is just The Killers for some reason, I think it was the only music I liked I could convince them was worth listening to). Say what you will about The Killers, not all of their albums are particularly great, they're overplayed, it's stadium/pop-rock. I don't care. They had it back in 2004, this is one of the best debut albums of all time. The 5-song stretch to open this album is one of my favorite stretches of songs on any album, there's no misses (I picked "Mr. Brightside" as my favorite song on here, but "All These Things That I've Done" is a really close second). The back half is a bit weaker, but how could it not be (also there's some underrated gems, "Everything Will Be Alright" is an awesome closer). I learned a few things actually reading about this for the first time. I guess they were writing their first album and The Strokes' Is This It came out, and they were so impressed by it that they threw out everything they had written (except "Mr. Brightside") and started over. Also the fuzzy vocal thing that Brandon Flowers has going on the whole album was a post-production effect called Echo Farm which apparently "overdrives the vocal a bit and sets an 84 ms delay". Anyway, this album is basically perfect. It means a lot to me, I've gotten to see The Killers live a few times (headlining Boston Calling and at the TD Garden) and these songs are electric live, it's just a great album. I'm happy today. Favorite song: Mr. Brightside Other: Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Smile Like You Mean It, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I've Done, Andy You're A Star, On Top, Change Your Mind, Believe Me Natalie, Midnight Show, Everything Will Be Alright, Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll 1/27/25

Just a wonderful, joyful snapshot of early 00s.

Every song soars!

it’s funny how this is on the list but interpol isn’t. the killers is basically happy Interpol. not that I’m saying one is better than the other. it’s just weird to me. don’t know if this is a 4 or 5 to me. I’m unsure. so for now 5.

I really did not want to like this album. Unfortunately, it is hard to fault, the songwriting is solid the sound is fantastic and the songs stick around in your head. You get what you paid for radio-friendly indie rock.

I love this album with every fiber of my being and I don’t understand how some people don’t. Not only do they not enjoy it, they actively dislike it. How do you not hear it? It’s so good. I love every song on it and I have for a very long time, so maybe it’s nostalgia, but this is easily in my personal top ten. 5/5

I liked this album when it came out, even though all my friends thought they were too cool to like The Killers. 20 years later and this album still holds up, certified millennial bangers start to finish. Haters gonna hate.

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

One of the first albums I ever learnt how to love. Favourites: All of them (though Midnight Show and Believe Me Natalie never stuck like the others, and Change Your Mind was not on the version I listened to as a youth) (12/1001, 8th Aug. '25, 2230h.)

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.

My fan girl phase hit late, at 22, and the target of my obsession was the Killers. I played Hot Fuss back tonight because I remember thinking it was perfect then. The starting lineup is extraordinary. I really like each of the first five songs individually—all in a row, they’re breathtaking. Then there’s Change Your Mind, and Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll, and the rest of the songs, every one completely aligned, musically and thematically, with the album as a whole. Insofar as an album is greater than the sum of its parts, this is indeed a perfect album. The overall message: at a certain age, all of life is a rush, including: unrequited love, unhappiness, regret, suspicion, aimlessness, forbidden love, all Friday and Saturday nights ... and getting detained for the murder of a lady friend. Flowers for Flowers, and justice for Jenny!

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.

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

I see why it’s a classic now.

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.

The first five songs on this album are possibly the best opening to any album in the 21st Century. What’s great about this album, though, is that it doesn’t let up after “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Of course they don’t live up to the brilliance of the first few songs on the album, but they’re still fantastic songs. I can’t believe this album actually got removed from the list. I’d argue it’s one of the best albums from the early 2000s, and definitely the best one they had from that era on any version of the list. The Killers are a great band and Hot Fuss is brilliant. It’s a shame it’s no longer on the official list.

Solid album from start to finish. I’ve listened to this album hundreds of times, and some tracks thousands of times. Definitely has withstood the test of time and continues to hit playlists and streams.

Songs 2-5 are an incredible stretch for any album ever.

Just a lovely album for me

I fucking love this album. It is just so damn good. Honestly, my least favorite song on the album is probably Mr. Brightside, and that's only because it's one of the most popular songs in the world at this point. Shout out to it being England's bar closing / final song of the night. This album oozes charisma and playfulness. It's so unique and just so awesome. This is already in my rotation and I can easily listen to it front to back. Easy 5 stars from me, and this would definitely be on a road trip mix.

Loved this album. Sure the front half is more loaded than the back but that really can’t negate how good that front half is. All these things that I’ve done is one of my favorite songs of all time. The use of the gospel choir with the I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier refrain is just so memorable. It’s hard to say at this point that Mr brightside is a favorite song just because it’s kinda like Colton eye joe, where you’ve heard it a million times so you’re kinda tired of it, but it’s nonetheless a banger.

Modern classic.

Comin' out of my cage and I've been doin' just fine Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss Now I'm falling asleep and she's calling a cab While he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag Now they're goin' to bed and my stomach is sick And it's all in my head, but she's touching his Chest now He takes off her dress now Let me go And I just can't look, it's killing me They're taking control Jealousy Turning saints into the sea Swimming through sick lullabies Choking on your alibi But it's just the price I pay Destiny is calling me Open up my eager eyes 'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside This is a pretty great album. 5/5

Fun album all the way through.

How can a debut album be this good? How did they know how to do that?

I love it

This album was awesome. It’s like teenage romance. Passionate, volatile, endearing. Loved the mix of rock and pop with synth. The bass in the intro track just hooked me. The ending was a bit too tongue in cheek for me, but it gets the job done. Standouts: 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, Change Your Mind, and Midnight Show.

Just brilliant 👏

What can I say....., you will have to go a long way to find a better debut album than this. Every song is top notch. Mr Brightside and All these things are 2 songs I hear all the time covered by local amateur pub bands and they always get great reception. I was at Glastonbury 2019 with my Girlfriend (now wife) and my Daughter when the Killers headlined and I can honestly say it was the best live performance I have ever attended and I've been to a lot! Great band, great album

4.5 rounded up, a lot of bangers and at its worst is still listenable

Timeless classic. Indie rock done to perfection. Smile Like You Mean It in my top 10 songs of all time. Incredible live band.

A banger after banger stacked DEBUT album. It's perfect, ends perfectly. 2004/5 summed up in 50 mins

Hot Fuss is great. Couple songs kinda change the mood a bit but overall there are too many good songs on here.

I first heard this from start to finish 6 years ago while working a Bar close. I was quoted to have said to my friend showing me that it was “a religious experience.” This album is all Killer(s) no filler. Best heard loud.

Despite Mr Brightside being one of the most overplayed songs, the rest of the album is great.

I love this album from beginning to end. I still listen to it now and then. Great music, great lyrics, and great vocals. There is something about the rhythm and timing of the lyrics of so many of these songs that makes it so fun to belt out! Fantastic album!!

Metal to the pedal and never slow down. Amazing string of bangers.

it's just such a great album - such a fun mix between high energy alternative rock and synthwave with instantly recognizable vocals from Brendan and also really great drumming as well.

This is a great record. I liked it when I first heard it, but over time, it's really grown on me. Complete in the sense that there's a nice range of tunes and yet everything is clearly from The Killers.

Borderline HoF but the lows are not the best.

Wow, Hot Fuss was such an excellent album and i was never expecting it to be this good. The songs here all sounded incredibly sublime and melodic with some great work with the guitars, bass, and synths. The vocals also fit the music to a T and even the lyrics were really good for most of the album. And again, like i said, there is not a bad song in sight because every single one of them just sounded so good. If this is an apology for being forced to endure Suicide, then apology accepted. Best Song: Smile Like You Mean It Worst Song: Believe Me Natalie

This is such a great album! Ugh

4.6 - Album holds up from when it first came out and it is actually great. Over played...yes, but not the fault of the artist.

Hot diggity damn. Fave Tracks: the first 7 and Glamorous Indie Rock N Roll 4.7/5

Near flawless debut. 5 stars

Got to listen to this one on vinyl since it's already in our collection! Classic album, good college nostalgia vibes, great sound.

Me gusto mucho, tengo algo quemada Mr. Brightside pero lo disfruto mucho. 9/10

Si hubiese escuchado esta vaina cuando taba en la secundaria, habría fácilmente sido top 5. 9/10.