What are The Killers' biggest songs?
7 December 2023, 18:32
The Las Vegas band are back with a new greatest hits collection, Rebel Diamonds - but which of their tracks have been streamed and viewed the most over the years?
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When The Killers burst onto the scene in early 2004, British music fans were impressed by their Anglocentric sound and impressive songwriting. Once the world had caught sight of the band in person, it was obvious that the world had a major new frontman in Brandon Flowers.
Across the course of seven albums, the latest being 2021's Pressure Machine, The Killers have paid tribute to their British musical heroes - New Order, The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys - while remaining true to their roots in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With the arrival of a second greatest hits album Rebel Diamonds, issued on 8th December 2023, it's time to take stock of The Killers' most popular tunes. Using Spotify streaming data and official YouTube video views, here are the Top 10 biggest tunes by the Las Vegas bands.
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The Killers - Mr Brightside: released 29th September 2003
The Killers - Mr. Brightside (Official Music Video)
The Killers' debut single remains their biggest hit in the UK, having amassed a staggering 390 weeks on the chart (so far!). The track was first released as a limited edition on the Lizard King label in September 2003, but had a more widespread reissue on 24th May 2004, just before the release of debut album Hot Fuss and a storming appearance at Glastonbury's New Bands Tent.
Despite only reaching the UK Top 10 for one week, Mr Brightside has been certified eight times platinum by the BPI, meaning sales of over 4.8 million copies. On Spotify, the track has been streamed almost 2 billion times and notched up over 556 million YouTube views.
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The Killers - Somebody Told Me: released 15th March 2004
The Killers - Somebody Told Me (Official Music Video)
The Killers' second single hit No 3 and was certified double platinum - while technically released after Mr Brightside, this was many people's introduction to The Killers, serving as a preview for the acclaimed debut album Hot Fuss. In the digital era, the track has enjoyed just under 700 million streams and over 231 million views.
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The Killers - When You Were Young: release date 18th September 2006
The Killers - When You Were Young (Official Music Video)
The lead single from The Killers' second outing Sam's Town, this remains the band's biggest hit in the UK, making Number 2 in September 2006. This single charted higher than Human or Somebody Told Me - it was No 2 for two weeks - and has been certified double Platinum. The track has been streamed on Spotify over 566 million times and viewed on YouTube over 194 million times.
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The Killers - Human: released 22nd September 2008
The Killers - Human (Official Music Video)
"Are we human? Or are we dancer?" One of the most perplexing but memorable rhymes in indie history is the focal point of this song - but there's a logic behind it, as you can find out here. The classic track from the Day & Age album peaked at No 3 and has since sold over 180,000 copies in the UK, spending over 55 weeks on the chart. On Spotify, Human has been streamed over 497 million times and watched on the band's official YouTube channel over 193 million times.
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The Killers - All These Things I've Done: released 30th August 2004
The Killers - All These Things That I've Done (Official Music Video)
"When there's nowhere else to run, is there room for one more son?" One of the highlights of Hot Fuss, the debut album by The Killers, is this epic, stirring anthem, which was based on a conversation Brandon Flowers had with a local TV host, Matt Pinfield.
The track was released as the third single from the album, and despite only reaching No 18 in the charts, it sold enough copies to be certified platinum. The song has been streamed over 324 times and has over 82 million video views.
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The Killers - Read My Mind: released 13th February 2007
The Killers - Read My Mind (Official Music Video)
The dreamier, more romantic side of Brandon Flowers, this lush pop song comes from the band's second album, Sam's Town. A Gold-certified hit in the UK, the single peaked at No 15 in the chart. On YouTube, the track has had over 149 million views and over 231 million Spotify streams.
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The Killers - Shot At The Night: release date 17th September 2013
The Killers - Shot At The Night
Released as part of the campaign for The Killers' Direct Hits collection in 2013, this single peaked at Number 23 in the UK and remained on the chart for three weeks. The track has since had over 131 million streams and over 131 million video views.
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The Killers - The Man: released 14th June 2017
The Killers - The Man
Hilarious, funky and with a whole stack of attitude, this single was taken from the 2017 album Wonderful Wonderful and was memorably given an airing during The Killers' headline set at Glastonbury 2019.
The single entered the UK chart on three separate occasions, and while it only peaked at No 63, The Man sold enough copies to be certified Gold. The single has been watched over 68 million times on YouTube and streamed on Spotify over 170 million times.
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The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
The final single to be released from Hot Fuss, Smile Like You Mean It was originally heard as the b-side to Mr Brightside, two years earlier. Reaching No 11 in the charts, the track has sold 400,000 copies in the UK. The track's been streamed over 159 million times and viewed over 20 million times.
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The Killers - Spaceman
The Killers - Spaceman
Another favourite from the Day & Age album, Spaceman has gone on to sell 200,000 copies in the UK, according to the BPI. The official video has been watched over 50 million times on YouTube and streamed on Spotify over 120 million times.
