Hot Fuss

Wait it's all cuckholdery? Always has been. I did not expect much from this. Perhaps a neutered version of the strokes, which as a band is already too poppy for me. In the end I was pleasantly surprised. I am a sucker for a catchy funky bass line and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" immediately made me want to pick up my bass to try to figure out how it works. Although the rest aren't as slappin', bass and drums are actually front and center in their mix across the record which creates a punchy sound that's great and makes you want to move. In general these songs feature the same structure. Tension builds while the singer sings about getting cucked or other woes the drums intensify building up till they ''arriving'' at a crescendo. Say what you want, this is what being a teenager feels like. Kinda cringe that this music was made by adult men though. Still, pretty good. It doesn't pretend to be anything else than unabashingly punchy pop rock.

Holy front loaded album Batman! There are a number of hits and iconic songs here, and they catapulted the Killers into stardom. And for good reason too, I still find myself singing along to Mr. Brightside all these years later. But all the goodies are in the first half of the record, and once youget past those, there is not much to keep your attention. Sure, most of the rest of the record is fine, but the start of the record set the bar too high for the last few songs to ever stand a chance. 7/10

They're pretty damn epic but not for me. Still, they deserve 4 stars.

Hot air

Me gusto bastante, buenos temas. Muy piola. Conocía uno nomas, pero muy buenos, me encanto. 7.5/10

They have a lot of energy. And some good songs but I was underwhelmed by the same-y of it all. This may change but feels pretty meh.

One of the best debut albums of the mid 2000s. The only weak spot in my opinion is "Everything Will Be Alright" just because I always felt like it sounds like a drunken slog through the end the night that just goes on and on. The rest of the album though is just banger after banger! Opener, "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" just punches you in the face right out of the gate. Then the follow that up with 4 huge singles that still get a fair share of airplay today, over 20 years later. Bassist Mark Stoermer and drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr do more to drive the energy of this album than they really get credit for IMO, and the way they're mixed across the album really puts them more at the forefront than Brandon Flowers' vocals. The publishers of the official list have actually removed this record from the list, but I think it still belongs. Favorite songs: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, On Top, Believe Me Natalie

i really like this album. a modern take on 80s music. Mr Brightside and Somebody told Me of course are the standout tracks but there are others like Smile Like You Mean It and Believe Me Natalie.

I was surprised that I have listened to some of the songs before. I unexpectedly liked the slblum overall. A solid 3.

Not bad but very one note to me at times

Excellent album with a fresh take on the 2000s sound. This record still holds up remarkably well.

el rock de los 2000 es mi debilidad

I really love about half of this album. Like the other half. This album is no longer on the list. That's a shame because it really is a solid album. The Killers don't rate a mention on the current list but Charli XCX gets 2 spots? I call shenanigans.

My instincts tell me that this should be 5 stars. I listened to this album TONS when it first came out but it was never a perfect album, and even now revisiting it, it's got some skippers, so I can't morally do it. The highest of 4 stars though

I'm not a huge Killers fan. They are tolerable, but I never gravitated toward them and find them a bit mediocre. However, I do think this album deserves a spot on this list as this album is generational touchstone for many Millennials and you can hear the influence in much of the indie bands that came in the following decades.

This album is super front loaded but I still don't think there's any bad songs after the hits. They own their brand of alt rock and I think it's pretty great

Ok, listen, this album (and band) are obviously most well known for creating the anthem of every white person ever: Mr. Brightside. BUT! Along with the Strokes the Killers were one of the most influential rock bands of the 2000s and early 2010s. This album is a perfect representation of why. It is loud, more polished than grungy, and makes liberal use of synths to round out the sound. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it is very very good.

Not too bad. I think I actually liked the back half of the album more than the front half

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

A couple of well known songs (somebody told me, and mr. brightside). I liked the somebody told me song. The rest of the album is sort of meh, nothing I really like, nothing I really hate. Sounds like a lot of stuff that I hear. Nothing that I would listen to again, nor purchase. probably a 2 star rating

I've heard this before, but I can't remember if I just listened to the hits or the whole thing. Let's see it^^ Damn, it's from 2004, what a time, GameCube era tunes. No wonder SSX had them included. Ok, I'm almost through, it was a ride, but it was also a little boring. I like the hits that I already know, it's got a nostalgic feeling, reminds me of a bunch of bands and stuff from that time. But ultimately, I guess Indie Rock-n-roll is not what I need rn (笑)

Oh hell yeah! I have not listened to this album in awhile. Had to locate and dust off my old CD copy. I recall when this album first came out. I had just graduated college and took a job that required extensive travel. On a work trip to New Jersey we got to listen to a lot of NYC radio, and I came back home with copies of this, Taking Back Sunday’s Where You Want To Be, and My Chemical Romance’s Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. All three of these albums still sound great. Now let’s get some Emo on this list already.

Still holds up - still endlessly replay-able.

The popularity of this album makes sense to me, but, if I can continue being pretentious; it’s fundamentally uninteresting and I strongly suspect that it’s only value is for people with nostalgia for a time before they developed taste. Or those that arrested their development at that point. There’s not much to explicitly hate but there’s also not much to like. It’s extremely bland for the most part (indie Coldplay?), the singles were the singles for a reason. Where this strays from being boring, I found it annoying, which might be largely due to the singing. The elephant on the album is THAT SONG, maybe the most overplayed song in history. I'm not going to write about THAT SONG, just send a silent prayer out to the universe that we let it die, I never, never need to hear THAT SONG again. Somebody else should have been in charge of selecting the keyboard sounds, they nearly all sound perfectly silly, and this band seems like they take themselves very seriously. I don’t though. I thought I’d be more worked up about this album but you can ignore most of it even when it’s directly in your ear. Deeply unchallenging and joyless.

The killers are a really consistent band across this album. I find something new to listen to each time I pick it up. The highs are dazzling, and there's not really any lows.

Mid

Solid debut album, good hits, and overall a good listen. 4 stars.

I was surprised when this album was first included. It came out when I was 15, and, to me, it consisted of their best song (Jenny Was a Friend of Mine), the singles, and then half an album of dull filler. This impression was somewhat driven by the UK edition replacing the pretty good Change Your Mind with Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll, the lyrics of which I found so terrible I couldn't listen to it without blushing on the band's behalf. In 2026, the inclusion of Hot Fuss is justified, if only by Mr Brightside's adoption as a generational anthem and its permanent place on the singles charts. At the time of release, Somebody Told Me was slightly bigger. I'm more forgiving of Brandon's weaker lyrics now. It's the inevitable result of trying to be an adenoidal Paul Banks with the popularity of Oasis. It's hard for me to understand why I had such a problem with Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll but I wasn't bothered by the phrase "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." Also, I always thought he had a decent storytelling ability when he tried, as is evident on Jenny and Mr Brightside. My personal favourite lines might be the slightly haunting bridge in Smile Like You Mean It: "and someone is calling my name from the back of the restaurant, and someone is playing a game in the house that I grew up in, and someone will drive her around, down the same streets that I did." It perfectly evokes the melancholy of a young waiter in his late teens/early 20s, already feeling old and longingly remembering the lost freedom of his youth during yet another tedious late shift. I'm also less bored by the second half than I used to be. It doesn't quite hit the heights of the first side, but most of it is enjoyable. I had forgotten that Glamorous Indie Rock n Roll was actually their first stadium rock song, with a few Brian May-isms that provide a welcome change of pace. I really like the synths in On Top. Andy, You're a Star seems to have a David Watts thing going on, if Ray Davies had been slightly negging David. Everything Will Be Alright is a damp squib of a closer, and it's the one where the album's slightly muffled production is most problematic. Overall, though, this is a pretty good little album that they have somehow managed to turn into a 20+ year stadium rock career. I'll have to check whether I still think their next one is half-good, as well.

Fun college flashback.

O 1001 só pode estar bisbilhotando meu last.fm lol Ouvi o Hot Fuss a uns dias e hoje ele que cai aqui. Obviamente não podia deixar de ouvi-lo novamente, é um disco que me deixou com uma certa dúvida na primeira vez que ouvi. Agora, tendo o escutado novamente, deu pra compreender melhor essa obra que, creio eu, seja um dos grandes clássicos do Indie Rock. É um trabalho que merece todo seu prestígio, a voz do Brandon Flowers me agrada muito e é bastante marcante, me passa aquela sensação de música da adolescência, de jogos e filmes com que eu cresci. Também gostei muito do corpo sonoro do disco que trás melodias viajantes, bem cara de trilha sonora. Sem dúvida alguma os grandes holofotes do trabalho são Mr. Brightside e Somebody Told Me que são ótimas canções, mas posso destacar também On Top e Smile Like You Meant It que me surpreenderam bastante. Esse disco entra pra lista das ótimas descobertas que tive através do 1001, e The Killers com certeza ganhou um ouvinte/futuro apreciador de sua discografia.

Listened to this religiously in high school and maybe its just nostalgia keeping me from being unbiased, but this album legitimately rips in my opinion. Every song has so much melodramatic self-pity and self-loathing that I cant help but still be bought in. The only songs on here I don't like are Believe Me Natalie and Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll which lack the catchiness and soul that holds a lot of the other songs up. Generally the Killers arent doing anything groundbreaking on this album- they pull from tried and true classic rock riffs and synth sounds that defined pop rock in decades past, while working in more modern vocal styles and chorus. Nothing new, but all done so extremely efficiently and well. If I had to criticize something itd be the flow of the album- some bits feel a bit disjointed. Favorites include Andy Youre A Star, All These Things That Ive Done, and Smile like you mean it. Alsp yes i acknowledge that nostalgia is holding this review up, probably more of a 2.5-3.5 star album if youre objective

Comes out swinging with back to back hits and then fizzles out pretty severely. These guys have no reason to break the four minute mark Highlights: "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It"

Every song is good.

Bangers and dogs, this album is a tale two types of songs. The last one especially is a real dog Indie rock ‘n’ roll for me? The bangers helped this album survive. 3.7.

Heard it too much now but was golden right from the start.

What s start. Great opening 2 tracks Peter off into mediocrity in the latter half of the album.

Owned. A no skips perfect debut

quite a few bangers on this album. would listen to it again. Not all of them but enough to justify 4 Stars!

I haven’t heard of this group or their music. The music is alt/indie style. Guitar is the prominent instrument. Vocals are good. Mostly real instruments. Mr. Brightside is a good song. I recognize it. It has lots of hooks in it. Other good songs are Smile like you mean it and Somebody told me. This is a good album. Four stars.

Now I get why people love them so much

Great album.

Rock filme adolescente

6.2/10

"Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" were in my favorites playlist forever. But i have never heard through "Hot Fuss" entirely. And what started as a cheerful journey got pretty boring by "On Top". Maybe it's my ADHD kicking in, maybe it's the songs being almost identical in their structure, but i started looking at the number of tracks and time left till the end of the album. And "Everything will be alright" felt like a long-awaited happy end, but then goes "Glamorous Indie Rock'n'Roll" that is like what? A love song to indie-rock? Satire? It no longer mattered to me - I didn’t want to get into it. Overall a very good album, just not my cup of whatever-rock it is. P.S. Also as non-English speaker always wondered why he's singing "pineapple" in the end of Mr. Brightside.

Banger of course

I love this album! Somebody told me is still such a banger.

“On Top” is the best song on the album. I didn’t realize I know this album so well.

Shout out Chris Scull of the Oh What A Time podcast, who maintains that The Killers are better than The Beatles. The credentials of that comedy-history podcast were never more dubious.

Whilst the first half of the album is full of absolute hits that you can easily sing along to, it was actually the second half of the album that surprised me more. For many of these songs I can sing them out despite never going out of my way to listen to them (aside from Mr. Brightside, which is strangely enough and absolute GOAT). A surprisingly solid album that I honestly cannot find fault with. It's really good.

Loved this album quite a lot, I knew the hits and was surprised they werent the best tracks. I loved Midnight Show. I give it 5

I have to hand it to them for being an American band that created a song that defines a British generation. As a rocker rather than an indie kid, it was never really my thing, but Somebody Told Me and Mr Brightside really do represent the last of the teenage pubgoers, the end of days without smartphones and when you could have an affordable lifestyle with a crap job. This is a decent album for indie. Very evocative and listenable, even if it's slightly rose-tinted. Enjoyed it sufficiently to give a 4.

Mainstream plodding but you can't fault the appeal of the big singles.

Although the album dips in quality after the first half, it's only because the songs are all classics for the first half. It deserves a 4 as it was a pleasure to listen to after the German industrial noise album the generator offered me yesterday.

It may be better than 3 stars, but I only really liked 2 songs, or sorta like 5 total. Kind of a wash...sort of banal. I'm going to give it 3 "because it's certainly better than most of the shit I didn't like" stars.

I don't think I like music from this era.

At their finest. They’ll never reach this level again.

a few duff tracks kept this from a 4 but only just

Enjoyed this one

One of the few decent post-punk rock albums. Still it suffers from that weird mood where it seems nostalgic about being angry, as if sich a thing is no longer possible.

somebody told me, all these things, Andy you are star

Already in my library. An album I like and must return to.

Nice to finally listen to this all the way through. It's good! Not really my thing, but it's fun. 3.5

No thank you

Genetic indie music Generous 3

Nah. i tried. But they get right on my tits. 'Smile Like You Mean It' & 'All These Things That I have Done' alright. "Ive got milk but Im not a milkman." And its clearly chocca full of 'hits' on here. But its not for me, 2nd half was awful Feel like If they werent doing this theyd be doing some sort of Imagine Dragons douchiness or whatever's popular.

Can see why people like it. Got all the hits

first half? easy 5. Everything else after? ehh... good, but not great, especially when the first half really sets your expectations high. nevertheless, iconic 2000s album and band

Great great album. Mr. Brightside is one gut wrenching song but its perfect!

Great live band and this is a great album. Plenty of bangers and foot stampers.

Singles were ok, rest easy filler

A collection of anthems and wanna be anthems, The Killers jumped out of the gate to stake their claim as America's answer to Coldplay. I'll let you decide whether or not that is a compliment (it is not). Some catchy hooks and the ubiquitous "Mr. Brightside" show some talent but with the depth of a puddle.

Great album!

My introduction to The Killers was in high school. The weight room’s sound system played the radio or a selection of pre-approved burned CDs. For all four years we rotated between 6 different playlists. My favorite being the one with Human, Mr. Brightside, Someone Told Me, and All These Things That I’ve Done. These songs are still in my rotation.

Another nostalgia bomb. Brings me back to middle school. Wondering if I need to adjust my rankings based on nostalgia.. it’s just not fair Notable tracks : Mr brightside All these things that I’ve done Somebody told me

immediately something very emo about this is this pop punk? all american millennials are obsessed with mr brightside (?) actually kinda hate it (somebody told me) keeps getting worse, voice is the only decent thing but keeps singing contrived lyrics the closer sounds alright if you don't listen to the lyrics too closely

I think overhearing Mr brightside at the clubs unfortunately turned me off the whole album

Mr Brightside is a great song, despite its over exposure. There are other hits on here but none as good as that, the overall impression though is it’s a bunch of decent musicians who desperately want to be cool so have analysed what to do and are trying too hard.

Album #180: Hot Fuss - The Killers Genre (W): Alternative rock, post-punk revival, new wave, art rock, synth-pop, dance-rock Singles: Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I’ve Done, Smile Like You Mean It I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I love the production behind this album. The album sounds stadium-ready and I love the maximalist nature of it! Solid! Favorite tracks: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, Mr. Brightside, Smile Like You Mean To, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I’ve Done, Andy, You’re a Star, On Top, Believe Me Natalie, Midnight Show, Everything Will Be Alright, Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll

One of the best debut rock albums ever? Mr. Brightside obviously has become the largest hit, but every other song holds up as well. T

I associate the Killers with a bad break up a long time ago and so I've never really given them a fair shake. So in being "forced" to listen to them I have to admit they can write a good rock song. Even beyond the mega-hits of this album there were a lot of good tracks.

Shining example of first half vs second half quality. As in, this might be the most front loaded album in history. Tracks 1-5 are among the Killers' best, with "Mr. Brightside" having become a righteous anthem of sorts for those who grew up or came of age in the 2000's. The second half sort of just exists, with a few hidden gems here and there ("Change Your Mind" and "Midnight Show"). There are almost too many vocal effects being applied here, as well as some odd instrumentation choices with the synthesizer, which makes the latter half so uneven in quality. A 3 seems right.

Best Track - "All These Things That I've Done"

It's good to here my young adult years brought back some times. This was part of it.

That’s a killer debutt from The Killers! It’s got a few big hits and some great B cuts. Change Your Mind is the top track of the non-hits. Overall, an upbeat sound and fun listen. (3.3*s) Hot Fuss is going to be tough for them to top.

Never really understood all the Hot Fuss about The Killers. They are/were the least attractive indie-rock act of the early 2000s for me. I find their radio hits a bit annoying but was caught a little off guard by this debut album. It's better than I expected. "All These Things That I have Done" is by far the topper. "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier"...genius. Kinda ends on a low note but overall I am surprised by my positive reaction. The Killers don't kill it on this record but they may catch an attempted murder charge...2.75 stars.

Despite not really considering myself a Killers fan I can't deny that Hot Fuss is a good album. It's got a number of their biggest hits and the forever immortalized Mr. Brightside which is a fine, albeit overplayed, hit. The rest of the album is a lot of very accessible early 2000's alt rock that has its own place. Despite their popularity I've always found The Killers to be just OK though I get why somebody would be a fan of them. The Killers have endured and remain popular to this day among some friends of mine so while I never go out of my way to listen to The Killers I end up hearing them more than enough. 2.90 stars

4 just because of the obvious main 4

Good pop rock album. Very consistent.

very cool album, reminds me of my childhood

I listened to this years ago and I don’t feel like listening to it again It’s just a mediocre indie album

I continue to enjoy the Killers. Mostly great cuts on this album with a few also rans.

Presque envie de me faire quitter par ma meuf pour vivre les mêmes émotions que lui et avoir le même talent (j’ai pas de meuf)

Fire album, hits with a cohesive theme. Almost perfect

This is a good album but it is too top heavy. A side is so good but it doesn’t carry through. The singles are great, but there’s a lot of crap on here. I am such a Sam’s town ass bitch that’s just when the killers really hit their stride and hot fuzz pales in comparison.

Really enjoyed first listen

I’ve seen the killers live so that helps. But the album with Mr brightside has to get a 5 star. No other option

I feel pretty sure I am going to like this one. I am fairly sure that I have listened to this album all the way through at least once before. It's an absolute banger, you can't tell me that you don't love this shit. I wouldn't be able to hear you over me blasting this album. This is not a "one-hit" album as one might expect. "Mr. Brightside" is the best among great friends.

And she's calling a crab.

Just so many bangers

One of those albums that just fucking works. It's like they took everything great about rock and pop, shook it up, and said, 'Here, have some of this.' Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - Mr. Brightside - Smile Like You Mean It - Somebody Told Me - All These Things That I've Done - Change Your Mind - Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll