Hot Fuss

Hot Fuss is the debut studio album by the American rock band The Killers. It was released on June 7, 2004, in the United Kingdom and on June 15, 2004, in the United States.[2] The album is mostly influenced by new wave music and post-punk. Hot Fuss spawned four commercially and critically successful singles: "Mr. Brightside", "Somebody Told Me", "All These Things That I've Done" and "Smile Like You Mean It".

Not to be confused with the 2007 action comedy film Hot Fuzz.
Hot Fuss
Studio album by
The Killers
ReleasedJune 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
Recorded2003
Studio
Genre
Length45:39
LabelIsland
Producer
  • Jeff Saltzman
  • The Killers
The Killers chronology
Hot Fuss
(2004)		 Sam's Town
(2006)
Singles from Hot Fuss
  1. "Mr. Brightside"
    Released: September 29, 2003
  2. "Somebody Told Me"
    Released: March 15, 2004
  3. "All These Things That I've Done"
    Released: August 30, 2004
  4. "Smile Like You Mean It"
    Released: May 2, 2005

The album reached number seven on the Billboard 200 and number one on the UK Albums Chart. As of December 2012, Hot Fuss had sold more than seven million copies worldwide,[5] including more than three million in the United States and more than two million in the United Kingdom, where it has been certified seven-times platinum. It has also been certified platinum or multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The album and its first three singles went on to garner five Grammy Award nominations.

Background

The album was recorded at various points throughout 2003 with Jeff Saltzman in Berkeley, California, with the exception of "Everything Will Be Alright", which was recorded by Corlene Byrd in guitarist Dave Keuning's apartment. Many of the tracks were originally recorded as demos, which the band decided to keep for their spontaneity. The album was mixed by Mark Needham at Cornerstone Studios in Los Angeles and Alan Moulder at Eden Studios in London. In 2012, vocalist Brandon Flowers told NME that he felt "depressed” after hearing The Strokes' album Is This It. "That record just sounded so perfect", he said. "We threw away everything [we were working on] and the only song that made the cut and remained was 'Mr. Brightside.'"[6]

According to NME, the buildings on the cover art are located at a construction factory in Shanghai, China, and the characters on top of each tower translate as "construction material development".[7] The songs "Midnight Show" and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" are two parts of the so-called "Murder Trilogy", detailing the fictional story of a woman who is murdered by her jealous boyfriend. The first part, "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf", appears on the band's B-sides and rarities compilation, Sawdust.[8]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Alternative Press4/5[10]
Blender[11]
Entertainment WeeklyC[12]
The Independent[13]
NME7/10[14]
Pitchfork5.2/10[15]
Q[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Spin[18]

Hot Fuss was released on June 7, 2004, in the United Kingdom and on June 15, 2004, in the United States.[2] In 2005, it was reissued as a box of eleven seven-inch vinyl discs, with an album track on each A-side and non-album tracks on the B-sides.[19] The album reached number seven on the US Billboard 200 chart. It is estimated to have sold more than seven million copies worldwide, including more than three million in the United States and more than two million in the UK, where it has been certified seven-times platinum and sold over 2.2 million copies.[20] It has also been certified platinum or multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Hot Fuss produced several commercially and critically successful singles, including "Mr. Brightside". Hot Fuss was The Killers' first number-one album in the UK. It was the 26th best-selling album of the decade in the United Kingdom. It is among the top 25 longest-charting albums in the history of the UK Albums Chart, with 252 weeks, more than four-and-a-half years. It is also the longest-charting post-2000 release on the same chart.

Rolling Stone ranked Hot Fuss the 43rd of its "100 Best Albums of the Decade", and was, at one point, listed among the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Gigwise readers voted it the number-one "Best Debut Album of All Time" in 2013.[21] Rolling Stone ranked Hot Fuss the 33rd of its list of "The 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time".[22]

Accolades
Year Ceremony Award Result
2004 Shortlist Music Prize Shortlist Music Prize Nominated
2005 BRIT Awards Best International Album Nominated
Grammy Awards Best Rock Album Nominated
Meteor Ireland Music Awards Best International Album Nominated
Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
Drowned in Sound UK Best Albums of the Year 2004 2
Gigwise[21] US Best Debut Album Ever: Readers' Poll 2013 1
NME[23] US 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 2013 495
Q[24] UK 250 Best Albums of Q's Lifetime 1986–2010 2011 17
Rolling Stone[25] US Top 100 Albums of the 2000s 2009 43
Rolling Stone[22] US 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time 2013 33
Rolling Stone[26] US 10 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time: Readers' Poll 2013 9
The A.V. Club[27] US Top 100 Albums of the 2000s 2009 41

Hot Fuss is listed among the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jeff Saltzman and The Killers, except "Everything Will Be Alright", produced by Brandon Flowers.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jenny Was a Friend of Mine"
  • Flowers
  • Mark Stoermer
4:04
2."Mr. Brightside"
  • Flowers
  • Dave Keuning
3:43
3."Smile Like You Mean It"
  • Flowers
  • Stoermer
3:54
4."Somebody Told Me"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
3:17
5."All These Things That I've Done"Flowers5:01
6."Andy, You're a Star"Flowers3:14
7."On Top"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:18
8."Change Your Mind"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
3:11
9."Believe Me Natalie"
  • Flowers
  • Vannucci
5:05
10."Midnight Show"
  • Flowers
  • Stoermer
4:02
11."Everything Will Be Alright"Flowers5:45
Alternate track on UK and Australian editions
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:14
Bonus track on US vinyl edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:14
Bonus tracks on European edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:14
13."Somebody Told Me" (music video)  
Bonus tracks on Japanese and US 2005 limited edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:14
13."The Ballad of Michael Valentine"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
3:49
14."Under the Gun"
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
2:33
iTunes Store deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Somebody Told Me" (Mylo Mix)7:17
13."Smile Like You Mean It" (Fischerspooner Mix)6:24
14."Smile Like You Mean It" (Ruff and Jam Eastside Mix)7:35
7-inch limited edition box set B-sides
No.TitleLength
1."Somebody Told Me" (Josh Harris Remix) 
2."Under the Gun" 
3."Show You How" 
4."The Ballad of Michael Valentine" 
5."Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself?" 
6."Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" 
7."Mr. Brightside" (Thin White Duke Remix Edit) 
8."Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll" 
9."Smile Like You Mean It" (acoustic version) 
10."Who Let You Go?" 
11."Get Trashed" 
Bonus DVD on Japan limited tour edition
No.TitleLength
1."Somebody Told Me" (music video) 
2."Mr. Brightside" (original music video) 
3."Mr. Brightside" (new music video) 
4."All These Things That I've Done" (music video) 
Bonus DVD on UK special edition
No.TitleLength
1."Smile Like You Mean It" (music video) 
2."All These Things That I've Done" (music video) 
3."Somebody Told Me" (Glastonbury 2005) 
4."Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" (Glastonbury 2005) 
5."Mr. Brightside" (Glastonbury 2005) 

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hot Fuss.[28]

The Killers
  • Brandon Flowers – vocals, synthesizer
  • Dave Keuning – guitar
  • Mark Stoermer – bass
  • Ronnie Vannucci Jr. – drums

Additional musicians
  • Sweet Inspirations – gospel choir (tracks 5, 6)

Technical
  • Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
  • Jeff Saltzman – production, recording (tracks 1–10)
  • The Killers – production (tracks 1–10)
  • Brandon Flowers – production (track 11)
  • Corlene Byrd – recording (track 11)
  • Dave Stedronsky – engineering assistance
  • Mark Needham – engineering assistance (all tracks); mixing (tracks 2, 3, 8, 9, 11)
  • Will Brierre – engineering assistance
  • Dario Dendi – engineering assistance
  • Alan Moulder – mixing (tracks 1, 4–7, 10)

Artwork
  • Louis Marino – art direction
  • Seth Goldfarb – cover photo
  • Matt Hartman – band photography

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[68] Gold 20,000^
Australia (ARIA)[69] 4× Platinum 280,000^
Belgium (BEA)[70] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[71] 3× Platinum 300,000^
France (SNEP)[72] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[73] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[74] 2× Platinum 30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[75] 7× Platinum 2,244,150[20]
United States (RIAA)[76] 3× Platinum 3,750,000[77]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[78] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history
Region Date Label
United Kingdom June 7, 2004 Lizard King
United States June 15, 2004 Island

Notes
  1. Except "Everything Will Be Alright"
  2. "Everything Will Be Alright"

References
  1. Rolli, Bryan (October 4, 2017). "The Killers and Panic! at the Disco: How the Two Veteran Rock Bands Took the Long Way to the Top". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  2. Begrand, Adrien (June 15, 2004). "The Killers: Hot Fuss". PopMatters. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  3. Mervis, Scott (December 3, 2004). "Meet the Killers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ISSN 1068-624X.
  4. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Hot Fuss – The Killers". AllMusic. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  5. Alexandra, Rae (December 5, 2012). "Hate the Killers? Here's Why You Shouldn't". SF Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  6. Britton, Luke Morgan (May 15, 2017). "The Strokes talk about their rivalry with The Killers". NME. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  7. Beaumont, Mark (June 7, 2014). "Anatomy of an Album – The Killers: Hot Fuss". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved January 13, 2020 – via Tumblr.
  8. "Missing part of The Killers' 'murder trilogy' appears online". NME. October 17, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  9. "Reviews for Hot Fuss by The Killers". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  10. "The Killers: Hot Fuss". Alternative Press. No. 192. July 2004. p. 146. ISSN 1065-1667.
  11. Lynskey, Dorian (June–July 2004). "The Killers: Hot Fuss". Blender. No. 27. p. 138. ISSN 1534-0554. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  12. Browne, David (June 18, 2004). "Hot Fuss". Entertainment Weekly. No. 770. p. 86. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  13. Price, Simon (June 6, 2004). "The Killers: Hot Fuss". The Independent. ISSN 0951-9467.
  14. Martin, Dan (July 1, 2004). "The Killers : Hot Fuss". NME. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  15. Loftus, Johnny (July 5, 2004). "The Killers: Hot Fuss". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  16. "The Killers: Hot Fuss". Q. No. 216. July 2004. p. 116. ISSN 0955-4955.
  17. Eliscu, Jenny (July 8, 2004). "Hot Fuss". Rolling Stone. No. 952. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  18. Marchese, David (February 2009). "Discography: The Killers". Spin. Vol. 25 no. 2. p. 74. Retrieved December 26, 2016 – via Google Books.
  19. "Killers Box Up 'Hot Fuss' Singles". Billboard. Published October 18, 2005.
  20. Hanley, James (March 20, 2018). "'Mr Brightside has become an anthem for a generation': The Killers on the indie classic's lasting success". Music Week. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  21. "The Killers' Hot Fuss named best debut album ever". Gigwise. January 29, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  22. "The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time: 'Hot Fuss'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  23. "International Velvet". NME. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  24. "Radiohead's OK Computer named best album of the past 25 years". The Daily Telegraph. London. December 22, 2010.
  25. "100 Best Albums of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  26. "9. The Killers, 'Hot Fuss'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  27. "The best music of the decade". avclub.com. November 19, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  28. Hot Fuss (liner notes). The Killers. Island Records. 2004. B0002468-02 IN02.CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. "Australiancharts.com – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  30. "Austriancharts.at – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  31. "Ultratop.be – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  32. "Ultratop.be – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  33. "The Killers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  34. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  35. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 117 no. 6. February 5, 2005. p. 43. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved October 11, 2018 – via Google Books.
  36. "Killers: Hot Fuss" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  37. "Lescharts.com – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  38. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  39. Top 50 Ξένων Άλμπουμ [Top 50 Foreign Albums] (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on September 9, 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  40. "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  41. "Italiancharts.com – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  42. ザ・キラーズのアルバム売り上げランキング [The Killers album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  43. "The Killers – Hot Fuss". mexicancharts.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  44. "Charts.nz – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  45. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  46. "Spanishcharts.com – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  47. "Swisscharts.com – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  48. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  49. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  50. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  51. "The Killers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  52. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2004". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  53. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2004". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  54. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2005". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  55. "Classement Albums – année 2005" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  56. "Best of 2005 – Albums". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  57. "Top Selling Albums of 2005". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
  58. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2005". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  59. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  60. "Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2005" (PDF). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 30, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  61. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  62. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  63. "UK Year-End Charts 2008" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 7. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  64. "UK Year-End Charts 2009" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 7. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  65. "ARIA Chart Sales – ARIA End of Decade Albums/Top 100" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  66. "The Noughties' Official UK Albums Chart Top 100". Music Week. London. January 30, 2010. p. 19. ISSN 0265-1548.
  67. White, Jack (October 12, 2019). "The UK's Official Top 40 biggest studio albums of the 21st Century". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  68. "Discos de Oro y Platino". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  69. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  70. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. April 7, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  71. "Canadian album certifications – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Music Canada. October 17, 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  72. "French album certifications – The Killers – Hot Fuss" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. September 7, 2005. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  73. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (The Killers; 'Hot Fuss')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  74. "New Zealand album certifications – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  75. "British album certifications – Killers – Hot Fuss". British Phonographic Industry. July 22, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Hot Fuss in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  76. "American album certifications – The Killers – Hot Fuss". Recording Industry Association of America. December 1, 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2012. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  77. Caulfield, Keith (January 26, 2017). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 3 Doors Down & Toby Keith Return After Trump Inauguration Concert". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  78. "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2008". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.