Reviews (page 7 of 14)
This was such a solid debut album from The Killers with some of their best and most successful songs! I enjoyed this whole album from start to finish. It definitely took me back to the early 2000s. I would definitely jam out to this album again in the future!
Such a nostalgic listen.
It’s decent
love this album, i’ve never listened to it all the way through but hits so hard and this is exactly what i want from this
As others have mentioned the first half of this album is banger after banger. Unfortunately the second half is not so good and runs out of steam a little. Shame really.
All bangers no mash
Sexy
#657. The second half kinda drags, but there is no denying the first half 4/5: fantastic
Classics! Love the guitar
Good album - all tracks decent - Mr Brightside suffers from over exposure, but shouldn’t undermine what a great song it is
Super
7/10
Enjoyed the first half - found a new song (Jenny was a friend of mine) that I jammed out to. Liked this one!
Just on the strength of the three hits alone, this is a 4/5 for me. The album trails off after the first half, but I enjoyed most of the songs, all but two. A seminal albums for Millennials that continues to hold up.
Very good rock album
Actually quite good, I didn't give it a proper go when it first came out, but it's stood the test of time.
Pretty consistent and good album. Mr. Brightside is obviously the big hit, but I was surprised how many felt like songs I've heard around a lot. From my perspective, I haven't really listened to much of the Killers, but either their sound permeates well or I just haven't been paying as much attention
Catchy indie pop earworms.
Not sure how it's taken me 20 odd years to listen to this. I wanted the second half to be more like the first. Still holds up in the latter balf but keeps it from being a 5. Some belting choruses.
Home to the alternative National anthem and other various bangers
I spent a lot of time listening to this as a teenager so pretty much impossible to take an unbiased view. Huge sound, huge hooks. The Killers can be a little annoying but they reach some pop-rock perfection on this album. Best song: Midnight Show
Yes
kind of hard to fully evaluate something so infamously frontloaded, but the frontloading is less about Song Quality (tho that is the end result) and more about actual eccentric and creative Ideas...theres a uniqueness and slightly unhinged vitality to those first five songs that make them feel like the product of creative mavericks. the rest of the tracks are Merely delivery vehicles for what is a pretty cool sound and palate all things considered...i still rly like the melody twists, the band's taste in synth textures and when to deploy them is extremely azzycore, really the whole production is warm and fuzzy and interesting, definitely a different direction for the pollination of post punk and arena rock that also produced u2. yet there is certainly little Rock Star Energy here, even in the sentimental guru bono-ish way...its mostly just cranked up ugly neurosis and feelings that dont make sense and strange moments that are hard to process, brandon flowers always sounds At The Mercy of the surrounding music and even his own words. funnily enough, its a little bit talking heads in that way. for what it is, i like it a lot, limitations and all. im not denying the all-timerness and personal emotional imprinting for mr brightside, what do you think i am, not white???
Such a good album.
Bittersweet alt-rock. Couple famous songs and the rest are close behind.
Good one
The first two songs in this debut album are as great a start as any band or singer can dream off. Mr. Brightside literally became the unofficial national anthem of the UK and Jenny was a friend of Mine still has a very strong following and the bass riff can rival any. Unfortunately despite the entrance being grand the rest of the album slowly fizzles out with a few decent tracks scattered near the end and you get to remember that yep, this was definitely a debut album.
Heard it loads before but still great.
Going in I thought this would be a 5 for sure, but the second half of the album wasn’t worthy.
Hot Fuss is like stepping into a neon-lit teenage dream where eyeliner is heavy, hearts are broken, and everyone’s either dancing or crying in a club bathroom. I still remember the first time I heard “Mr. Brightside” and thought, yeah, this is going to ruin karaoke nights for the next twenty years — and I wasn’t wrong. But it’s more than that one overplayed anthem. There’s a whole emotional soap opera running through this album, and I’m absolutely here for it. Songs like “All These Things That I've Done” hit with unexpected weight, while “Somebody Told Me” is pure chaotic energy in glittery boots. It’s theatrical, dramatic, and never takes itself too seriously, which is part of the charm. There’s something nostalgic about the whole record, like a high school memory you’d kind of forgotten until the first synth line smacks you in the face. Four stars because while not every track is a knockout, the ones that hit really know how to swing.
This CD is buried somewhere in the dashboard of my "champagne"/beige 20021 Honda Civic sedan because I managed to insert the CD between the stereo and the dashboard instead of in the slot where CDs go. Too bad, it's a more than decent album, except for the last song which might be the single worst thing I've ever heard; should have called it a day at 11 tracks.
very good
Brilliant album, great memories. 1 for Jamie definitely.
One of the greatest 1st halves of an album ever Just banger after banger after banger The 2nd half is not bad but nowhere near as good.
3.5 Favourite Song: Mr Brightside Least Favourite Song: Everything Will Be Alright
Why the hell would you remove this from the list? For what? Django Django? Is that seriously better than this?
Why haven’t you played this for me before?!?!?👍🏻
8/10
Enjoyed most of the album.
Awesome catchy album, full of hits.
Didn't realise The Killers were adjacent to that early to mid 200s post-punk revival, I thought this was going to be fairly bland pop-rock so I'm very pleasantly surprised. I only knew Mr Brightside by name but I already know half of this album by osmosis Of course theres plenty of driving bass, that always appeals to me. The use of synths and keyboards brings a lot to this album, they really add another layer and help tie up songs like On Top. There's also the trumpets on Believe Me Natalie All These Things I've Done is a little Beatlesy too, they were definitely trying a few different styles rather than picking one and sticking to it My attention was maybe slipping a little bit on the last couple songs but overall this is very good Also didnt know they were American, thought they were English for the longest time Highlights: Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, All These Things That I've Done, Smile Like You Mean It
Tunes.
Aaaah... nostalgia. 2 boring tracks, everything else is awesome
great record
Förstår att folk gillar det här, men kanske inte riktigt min kopp te alla dagar i veckan. Lite The Smiths möter Green Day.
The Killers were the best of the early 2000s pop bands. Mr. brightside is doing a lot of heavy lifting here but this album is solid.
This was definitely a fire album. The hits are huge, and great. Comes out big, stays big, but eventually it sort of levels off.
One of the best 5 track runs of any album ever. Falls off a little bit at the end bringing the overall down.
I don’t love this band, but this album is full of very good synth-rock and some songs that have become pretty timeless radio staples.
Ik begin het steeds meer te begrijpen. Het is nog steeds niet helemaal voor mij, maar het is wel gewoon goeie rock en verdient ergens wel de titel van British Anthem
Album is phenomenal, hard to believe it was their debut. The only issue is that its singles have been played to death everywhere since its release.
Making fun of Brandon Flowers' lyrics ("I've got ham, but I'm not a hamster") is beating a dead horse by now, but the profound stupidity fills me with hope. AI could never write "Are we human / Or are we dancer?" or "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier". Humanity still has a chance.
Bangers on the front half. That first song feels like what 2000s rock could have become if not for imagine dragons. Really solid
Never really listened to 2000s indie rock. Thanks to this project I got to check out this album and it is very good. Nothing groundbreaking but this album is full of well composed and catchy songs. Mixing on the other hand - not so great.
Very nostalgic, this was a big deal when I was in high school. I recognised a lot of singers as ones you would hear often.
It's fun! The first half is easily better than the second, containing all the true hits and memorable cuts of the record, but the second half is not nearly as weak as I expected. I think, though, that the album would have been better if the hits were interspersed throughout the tracklist rather than held all at the beginning. Would feel like a far more balanced tracklist and would, in turn, give the deep cuts more room to breathe and become fan favorites. 7+/10
4.5
:D Oh its been a while!!!! Lez go!!!! Will I realise this is just peak 00s blokey pop? Probably! Gonna enjoy at least half of it though. How does one possibly listen to Mr brightside like I've never heard it before. Bassline. Makes the whole thing what it is actually. There's got to be a million acoustic versions floating around and I bet they're shite to a one. Does. Does it make the whole album. Whole band? He's doing like driving rhythm jumping up and down and sliding occasionally and i think it might be defining their entire sound. Somebody told me is some banger aye. Okay Emily you don't actually know anything about the bass calm down. It's all these things I've done time. Hm. It's not as Big as I remember. Like its decent but would it have been better with like full orchestration. Actually having typed that i suspect it would have been very annoying. Perfect as it is then. Right think we're out of the Big Ones and i can think about the album now. The impeccable homoeroticism of Andy You're A Star hasn't aged a day. Change Your Mind has aged many many days. Used to be one of my favourites I fear it's deeply boring now. Forgot how much I did listen to this admittedly like 6 years after it came out. The hmv 2 for 10 effect. Expected to have forgotten some of the back half but no Midnight Show is like fundamental. Possibly the same song as somebody told me. But better? Maybe better? Its a bookend. A reprise. Its good when two songs sound the same. Takes either balls or incredible self delusion to close your debut album with a song called Glamourous Indie Rock N Roll and pretty much pull it off. Like its a bit cringe. Maybe the key to enjoying The Killers Hot Fuss in 2025 is to be a bit cringe and 100% unironic. Yeah it's easy now to say this is blokey pop annoying coworker pub songs but i need you to forget about what we did to mr brightside and remember how boring indie was in the Blair years and that this album was and remains a nuke actually maybe.
Never heard of the band, the album, or any of the tracks, but I liked it and will listen again. Reminded me a little of Muse.
Such a classic, I'm one of those 90s kid white boy Killer stans and I'll never need an excuse to listen to this album. Despite their popularity I find them exquisitely unique, it's an itch only the Killers can scratch.
Мощная альтернатива с синтами, но немного не мой вайб
Wholesome rock for unsuspecting converts. "Smile like a peanut"
Extra star for Bethany
I think they would have done better to spread the first five songs, which are the strongest, throughout the album. Regardless, this is a fun album that I hadn’t heard other than the hits.
I listened to this on repeat on my first family holiday and never since… nostalgia plays a big part in this rating. I can’t remember it being this dour though.
Noise pop, esa frescura propia e inigualable
Pretty great album. I knew the two hits but that was it. Not sure I'd choose to go back to this again but I enjoyed it.
Rating: 8.5/10 Incredible first half and good second half.
The first half of this album is banger after banger
Loved this when it dropped.
I never really listened to this back in the day other than the radio hits and/or Guitar Hero tracks -- Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me. But there's some other good stuff on here like Smile Like You Mean It, Everything Will Be Alright, and All These Things That I've Done.
Solid Indie-Rock album that sounded a bit like The Teardrop Explodes having a party with The Automatic. I liked it.
Some great songs, just falls short of a perfect album
In judging an album, it's not just how good are the best songs, but how much filler is in between. The first half of the album is hit after hit and the second half held up ok too Tops track: Somebody Told Me
First half had the hits, then fades after that
Still sounds great. Wears its influences on its sleeve and sounds fantastic.
Their first and best album. Contains the ubiquitous Mr. Brightside (last time I looked 410 weeks on UK chart). Clever sequencing by front loading the album with all the singles to get you hooked in, you can almost forgive Everything Will Be Alright by the end.
mr brightside somebody told me
Pure indie showcase Some really underrated guitar work
An old friend who's stood the test of time
Pretty good album, of course Mr Brightside is the best one
Two noticeable bangers on here, but the last songs were getting quite annoying
Album fits together pretty well. The singles are proper bangers.
7/10… indie rock
They were the future. Then they weren’t. The singles were terrific. But I suppose it was not to be the seismic shift it promised. Nonetheless terrific songs. 3.5 stars.
Iconic electro-pop/rock. Singles are the headliners but album stands on its own. Fades a little near the end.
I listened to this album a lot when it came out and it was one of my favourites,but hadn't listened to it in years. Really enjoyed it, will definltey be back on a playlist or two now - except "Everything Will Be Alright". That's a hard skip from me.
Some familiar good hits. Starts off good, but then gets kinda filler. Classic.
First half of the album is brilliant, it then disappoints after. Nevertheless, four stars.
8.5/10
Dang, really frontloaded with hits, huh? Despite the repetition, All These Things That I've Done is probably my favorite Killers song. Jenny Was A Friend of Mine and Midnight Show were also both pretty good.
Second half kinda blows but the first half is perfection
I will not be including the bonus track “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll” for this review. The Killers are a band I’m certainly familiar with through various singles, a few of their more recent albums starting with Wonderful Wonderful, and seeing them live twice. They’re one of the more well-known post-punk revival groups to come out of the early 2000s. Funny enough, for being a group out of Las Vegas, they managed to get super popular in the UK. I would not be surprised if their popularity overseas factored into Robert Dimery and company’s decision to include them on this list at one point. With that all said, how does their debut Hot Fuss hold up? Let’s start by addressing the obvious critique this album usually gets - it’s front-loaded. The first half is defined by the run of singles from the swaggering baseline of “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” through the gospel choir complement in “All These Things That I’ve Done”. It’s in these opening tracks that the band established their early identity - Dave Keuning’s bright-toned and percussive guitar play, Mark Stoermer’s melodic bass work, Ronald Vannucci Jr.’s fluid rhythm behind the drum kit. All these elements coalesce behind Brandon Flowers’s echo-coaxed tenor vocals and synthesizer flair, as he sang with reverence for the melodrama he penned out. The one exception was the album’s centerpiece “All These Things That I’ve Done”, which saw Brandon struggle with his faith and come to accept that he’s not perfect in the practice of belief, and won’t try to push his religion onto someone else. I’ve talked a big deal about just the front half, but that’s not to say there weren’t any good songs in the back half. The gears change with the brooding “Andy, You’re a Star”, where Brandon reminisced about a former high school jockey he used to flirt with as the crunchy guitar riffs stomp in time with the slowed down rhythm. “On Top” is a haunting new wave track with the commanding synth melody about a one-night stand and the adrenaline of such a passionate moment. Both “Change Your Mind” and “Midnight Show” are uptempo bops that continue in the relationship drama, with the latter chronicling the murder that preludes the interrogation on “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”. There are intriguing tracks to be found towards the end here. Really, there’s only two tracks I didn’t quite gel with. Unfortunately, one of those tracks happens to be the closer, “Everything Will Be Alright”, which tries again for the big-swinging anthemic message that “All These Things That I’ve Done” accomplished earlier, but can’t because the pace has been slowed down to a grind as there isn’t much punch in the instrumentation while Brandon’s echo-effected vocals become warbly. Also in this tier is “Believe Me Natalie” which shares a similarly irritating vocal delivery as Brandon tries to convince this girl to come out on the dance floor, though at least Ronald switches up the percussion to focus more on the tom-toms in the verses. Overall, this is still a solid debut from The Killers. The group would end up changing around their sound to incorporate more heartland rock that they were inspired by. Nevertheless, they broke into the scene with a style that took elements from decades prior and created a fresh take for the time.
Several bangers, but I'm not sure they have anything to really say artistically.
The first half of this album is amazing. The second half is okay.
Sick drumming
Yeah not bad, I reckon it’s slightly better than a 3 star album but not by much. Plenty of triple M killers songs on here
I already had two songs liked from this album - Mr. Brightside and All These Things That I've Done. The Killers are such a facet of my childhood, the nostalgia that Somebody Told Me unlocks is wild, as well as all the lead singles from this album. It's a nice feeling. I've never really listened to The Killers, though. Not sure why, it's good music. I enjoy that there's a good mix of instruments as well as synth and electronic elements. Compare the last two tracks I listed, for instance. Really different compositions. One distinctive thing about The Killers for me is the vocals always sound hollow and muffled, like you’re listening through a wall. I don’t hate it, it’s a very cool decision even, just very characteristic to me. It also makes it feel very "cinematic", like every song should come with an emotional heavily colour-graded supercut with lots of fog and strobe lights. Good music. Most: Everything Will Be Alright, Somebody Told Me close behind Least: Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll Rating: 3.5, but I’ll round up for this one
Re-listening to this album, I can tell it’s not a 5-star album, but I still love it. The opening of the album and follow-up of those songs is just simply amazing. Banger after banger. The other half of the album can’t keep up with that. It sounds kind of monotonous and there’s nothing particularly unique about it, but it’s just enjoyable to me anyway. I’ve listened to most of this songs live, and they are 100% better than they might sound on the record, specially All These Things I’ve Done. Anyway, I still love this album and I think it’s a GREAT debut album. It’s fun and vibey!
7.5/10 Didn't quite like this as much as I thought it would, given I already knew it front to back. Maybe it's the production which can be quite ugly at times. Not sure. Either way, the first half has too many bangers to give 3 stars. Shame the best Killers song is the first song on the first album and then it all went downward from there. Highlights: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine Mr. Brightside Smile Like You Mean It Change Your Mind Somebody Told Me
First half of this is a banger, as in you know all the hits and have sang along to them eyes to the sky in k2 but then the reality hits that they front loaded it because the rest is Meh. Good but won't listen to it again mainly because I'll hear them when you're in any bar at some point. Mid 4
1st half is all bagels no skips. Love this album.
Nikad mi neće biti jasno zašto ljudi vole ovaj više nego Sam's Town, ludnica koliko ima fillera pri kraju albuma.
Good stuff. Ahead and behind their time. A true Indy poppy album. Front to back was a good listen. Wish they would’ve stuck around a bit longer. Will have to give the other albums a spin.
Amazing album, but arguably the weakest of their first 3 releases. Reminds me of the album arc of Pearl Jam. Their first 3 albums are all amazing in a debatable order of great to greatest. After that, every album is just mediocre to good. Each album could have a great tune here or there but nowhere near the front-to-back greatness that all of the first 3 contain.
It would have been a 5 star a few years ago but registering has taken it down a star. It’s a lot of atmosphere but actually not very inventive. I still love it though. It was uni days for me.
It's indie rock'n'roll for me, it's all I need
(Overplayed nature of mr brightside aside) great from start to finish and it is no wonder they never got bigger hits than these because it’s hard to beat. Some bigger festival anthems interspersed with some variation
Some super bangers on here. Only a couple songs I didn't save. It's a whole experience to listen front to back.
I liked it more than I expected to. It just has that energy that keeps going. Highlights: Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine Somebody Told Me Change Your Mind
Mr brightside innit
Great arrangements with tons of energy. I'm a specially a fan of Mr. Brightside.
Very weird to listen to Mr Brightside at 2pm while looking at spreadsheets. Are the Killers cool? Seymour loves them and I like to take the mick. But maybe that just means my view of the Killers has been tainted by Seymour, and I would take the mick out of anyone he said. Either way this is decent, trails off at bit in the second half without any of the big hitters. Simpsons: I think, although googles new AI is throwing me off. I think it might like to chat shit.
Iconic
I didn't like it in its heyday, but enjoyed it now. It gave us Mr. Brightside, what not to like
Like it
Gode greier. Fortjener 4,5/5 stjerner detta. Flere hits, litt eksperimentering innimellom, men det fungerer det og.
This isn't the type of album I would generally like. Kinda poppy, a good bit of synthesizer. But the songs have a bit of urgency to them- I liked that
Was only familiar with the singles. This is a good album from top to bottom. Surprisingly good.
Excellent rock album start to finish. It's got some classic tracks -- all four of the opening songs but "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" in particular -- and maintains a strong energy throughout. I love the drama of it. The hooks are huge and The Killers know how to amp things up to make the choruses as big as possible. There's also something a little silly about The Killers that I can't quite put my finger on. Like, maybe they take themselves too seriously or something? The music can be pretty melodramatic and over-the-top. And there are a few lyrics that make me think, "Wait, what does that mean?" I think they absolutely get away with it though, and the music totally works (because really, when has being over-the-top ever been a detriment in rock?). For me, the silliness adds to their charm. I would put this on my personal 1001 albums list, partly out of nostalgia (I heard these songs so much in high school and college), but mostly because it rocks.
Epitome av genren, flera bangers, flera stabila låtar. Amerikansk musik blir inte bättre än när den låter brittisk.
Inte lika omvälvande som is this it för egen del men verkligen många bangers
Good.
I was never the biggest fan when this came out, mostly due to Flowers' voice. I just read that it might be a vocal effect to blame, but he hollers a lot, leaning on the echo. But on this listen, the songs are pretty solid and I like the album. Maybe a bit over produced, but it is certainly of the era and the singles have etched their way into my brain since it was released.
A worthy inclusion for this book in representing 21st Century rock/power-pop, Hot Fuss is impressive in how it shows a band in such a forward charge right out of the gate. Not to mention, an identifiable sound and style. This is a good mix of ubiquitous anthems and solid album cuts. 4 stars, 8+/10
Es fing so gut an, dass ich dachte, es werden fünf, aber es flachte gegen Ende ab. 4 1/2.
Banger after banger
Solid. 2 hits, the others were ok
Last 2 tracks sold
First half was awesome but got a bit worse as time went on
does Side B to this even exist? but the front-loaded first half levitates this to an easy 4.
Very good! I will say it falls off a little on side b, but that could just be because I knew half of those songs. This is probably the first one from this project that I feel compelled to get a record of! I can see why it's in so many collections
Pretty darn good
I agree that it would be difficult for any artist to follow the excellent first 5-6 tracks. Each one is lightning in a bottle.
Always a good listen. Had to skip brightside tho. 7/10
Huge nostalgia for this one - I remember my Mum buying the CD. That CD now proudly sits in my cupboard as I went to check soon after listening. The first half of this album is indie classic hit after indie classic hit, it’s quite impressive how many bangers there are in a row. As sick as I am of Mr Brightside, it is popular for a reason. An album very of it’s time, especially production wise, but somehow doesn’t really sound too dated either. Tails off a bit towards the end though the “fillers” are decent enough tracks on their own. Probably musically a 3.5 star album, but rounded up to 4 for the nostalgia factor and happy memories.
Favorite Track: Mr. Brightside
I like a few of their songs, however not all of them are my favorite.
Didn't realize how many bangers were in this single album. Made me feel very nostalgic for my early 20s. Surprise hit at the end.
i first discovered them when i came across the popular songs in this album
I grew up with the singles, althought I haven't listened to the whole album in years. Looking at the track list, I was worried that it would taper off after All These Things That I've Done and I was right. It was okay after that, but it brought it from a possible 5* to a low 4*.
A great album: The Killers at their best. We really enjoyed this, lots of classics on here.
it was okay.
Absolute classic, has many of their top hits which honestly have a great star quality to them. I'm not a massive fan of the other tracks as it kinda gets a bit samey but nonetheless a really fun listen
Hot Fuss by The Killers is what happens when a synth-drenched, eyeliner-smeared fever dream crashes headfirst into a Vegas thrift shop full of second-hand New Wave records and adolescent bravado. It’s the sonic equivalent of a teenager dressed in his dad’s suit, trying to blag his way into a nightclub of musical relevance—awkward, overconfident, and somehow utterly brilliant. Brandon Flowers belts out lyrics like a man possessed by the ghost of glam rock’s past, while the rest of the band lays down glittery riffs and drum machine thumps with the kind of conviction usually reserved for hostage negotiators or dogs barking at vacuums. It’s glossy, ridiculous, and vaguely tragic in that delicious way only 2004 could manage.
Great album
This album is a lot of fun. It’s uneven, but some of these songs are truly great.
If the first song you ever wrote as a band is Mr. Brightside, than your debut album must be good! It's good! Great if you like the sound! Production could have been a bit better imo...
I do like the Killers! A classic or two on here.
Forgot about so many of these songs. Can't help but sing along to Mr. Brightside every time.
I'm not entirely sure why I know the name of this album so well, as I've neither owned it nor heard much from it, but I kind of recall that they got a *lot* of attention with this debut album. I think I kind of got them confused with Filter (of "Hey man, nice shot" fame), but I have no idea why, as they weren't really contemporary. Either way, the ubiquitous "Mr. Brightside" track definitely placed them for me, and I enjoyed the impressively creative Moulin-Rouge-based video. I also really enjoyed "All these things that I've done" (in part from being reminded of the scene in "Southland Tales" where Justin Timberlake lip syncs to it, but also because I like the song, and their video is quite good too). The other videos weren't quite as good, but they clearly put some effort into "Smile like you mean it", which I appreciate. And I can see why the 2005 "1001 Albums" entry notes a connection to Franz Ferdinand, as it's definitely there (but not in a copycat way); a shame that they dropped this album in later editions. This is definitely one of those albums that deserves a half-star system, as it feels like an insult to only give it three stars, especially given that they accomplished four popular singles on a debut album. But it also seems like there's not as much variety to their sound across the album to warrant four stars, and it definitely sags towards the end (looking at you in particular, "Everything will be alright"). But we don't have half-stars, of course, so four it is!
New to me album--enjoyed the slightly synth rock. Feel like the Island label had a good run in the late 70's / 80's.
Close to Franz Ferdinand, album is great and gets more experimental at the end. 4.15
Fuckin great, no mess line drive rock and roll. This album’s basically a classic, not bad for a debut record. Brandon Flowers’ voice was built for these songs, an unmistakable yawp of emotion and power. Let’s play it again!
Sexy Bro
Call me old fashioned but I don’t think we should celebrate murderers by canonizing their otherwise pretty good Duran Duran tribute act in a list of essential albums. Four stars.
Much better on the whole than I always remember it being.
Dated a little bit, but some absolute bangers!
Starts brilliantly and tails off towards the end, mostly 'Killers' though!
COMING OUT OF MY CAGE AND I'VE BEEN DOING JUST FINE GOTTA GOTTA BE DOWN BECAUSE I WANT IT ALL. Thanks for letting me get that out. Now I can really start the review. Before this album, I think I could've named you maybe three Killers songs, two of which are on this album - "Mr. Brightside," "Somebody Told Me," and "When You Were Young." I'm really happy I know more than that now. What a great album, both musically and lyrically. It's hard to tell how much of this is Brandon Flowers telling us about himself and how much is him creating and inhabiting different characters. I don't know how much that distinction really matters, but I do wonder. The whole thing is full of themes of doubt, unreturned love, suspicion, violence, and disillusionment. Somebody more familiar with the climate in which this album was written and recorded could probably tell you that it's a product of its time. Not that I wasn't alive when it was released (I certainly was), but I just don't know the album well enough to know how it might reflect the times. The variation in sound between each track is amazing. They aren't a one-trick pony like some bands whose entire albums sound the same, as though they're rehashing the same few riffs and sounds every track. That isn't the case here and I really appreciate it for that. No two tracks sound the same, and they even explore genres besides rock here, in their own way. This has to go into the "relisten mulitple times once you've finished the project" pile. Hands down it belongs there. This is an easy four stars for me. Great album. Standout Tracks: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I've Done, Believe Me Natalie
Overall: 8/10 Man, this album brings back so many memories despite the fact that I don't think I've ever listened to it in it's entirety? The first 5 tracks are not only bangers but I still know so many people who can belt out every single lyric from them. I was actually shocked that all of those songs came from the same album. It's honestly just really good, creative pop rock. It's hard to talk about the individual elements cause I feel on their own they wouldn't be noteworthy but together they create a great mood. The one thing I can pinpoint for sure is that Brendan Flowers is an incredible vocalist with a lot of power and personality in his voice. He's the reason every white person on the planet has to stop what they're doing and sing whenever Mr. Brightside comes on. Would have gotten a 5 from me but the second half loses a bit of steam. Fav Song: Mr. Brightside Least Fav Song: Everything Will Be Alright
This album is clearly in my bag, in that it is in the window of music time I love. I listened to the version with the alternate track "glamorous indie rock and roll," and that about covers it; that kind of music is MY SHIT. It's a great album. If there is any point of contention, it's that I feel that it's heavy with amazingness on the front end. It's *good* on the other end of the album but it's hard when the first several tracks are a murderers row.
OK, you got me, Killers. Someone, somewhere, please explain to me why I’m supposed to hate this album. Because, damn, I want to rip this to shreds … but here I am, chanting… “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier!” And I’m not being ironic.
The shit you will here at every British party, can't complain much though
8/10
I hadn't heard this album before, just some of the big hits. I enjoyed it a lot, but it didn't quite have the edge to push it all the way to 5 stars.
I'm a generation older than the target demographic, but good songs are good songs.
7/10 fave: somebody told me
OVERALL: There are some really high highs and some pretty unfortunately mid lows. Obviously there's Mr. Brightside, but Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine and Midnight Show are, at least in my opinion, clear standouts that compete with Mr. Brightside as the best song. A lot of these songs sound really good and have great instrumentals, but I just don't like how some of the vocals sound on some of the later tracks. With that being said, half of the songs are bangers and I will definitely be replaying them. Good rock stuff, but also kinda mid. I guess I'll go with a 4 even though it's more like a 3.5/5 because of the bangers. SONG AVG: 7.8175/10 PERSONAL RATING: 7/10 Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine: Banger. Great bassline, and absolutely rocks the entire way through. Very replayable. The only downside I can really think of is that it's kinda basic, but that's also not really true, as it has an incredible bassline, great vocals, and uses a synth pretty well. 9.82/10 Mr. Brightside: Banger. I don't need to explain anything. I will say that this is one of, if not the most basic white rock song, but it still rocks. Probably the most upbeat song about being cucked, absolutely incredible. 9.5/10 Smile Like You Mean It: I like the synth riff, but I can understand people who would despise it. Great bridge, good instrumentation, fine vocal performance. The synth riff is definitely used way too much. 8.5/10 Somebody Told Me: Once again, banger. I feel like this is the hits and/or singles section of the album. Really good chorus and the instrumentation absolutely slaps. Probably objectively better than Smile Like You Mean It, but I don't really feel as interested. 8.25/10 All These Things That I've Done: Kinda mid. I guess I like the message, but I'm so incredibly bored, and I don't know why. The "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" part sucks. Everything else is fine I guess. 6.25/10 Andy, You're A Star: Good. I like how this is basically a fuck you to someone from this guy's school. The instrumental is kinda weird, and isn't very good in the start, but gets really good as the song goes on. It also dies after the chorus, so that's weird. The vocals also usually suck unless it's the chorus, so uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the lyrics are kinda funny ig. 6/10 On Top: Pretty good. Nice instrumental, and the vocals are fine. Very catchy. Also the fake ending is pretty good, and after that everything gets better. 8/10 Change Your Mind: Very generic, but also pretty good. The lyrics are pretty solid, and the production starts good and gets better over time. Really enjoyable, but also nothing that interesting. 7.75/10 Believe Me Natalie: Why are the vocals, like, doubled for a good part of it? The lyrics are pretty good, and the production is solid, and for some reason has trumpets at the end that don't really work that well. The ending is really good, though. Pretty captivating. 7.25/10 Midnight Show: Another banger. Really good instrumental, rocks for the entire song. The vocals are also really good. After closely inspecting the lyrics, I realize that this is about a murder and Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine was probably after this, so that's pretty nice. 9.5/10 Everything Will Be Alright: I don't like the vocals, but the instrumental is actually incredible. The instrumental carries this song so hard. The lyrics are fine I guess. I can't tell if this song is supposed to be copium after a relationship or comforting the other person in a relationship. Would've been so much better if the vocals weren't pretty bad. 7.75/10 Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll: Vocals suck, really poor autotune usage. With that being said, the instrumental is definitely carrying this song. The lyrics are not notable at all. I guess it's kinda funny. 5.5/10
Good
This album was released in my last year of university. It’s so hard not to look at this without rose coloured glasses. I love it. At least the first 7 songs. The last four are a bit hit or miss which prevents this was from being a masterpiece. But boy does it get close. 4.5/5
Really well done, the blasting guitar and sound kept me exited, the lyrics somehow more thrilling, I thought it was good.
Didn’t realize how much synth these guys use, and always good to hear a band’s others songs besides the one hit
Great album. Songs 1-7 are solid. Real easy to sing along to. Drips off a little on the back end. Only real dud is everything will be alright. Favorite track is jenny was a friend of mine.
Reminds me of college. When I hear this in the gym I briefly do silly little dances, and then remember I’m in public, and then resume trying to be normal again.
🗣️🗣️Mr Brightside 🗣️🗣️ But besides that I forgot how solid this album is all the way through. Favorite Track (besides Mr Brightside): Somebody Told Me Least Favorite: Andy, You're a Star
It’s a great album, one of my favourite opening tracks on a debut and typifies the sound of the early 2000s indie/rock sound. 4/5
Didn’t realize this was a debut album. Killers is a guilty pleasure, Mr bright side is an absolute banger and it’s never a bad time to hear that song. Works in any setting. That’s all said. Feels like they peaked on this record. All downhill from there. All that said, it’s still just a 4.
Nie spodziewałem się zbyt wiele po tym albumie, ale byłem przyjemnie zaskoczony. Indie rock tego okresu to nie jest coś, co szczególnie mnie jara, myślałem, że to będzie kolejny Coldplay, czy Kings of Leon. I jasne, to może być podobny nurt, ale siadło mi o wiele bardziej. Albo raczej w ogóle siadło. Byłem zaskoczony, jak wiele utworów z tego albumu kojarzyłem, jeśli nie z tytułu, to po prostu z brzmienia czy konkretnych linijek tekstu ("I've got a soul but I'm not a soldier"). Nie mam jakoś wybitnie dużo do powiedzenia, trudno mi o jakieś wybitne analizy, bo słuchałem na zmęczeniu i trochę w półśnie, ale z przyjemnością puściłem sobie drugi raz. I pewnie jeszcze wrócę.
Two 2004 bangers in a row with this following Franz Ferdinand….nice. This playlist - for better or worse - is so heavily British that it would be in no way complete with the inclusion of the album that contains the UK’s favourite karaoke number. The rest of the album is good too, but it’s not the lofty heights of the Aughts.
Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll is not a good closing track, it would fit much better in the middle of the album
The highs of this album are amazing, but I do feel like some of the filler songs haven't stood the test of time as well. The proverbial Side A is much better than Side B.
88/100
Really like this album. Good stuff with a lot of good songs and great composition.
One of my favorite early 2000 albums. If they had keep making albums like this they'd be legendary, but they didn't and they aren't. "Mr. Brightside" may be the most played song I've ever seen on Spotify with over 2.5B listens. I've heard it's England's national pop song, that right there is staying power and a mega hit. Throw in radio hits like the urgent "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" (which would have slayed it in the 80's, 90M listens), "Smile Like You Mean It" (205M listens), the huge hit "Somebody Told Me" (1B listens) and "All The Things That I've Done" (400M listens) which I hear in ads all the time. Don't sleep on "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll", that's a solid non-hit track. The first half of this album is their greatest hits! They never came close to having anything nearly this great after this release. They had a few decent hits ("Read My Mind", "The Man") but I felt like they moved away from a new wave indie pop sound to being a second rate Springsteen cover band after this album and I lost interest. Listen to "Human" (pure shit) and tell me where the Hot Fuss era Killers went. This album gets 4 solid stars (really for first half) - but it has the hits & staying power to merit a spot on the Top1001.
YES! great album, loved it when it came out and bought it immediately - they sounded new and vintage at the same time - they reminded me of Ministry, fun band from the 80s (I wanted to Tell her is still a fab song) lead singer of the Killers is Brandon Flowers and I really dig that voice. Tracks 1-4 so fantastic, clever lyrics and catchy hooks. I was disappointed with their follow up albums, but this was a GREAT 1st effort
A delectable mashup of U2 Springsteen and new order. There will be anthems - none greater than the 2nd track. Mr Brightside is as singable as they come. Everyone in my house - no matter their musical proclivity, age or mood -can and will sing along to this song in any venue. Whether it be 100000 people at glastonbury, alone in your car or on a humid night at summer camp - you must join in. I was struck how it still gets the blood flowing. I think it made my morning better. Now what follows does not quite hit that absurdly high bar. The next two tracks come close but you simply can't keep up that pace. All These Things I've done - a little schmaltzy but ultimately undeniable - ends the run of songs I ever want much less need to hear again. But side one is so damn good. Interesting this comes on the heels of 1984 - an album that similarly defines and transcends its time because the best songs are so unbeatable.
Yay! I have this album! (#3). Now that it's been 21 years (!) I can admit that I mainly got it because I liked the video for Mr. Brightside, and I thought the rest of their songs were just OK. (I still think "Mr. Brightside" is the best song here - it deserves its Millennial wedding crowdpleaser status.) This is also an aesthetically pleasing album cover. It's a pretty good album, though. A lot of hits, and the last-half relative snoozers aren't too bad. They should have kept it in the book! Also, reading that 'Mr Brightside' was played on & therefore overlapped with The OC is like those "the pyramids were built at the same time as the telephone" kinds of facts for me. How is that possible!? D: Highlights: 'Mr Brightside', 'All These Things That I've Done' (&"I've got soul but I'm not a soldier"), 'Andy, You're a Star'
Honest to god might be one of the best albums ever made, it’s a shame Mr Brightside became such a meme song because this would be absolutely flawless.
Должен признать: вторая половина этого альбома действительно никакая. Но вместе с тем первые пять песен - это что-то. Лучшая песня - Mr. Brightside.
First 5 are huge, but if a drop off then but still some decent bits like Andy You’re A Star, and Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll. Was fun to revisit.
I rinsed this album so much when it first came out. Remember seeing them on the second stage at V festival just after this album came out and feeling pretty smug about it. ABsolutely cracking beginning of the album (skipped brightside) Glamourous indie rock and roll absolutely stonking song. A hit.
The hits are fantastic the filler is poor
Great album loved listening to it!
Great album but i always thought the last few songs where weak other that that it’s literally almost a 5 star album - I’ve listened through this a lot in the past.
Impressive stretch of songs to open Hot Fuss, first 5 tracks are bangers with Mr. Brightside being the biggest hit of them all, Gen Z’s Wonderwall. The album falls off a bit from there but is still mostly pretty good with the exception of the closing track, Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll which was kinda lame. I hadn’t listened to a ton of Killers but I had listened to a ton of the Canadian Indie band, Hot Hot Heat in my teens and this was the first time I noticed how much Brandon Flowers sounded like Steve Bays from shot Hot Heat. Turns out Flower’s is quoted saying they were an early inspiration of his, so I thought that was kinda cool and a nice feather in the cap for Bays and company. So if you like this album go give Make up the Breakdown a listen, it’s a gem of an early 2000’s indie album. 4 stars
This came out when I was in high school and it was huge. And for good reason, this is a fantastic album. Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll is a sleeper jam on here, it’s a great closer. And one of the best songs on an album full of hits.
Another entry into the "i was a hater before i even knew what was on the album" category. What a phenomenal early 2000s pop punk/indie alternative album. Arguably a masterpiece of its time but I won't give it that much credit.
Bringing back memories
Banger
3.9 2x
Brilliant listen, or at least the first half is. Absolute bangers of tunes, it's like a perfect half album
I've never listened to this album in its entirety, despite Mr Brightside being an absolute classic at this point. It did not disappoint.
A lovely space/indie rock feel
Even though The Killers have that Joy Division post-punk sounds I just really never meshed with, they are also far more melodic than a typical post-punk band, combining pop friendly tunes with synth and dark vocals. 3.5/5
I like the tempo of a lot of the tracks on here. You end up sort of getting pulled along. The lyrics are also pretty fun and/or interesting Standouts Mr. Brightside Somebody Told Me 4/5
This is absolutely lovely Brit-pop. I know they're from Las Vegas. And also? I know that this is lovely Brit-pop. Lead vocals are delivered with an accent that certainly points across the pond. And it's just lovely, emotional, sad-boy Brit-pop. (I'd never listened to this album before, lol. I'm not sure how I missed it. And them. But I did. The only song I KNEW knew was, "Sombody Told Me." Which... great fucking tune.) This is also exceptionally shoegazey. I don't mind that. I'm rocking back and forth in front of a massive speaker, ben-gay scented fog mingling with cloves cigarettes, a cheap gin and tonic in a plastic cup held high. It's a ruhl good memory, yinz guys. Four of five stars on this one. It's a fantastic album.
Classic
An album I grew up on that I haven’t revisited in some time. Not quite as good as I remember, but my nostalgia won’t let me rank it any lower.
Classic
Enduring hits, what's not to love? Listening to the full album, it struck me that there's a murder mystery here. What happened to Jenny?
Flowers, Brandon: Variations on “Mr. Brightside”, I-XI (2004) The closer, “Everything Will Be Alright”, and “All These Things That I’ve Done” give some sonic variety that would otherwise be missing. But when the baseline sound is so bright and joyous, it’s hard to fault the Killers for staying in that lane. February 4, 2025
It felt wrong listening to Mr Brightside on a Monday morning and not in a sweaty student nightclub or some other place with a lot of alcohol involved. It's quite front-loaded, but the hits really hit. I just looked at the top review after writing the above. Judging from the use of "uni", I'm guessing they're British. Despite Brandon Flowers being American, I refuse to believe Yanks can vibe with Mr Brightside on the wavelength all British people seem to. It unlocks something in us. I finally figured out the line in Somebody ToldnMe is "I never thought I'd lead a rumour ruin the moonlight". I hadn't consciously thought about it, as most of the times I'd hear that song I could hardly be described as conscious, but in the back of my mind I would think "what the hell is a roomaroo in the moonlight".
What a 5-song run the first 5 songs are. The following 3 are damn good too, but then the song quality fades a little bit. Still a great listen with 8/12 songs having a ton of relistenability.
great, great album. big, driving guitar & vocals. love the sounds and variety. except for final 2 tracks-they were just boring & repetitive. shame since rest of album was fantastic. 4.5 stars
Definitely a classic. After many years the songs sound actual
Bassline in Jenny was a friend of mine is super catchy, lead voice is cool too Mr brightside is great ofc, but why is it the 52nd most listened song on spotify wtf its huge SOMEBODY TOLD ME YAHHH All these things that I've done intro = Queen Really cool album, much variety yet every song blends in really well with the rest
First side is all great hits. Still all in heavy rotation on the radio. Second side is all eh
Started off really well, but couldn't quite hold up at the end
You’ve heard all the hits…. A bazillion times. But as each one came up I thought wow there’s a lot of hits on here. And the rest of the album holds up pretty well too. I had never heard the whole album, although I’d heard half of it without realizing. Very pleasantly surprised.
Absolutely not a fan of "indie man bands" so a reluctant 4, again, because I "get it" and it was better content-wise than the prior album, which I gave a 3.
Very good music and lyrics but not quite a 5 star as it became samey towards the end
bit strange to put the 'best' song second, then have all the other ones following be not as good like, but it's a good album
How do you rate an album that has potentially THE song of the 21st century (at least so far) in Mr. Brightside? Plus other huge hits like Somebody Told Me and All These Things That I've Done. Some songs did feel a bit like filler but it's hard when you have massive hits to contend with. 7.75/10 (3.875/5)
aso im vergliich zum Rock-Album wo mer gester gha hend (Supergrass - I Should Coco) isch das mal vill spannender. Tempowechsel, interessanti Rock-Melodie mit Stimm und e-Gitarre, Pausene im Schlagzüg, verständlichi Lyrics wo dur Sound-Effect ide Stimm verdütlicht werded. Mr. Brightside natürli en Hit. Zwar au vill 4/4 Takt i dem Album, aber s Tempo isch abwechsligsriich und ich find si mached meh drus mit variierende Betonige (z.B. Andy you’re a star: me chunnt am Afang gar nöd drus wases für e Metrik isch; on top: d Synthie-Kläng am Afang zeiged nöd di intuitiv Betonig vom nachfolgende Takt uf). D Gitarre in Believe me Natalie tönt exakt gliich wie in Change your Mind, eif bizli schnellers Tempo, aber d Tön und de Rhythmus sind genau glich sogar di gliich Tonhöchi wtf? ha mich nöd chöne entscheide zwüsched emne starche Drü und emne liecht unverdiente Vieri, aber wür gern meh Foifis dörfe vergä, drum hani jetz mal mis Vieri-Niveau chli geg abe apasst;)
Fantastic debut album that’s all nostalgia for me. I wore this one out back when it was a popular album. Personally I like Sam’s Town better and really the two albums that follows that are pretty good too. Brandon Flowers’s solo debut Flamingo is a pretty solid album too. All that to be said Brandon Flowers is a religious nut job so that’s my only complaint about these guys. 4.5 stars
Wow this started off strong, side two petered out. But all in all a pretty good album.
This album of course has some classic (for my generation) songs that always bang at the campfire, but I also found some new ones I really like. The Killers have a distinct sound.
Cant deny the amount and impact of the bangers on this record. But the whole thing after them huge highlights are a bit flat to me. I give it a really strong (3.5/5.0)
Thoughts before listening: I've grown to like these guys more than I originally did. At first I thought they were Strokes-lite or something, and while that might be true, their hits are really catchy. These songs have become the classic rock of 00s era music, and since this came out when I was 23, I have a ton of nostalgia built around them. Review: This indie rock, dancey hybrid sound was definitely cliche in the mid-00s, but the Killers have the hooks to make the sound work. "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" are the most famous, but there are a number of solid tracks on this album. 4-stars
This could be one of the latest samples of dumb guy rock that still absolutely rocks. There’s a bit of filler but not much, and the whole thing has a lot more energy and purpose than most of the Killers’ indie rock peers (though at the time I liked them less because they seemed like they were trying). Nothing they did after this was very worthwhile. You can’t make a good concept album about Vegas dummies if you yourself are a Vegas dummy. “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier” is such a stupid lyric that you could think about it all day. You could get lost in it.
Love the killers, and I love their sound. Mr.Brightside is the runaway hit on this album but some much of it screams rock of that era.
This is a truly excellent album. I remember thinking at the time that rock n’ roll is in good hands if bands like The Killers will pick up the mantle. And I think this record will be remembered fondly by rock fans for a long time Read my full article at: https://tinyurl.com/5c46rc22
The Killers’ 2004 album Hot Fuss may not have featured particularly innovative production, but its distinctive and infectious sound set a new standard for alternative rock of the decade. With tracks like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me,” the album combined catchy melodies with introspective lyrics, creating an atmosphere that resonated with an entire generation and subsequently influenced countless artists in the alternative scene. The simplicity of its production allows the raw energy of the songs to shine through, cementing Hot Fuss as an essential album for understanding the development of alternative rock in the 2000s.
This is somehow both better and worse than I remembered it to be. 4 singles that are sing-alongs. Some real surprises....loved "Glamourous Indie Rock & Roll". Kinda Queen-ish? I think Flowers gets derided a bit for being kind of over the top at times, but who cares. Music is solid. Not life-changing, but totally solid.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing. There's some underrated bass playing on this, which is where it gets most of its Duran Duran vibes. All These Things That I've Gone would make a great album closer but it's only track 5 and is followed by some pretty forgettable stuff. For my rating I shall refer you back to the first sentence of this review.
Great 2000s pop rock record
Classic
Good album but very frontloaded -- the five real classics here start the album, and they've permeated popular consciousness so much that they make the latter half of the album feel inessential by comparison. I do enjoy a lot of the second half, granted, but I wish the running order were more balanced.
better than I remember
Starts about as well as any rock album from the 2000s, but is unable to maintain that level, how could it? Nonetheless, the album does lose steam in the back half and the experience is a little uneven. Still, the bangers absolutely bang.
Gives 80s new wave
Good album. Lots of originals I had forgotten about.
This took me back. What a great debut album from this band, very nostalgic. As a producer, it reminds me of how quality use of stereo panning can have a profound affect to your sound
The most British sounding group of Americans I can think of. Liked the album overall, especially the first half. I do think it goes on for a little bit too long without really giving you anything new on the second half.
An album of the time. Brought back some good memories.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. I remember returning the CD back in 2004/5! Definitely front-loaded, but it holds up well and is just a fun listen all around.
Meeh, midtier
I look forward to listen to the rest, but currently, it's been a banger of a time
Gutes Album. Somebody Told Me und Mr. Brightside natürlich top. Ansonsten solide.
Una obra bastante interesante y disfrutable, combina muy bien elementos de géneros varios como indie, alternativo y post-punk, un clásico de la década de los 2000 que se mantiene firme aún después de 20 años.
If you're making a list of the top 50 rock songs of the 2000s, like 3 of them are on this album.
Mr Brightside is the well known track on this album, but for me All These Things That I’ve Done is the one. What a brilliant song 4/5
A lot of great songs
Fun rock with recognizable songs
I really liked it
Light 4 based on the strength of the hits
Better than I was expecting
This has to be in my top-20 albums of all time.
Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - Did not like at first, but as the song went on, I liked it a little. Will definitely need to listen again (3.5/5) Mr. Brightside - A classic. Love it (5/5) Smile Like You Mean It - Really enjoyed this one, but there was something holding it back that kept me from truly loving it like Mr. Brightside (4.5/5) Somebody Told Me - Really loved this one. (5/5) All These Things I've Done - Very different sounding compared to the rest of the songs so far. Love it, but it's not one I would actively seek out like Mr. Brightside or Somebody Told Me (4/5) Andy You're a Star - Meh it was alright. Wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but I wouldn't put it on myself (3/5) On Top - Really enjoyed this one. Loved the synths and the aura that the song created. Feels like spending a summer in LA (5/5) Change Your Mind - It was good, but it's just not all that interesting or memorable compared to what came before (4/5) Believe Me Natalie - Very slept on song from Hot Fuss. Not as great as On Top or Mr. Brightside or Somebody Told Me, but it's still a fantastic song worth listening to again and again (4.5/5) Midnight Show - Very interesting guitar play. And the synths are appropriately eerie. Kind of reminds me of Halloween (5/5) Everything Will Be Alright - Meh I didn't really like this one all that much. Not bad or anything, I just didn't really vibe with it (2.5/5) Glamourous Indie Rock & Roll - It was alright. Had some interesting instrumentals, but overall just didn't really find it all that interesting or memorable (3/5) Overall: It was a good, solid album filled with a bunch of good songs that I really enjoyed and thought were interesting. Not every song was a hit and there were very few that I truly, truly enjoyed. But this is an album full of songs that I would definitely come back to again and again. (4.1/5)
Album is a bit imbalanced, all the hits at the start and a weaker second half, however I enjoyed the whole album
I’m glad that we can stop pretending that Mr. Brightside isn’t the best song of the 21st Century.
Strong start full of hits, second part a bit weaker, after all it was their first album. Not their best but a solid start.
Excellent debut
Hot Fuss sound like timeless indierock and could easily deserve 5 stars, but the lyrics are so dull sometimes and Brandon is just a lil asshole, so I take a star for that.
Lots of classic tracks here, crazy for a debut. Didn't love the album songs as they all blur into each other a bit for me. Still a high 4/4.5 for Mr Brightside and All These Things That I've Done.
This one gets that nostalgia bump. Is it actually a 4? I didn't know, but it is for me.
4.5
This was actually pretty entertaining the obvious favorites were “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me”
Awesome album, anthemic songs. The first five are incredible, powerful dance/rock/alt songs. The second half of the album cools of a little, while still enjoyable the songs aren't as special
Cool
What a debut!
This was a pretty solid and fun Rock album that I know I've heard tracks off of, and maybe my kids played for me before. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Karaoke HOF with Mr. Brightside. Honorable mention to Somebody Told Me. Overall banger.
Begin was beter en laatste
Forgot about this album and how great it is. So much energy and what a voice! I enjoyed listening to this again.
Awesome!
eh i don't have to always make this so complicated: I want to *not* like these guys and the singer is more than a bit mid and I absolutely hate this mega-compressed terrible mix but ... dammit there's a dumb and irresistible catchiness to it all. Maybe it's good for me to not think too hard about rock music sometimes because I'd be stupid to deny the nostalgia here with the big hits. And even though those first 4 songs could carry the album alone, the second half (which I'd never heard) is actually just as fun, if not more-so. Much less wall-of-guitar-heavy and reliant on synths and melody.... I really like it. "Change Your Mind" is a straight-from-the-80s synth pop hit tarted up for this millennium. TL;DR: went into it thinking I was gonna be arrogantly rolling my eyes for the better part of an hour lumping them in with hipster and fecking horrible shit like Arctic Monkeys / Strokes / Hives but instead added an album to my collection. I feel slightly less-jaded tonight. 8/10 4 stars.
Probably good but I don’t like the singer’s voice.
Muy buen disco. Nada que decir de "Mr. Brightside", pero las otras canciones también son muy buenas, aunque se van apagando hacie el final del album. Debe ser el mejor disco de The Killers, a verificar con Sam's Town quizás.
I was excited to see this come up - very much of my era, memories of university and one of few albums now that my whole family will get on board with. That said, it is pretty front-loaded with most of its best songs in the opening run and then sags in the middle. Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll is one of my all-time favourite songs though so I'm always happy to let it run to the end.
Tu pariento parece tu parienta
I feel for my fellow listeners who got this album the day after the American election and just couldn't. There are some really great, propulsive, fun tracks on this. That may not match with current personal/political energy.
Average nightclub at 2am music but still good
Great album.
This is a very crucial album for me. I remember my mom playing this CD all the time and it slowly growing on me as I grew up. It starts and ends incredibly strong but a couple of songs (Change Your Mind and Believe Me Natalie) feel out of place on this. Still a great listen.
Flott plata. Mjög mikið Killers sound. Þétt og nokkrir bangers.
Oh give me a break. Coldplay yesterday. The Killers today. The author of this book clearly made no effort to account for recency bias when making this list. It’s almost hard to judge this album objectively because many of these songs were inescapable when the album was popular (some of them are still inescapable). Still, there’s some really catchy songs on here. I don’t even particularly care for Mr. Brightside, but it gets an honorary “Highlights” nod as one of the anthems of the Millennial generation (2.4 billion streams don’t lie). I guess this album was/is so popular that it’s justified being on the list, but I can’t help but feel like there’s not enough staying power here to call this album “important”. I just find popular music from this era so boring and uninteresting. Catchy enough, nonetheless. Take my 4 and be gone, Soul Soldier. 4/5 Highlights: Mr. Brightside All These Things That I’ve Done
Jenny was a friend of mine is such a great track and I feel like it gets overshadowed cause this album is full of bangers.
If this were my childhood, I would've given it a 5 easily, but I only knew a few, so most of the songs were new to me. A lot of bangers and just long enough. A very strong 4 full of pop bangers
full of classics
4.5 really
Decent album with lots of hits
Es ist das Debütalbum der amerikanischen Rockband und kombiniert Elemente von New Wave, Post-Punk und Synth-Pop und ist geprägt von eingängigen Gitarrenriffs, treibenden Schlagzeugrhythmen und markanten Synthesizer-Melodien. “Mr. Brightside” ist ein echter Ohrwurm mit treibendem Beat und melancholischen Texten über Eifersucht und Herzschmerz. “Somebody Told Me” ist ein tanzbarer Track mit eingängiger Melodie, der von Verwirrung und Missverständnissen in Beziehungen handelt. “All These Things That I’ve Done” ist geprägt durch den Refrain “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier” und entwickelt sich von einer ruhigen Ballade zu einem kraftvollen Finale. “Smile Like You Mean It” ist ein melancholischer Song über Vergänglichkeit und den Verlust von Unschuld, kombiniert mit einer eingängigen Melodie. Insgesamt ist es ein starkes Debütalbum - unbedingt Wiederhören.
Solid album
It was alright, the Killers are definitely a hits band that can stand by their hits modt of the time, but some of these songs are so overplayed that I can't help but find them a bit cheesy. However, the album still is good, and some of the deep cuts are pretty good, too.
A favorite of mine. Saw them live in Japan long time ago. Quite good!
Honestly The Killers are one of those bands I kinda overlook. I think iit could be the lead singers voice gets a bit redundant maybe? I don't know. But I get mixed vibes listening to this album. It is really "quite good" and gets boosted by a few real solid hits. I think it might be that thorn in my side that more often than not does not "enjoy" listening to "just the one band" too many songs in a row. I don't know. Not a huge fan of The Killers but this is a pretty darn solid album...
That final song sucks so hard. Great album, though.
If I could give 4.5 I would. This album was truly everything I enjoy, and if I sit with it for longer it could even be 5 stars. It really is just everything I enjoy :)