I have come to the conclusion that Mr Brightside by The Killers might just be the best song of the past ten years

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Everyone who has differing opinions from me HATES FUN and is probably a TERRORIST

― Mickey (modestmickey), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm willing to vouch for this song. That first single was absolute shit, something about it physically pained me to listen to. But this one (esp. the Lu Cont remix) is pretty damn glorious. And at least you can look past the lyrics on this on and enjoy the tune with this one, a feat that was impossible with the glaringly terrible lyrics of Somebody Told Me.

Ten years is pushing it, tho, it wasn't even in the top 20 songs of last year.

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the guitar version more. I was disappointed when I heard the synthpop version.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

(I still like it.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Heard it 10+ times, still can't remember a thing about it. (Unlike "Somebody Told Me," which, for all its idiotic affectations, was pretty undeniable).

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

This song just makes me want to break stuff. It rox.

― Zarr, Friday, 25 February 2005 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I love this song.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm no music critic, I don't write for any hip music website or anything but I happen to think The Killers are the shitty inbred cousin of Interpol.

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

They're the emo Duran Duran.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

i have come to the conclusion that The Killers might just be hopeless fuckwhistles.

― zappi (joni), Friday, 25 February 2005 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

They're the emo Duran Duran.

Great.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

The music sounds okay, the lyrics are ridiculous.

So, yes, Duran Duran..

except the lead singer is better looking.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The filmclip is the lamest pile of toss I've seen in recent times too. I can see what it's trying to do but it isn't doing it.

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

For me the lyric "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" will always define the Killers, no matter how good the rest of their output.

They're very slick. They look nice. They're pointless.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The track on the NME CD was pretty good too.

― markG, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I heard them interviewed on the telly. I think that was what really pushed me over the edge.

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.hollywoodcultmovies.com/assets/images/autogen/a_EricRoberts1.jpg

"I proudly endorse this nu-wave band."

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, "Say a prayer" is the next single...

Oh, I mean "Smile like you mean it" silly...

― MG, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

A train carrying The Killers is heading south at 100 km/h while a train carrying The Bravery is heading north on the same track at 110 km/h. The trains are currently 1014 km apart. How long until the world of music will be a greatly improved place upon their collision?

― Hector Savage, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

'mr brightside' is overly-emotive adolescent tripe.

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Well yes but so is most pop music, 57. (This particular example of it does suck rocks, though.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

If the Killers are the new Duran Duran, are Bloc Party the new Wham! ?

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

sometimes when I'm bored I like to pretend I'm wearing a suit and hold the lapels of my pretend suit and yell OIM MISTA BROITSOID

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm with Zarr. Mr Brightside is wikkid.

― dmun, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It is just brilliant at any time of the day.

Morning - gets me outta bed.
Evening - great to switch on.
Night club - brings the floor alive.

― Zarr, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Hello Al, long time no see.

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I wish there didn't have to be a chart pop version of interpol. It's a painful association to a band I've really liked and it sort of gets in the way of my enjoyment. get a life i know.

― -the-night-watch- (-the-night-watch-), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Better watch out or you'll overdose on The Killers. Imagine waking up one day and not being able to listen to anything by them!

(This is how many people already feel)

― mike h. (mike h.), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah every fucking teen clothing shop I walk past is blaring it.

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Most of these new NME bands sound like the new Comsat Angels to me, if that's not too gross a slur on the Comsat Angels. I feel they could be aiming higher.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought this was by Shed 7

― coco, Friday, 25 February 2005 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Hello Al, long time no see.

-- the other kate (ffs!) ([email protected]), February 25th, 2005.

long time no see? I'm here all the time!

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, but I'm not.

plus i think i may potentially know you from some time back. Did you ever post on SSQ?

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Hatorade is just the price they pay, destiny is calling them.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

http://g.myspace.com/00043/60/84/43024806_l.jpg

― Fat Anarchy on Airtube (ex machina), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

have I mentioned that the lyrics read like one of Jon's crush threads?

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone else noticed this? My girlfriend had to point it out to me, I can't tell if it's obvious or not.

PRETEND YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE SONG AND FINISH THE OBVIOUS RHYME
Now they're going to bed, and my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head, but she's touching his ______

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG r00d!!

― the other kate (ffs!) (papa november), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

CHEST. NOW.

Keith Harris mentioned it in a blog post a couple days ago. I never thought of it before then.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

post on feb 16th

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, but I'm not.

plus i think i may potentially know you from some time back. Did you ever post on SSQ?

-- the other kate (ffs!) ([email protected]), February 25th, 2005.

oh! yeah! so right, it has been a while.

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

PRETEND YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE SONG AND FINISH THE OBVIOUS RHYME
Now they're going to bed, and my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head, but she's touching his ______

I've probably heard this song at least fifty times in the last couple of months, but I don't remember ever thinking about this. Strange.

And yeah, rock single of the year so far, obv.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

obv :-/

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought of that. 1 Point to me.

― MG, Friday, 25 February 2005 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mr. Brightside" is the only song that I'm potentially too embarrassed about enjoying to put on any end of year lists.

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm. No I never thought of that, either. And I love the Killers, but best song of the last ten years? Um, no.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:39 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:39 (twenty-one years ago)

my crush threads are TERRIBLE

― Fat Anarchy on Airtube (ex machina), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

is that photo of the guy with the earth crisis tattoo on his face floating around anywhere?

― lemin (lemin), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

PRETEND YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE SONG AND FINISH THE OBVIOUS RHYME
Now they're going to bed, and my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head, but she's touching his ______

this is like my husband's favorite part of his favorite album (next to daft punk's discovery, lately anyway). We have dubbed this trick the 'miss susie' school of lyric-writing. I think this is a really fun album, I don't get all the hate.

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 25 February 2005 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 197 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

It's the only song of theirs I unreservedly dig.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 19 January 2008 11:52 (eighteen years ago)

I never understood the love for Mr. Brightside. It's okay, but sounds so clumsy and hamfisted to me. By contrast, there are a few total gems on that debut disc: Jenny Was A Friend, Smile Like You Mean It, and On Top being the best of them (with Somebody Told Me and Mr. B being okay, and the rest being awful).

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 19 January 2008 12:25 (eighteen years ago)

"Smile Like You Mean It" I think is pretty good. For a while when it was current I actually thought it was a different band. Everything else I've heard by them has been rotten, as in actively bad, not mediocre.

― Pashmina, Saturday, 19 January 2008 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

I rather like their cover of "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town"

-- Bimble, Saturday, January 19, 2008 9:46 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Fuck that. THE version of Ruby is "Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát" by Pavel Bobek.

http://www.pavelbobek.cz/albums/008_Antologie/Ruby.mp3

Fades out before the chorus :((

― MRZBW, Saturday, 19 January 2008 15:15 (eighteen years ago)

thirteen years pass...

Seems a lot of people agree withe op, https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-killers-mr-brightside-claims-record-breaking-260th-week-exactly-five-years-on-the-official-singles-chart-top-100__32800/

― Dan Worsley, Friday, 2 April 2021 06:15 (five years ago)

Wow, that is quite something. I actually heard "Somebody Told Me" about an hour ago on LA radio, hardly ever on the radio these days.

― Bee OK, Saturday, 3 April 2021 03:52 (five years ago)

The Brits love it. Good drinking song, I guess.

― HuskerDoolittle, Saturday, 3 April 2021 05:55 (five years ago)

It's so ubiquitous that I often forget it's not by a British band

― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Saturday, 3 April 2021 09:34 (five years ago)

The Brits love it. Good drinking song, I guess.

― HuskerDoolittle

Yes, quite satisfying to holler along to while pissed, filling in any gaps in the lyrics with "da-da-dah!".

― chap, Saturday, 3 April 2021 11:53 (five years ago)

two years pass...

*huge bongrip*

What if...

You replaced the cocaine 16th hi-hat note 00s drum style with...

an original semi-improvised drumming from Megadeth's (since 2016) drummer (who seems like a nice Belgian dude who'd never heard the song before):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbUYVcaF_l0

― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 20 July 2023 16:55 (two years ago)

two months pass...

Happy 20th anniversary. It will never leave. It is eternal. It is "Louie Louie." It is "Sweet Caroline."

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 29 September 2023 17:31 (two years ago)

https://i.ibb.co/9c7sM5P/IMG-4336.jpg

― 龜, Friday, 29 September 2023 17:51 (two years ago)

big michigan football fan here, and playing "mr. brightside" between the 3rd and 4th quarters has become a tradition. it might have replaced otis redding's "i can turn you loose" (famously used in the blues brothers), though they might still play that one in addition to mr. brightside, i haven't been to a game since the tradition started

― is he disgruntled adrian? (voodoo chili), Friday, 29 September 2023 19:14 (two years ago)

Went to a Twins game this summer and they played it, huge pop from the crowd

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 29 September 2023 19:18 (two years ago)

two months pass...

Twenty years of madness. Gift link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/arts/music/mr-brightside-killers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D00.pIAN.UFJKJ9aB0xMF&smid=url-share

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 6 December 2023 19:20 (two years ago)

beautiful thread arc

I was struck on relisten how it reminds me of born sloppy and also sex by the 1975… real bridge to the 21st century type shit

― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Thursday, 7 December 2023 14:30 (two years ago)

When Rock N Roll Pt 2 finally got struck from sports stadium rotations, it left a bit of a void, so just in case any Gary Glitter-esque scandals come to light from the Killers crowd, I nominate Buzzcocks' Thunder of Hearts as a drop-in replacement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRVHV_QsMZo

Similar themes and chorus, and less smarmy and preening, though I guess smarmy and preening is exactly the attitude you'd want when your team scores a goal -- on the other hand I'd argue "Okay, right, you win, but always remember / Don't say you've not heard, when you die, you're dead forever" is an even better one for when the opposing team is ahead.

― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 7 December 2023 18:23 (two years ago)

When Rock N Roll Pt 2 finally got struck from sports stadium rotations

i've heard it in u.s. stadiums/arenas well past the allegations, though i think hardly anyone here even knows who gary glitter is, it's just the "hey!" song

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 7 December 2023 18:27 (two years ago)

just had a look at the top youtube upload for "The Hey Song" and 95% of comments are wistful nostalgic memories.

― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 7 December 2023 19:45 (two years ago)

a few comments are about "heard he did some bad things but he made some great music so it's not all bad!"

― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 7 December 2023 19:46 (two years ago)

Cancel culture is out of control!

― omar little, Thursday, 7 December 2023 20:39 (two years ago)

saw one that was like "rock stars have all done terrible things! if you don't listen to anyone who's been cancelled then you can't listen to anyone! and anyway there are plenty that have done worse!"

― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 7 December 2023 20:45 (two years ago)

"I listen to both kinds of music! Gary glitter *and* l0stpr0phets!"

― omar little, Thursday, 7 December 2023 20:49 (two years ago)

The Killers released “Mr. Brightside” 20 years ago and hardly anybody cared.

sometimes you read a story and it feels like the first line invents a version of reality in order to facilitate the thesis, and this is one of those times...

― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 7 December 2023 20:56 (two years ago)

my recollection is that this song was basically inescapable for at least a few months ... am i wrong?

― alpine static, Thursday, 7 December 2023 21:02 (two years ago)

I guess it was, but several months after release ...

The premise of this song becoming a "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Sweet Caroline" for a younger generation is interesting enough ... you really don't need that lead to make it work.

― alpine static, Thursday, 7 December 2023 21:11 (two years ago)

i remember hearing "somebody told me" first and then "mr. brightside" coming along in its wake. didn't realize that "brightside" was actually released first.

but yeah, as the article points out, it became a massive hot 100 hit and was an alt rock radio hit for some time beforehand

― kissinger on my list (voodoo chili), Thursday, 7 December 2023 21:11 (two years ago)

Of course it was huge in 2005. I karaoked it then and my version went top ten in 14 countries

― stuffing your suit pockets with cold, stale chicken tende (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 7 December 2023 21:33 (two years ago)

I also heard Somebody Told Me first. It was definitely an omnipresent single for a while before I first heard Mr. Brightside.

― peace, man, Thursday, 7 December 2023 21:57 (two years ago)

five months pass...

Now officially the biggest UK single of all time that hasn't got to #1 in the charts

https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-killers-mr-brightside-overtakes-oasis-wonderwall-for-uk-singles-record-3754740

― groovypanda, Thursday, 9 May 2024 10:29 (two years ago)

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