Hot Fuss

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Sam's Town2006studioHot FussThe Killers - Hot Fuss.pngA set of buildings in blue, with red neon signs at the rooftops with Chinese characters. The album's title "Hot Fuss" appears in red text.the KillersTemplate:Start date2003* The Hearse (Berkeley)Template:Efn

• Cornerstone (Los Angeles)Template:Efn
• Dave Keuning's apartment (Las Vegas)Template:Efn* Alternative rock<ref name="Rolli">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
• post-punk revival<ref name="popmatters"/>
• new wave<ref name="Rolli"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Template:Nowrap
• synth-pop<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:DurationIsland* Jeff Saltzman
• the Killers
• Brandon Flowersx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}

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

The album reached number seven on the Billboard 200 and number one on the UK Albums Chart. Template:As of, Hot Fuss had sold more than seven million copies worldwide, including more than three million in the United States and more than two million in the United Kingdom. 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 at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005.

Background

The album was recorded throughout 2003 with Jeff Saltzman in Berkeley, California, except for "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, 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.'"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 her jealous boyfriend murders. The first part, "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf", appears on the band's B-sides and rarities compilation, Sawdust.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Production

The album heavily features a vocal effect called Echo Farm on Flowers' voice. In 2014, Needham recounted, "There were three of us involved in the production company on that record: Braden Merrick, Jeff Saltzman and myself. Jeff and I had been partners for a few years. He was an entertainment attorney and was shopping stuff, but he actually really wanted to be a producer as well. We set Jeff up with a studio, got him started in recording and since he’s a smart guy, he picked it up really quick. At that time, Echo Farm had just come out, and that was really the only vocal effect he had. If you open up Echo Farm, the first setting that comes up is the default setting, which overdrives the vocal a bit and sets an 84 ms delay. That was basically what he put on everything and it sort of became the default vocal tone on the whole record, plus it worked really great, so we kept it. It changes a little bit on certain things, but it was a fairly consistent effect through the whole record."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Artwork

The album cover was photographed by Matthias Clamer in 2000, in the southern region of the suburbs of Beijing, China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> The characters on top of each building ("建", "材", "开", and "发") translate to "construction material development".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Release and reception

Hot Fuss received generally positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100 based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="metacritic1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hot Fuss was released on June 7, 2004, in the United Kingdom and on June 15, 2004, in the United States.<ref name="popmatters">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="board">"Killers Box Up 'Hot Fuss' Singles" Template:Webarchive. Billboard. Published October 18, 2005.</ref> The album reached number seven on the US Billboard 200. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 1, 2005,<ref name="RIAA"/> and as of January 2017, it had sold 3.75 million copies in the United States.<ref name="US sales">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Hot Fuss topped the UK Albums Chart for two consecutive weeks in January 2005.<ref name="UK chart history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was the 26th bestselling album of the 2000s decade in the United Kingdom,<ref name="Noughties"/> and is listed among the top 40 longest-charting albums in the history of the UK Albums Chart, with 254 weeks.<ref name="UK chart history"/> On July 22, 2013, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the album septuple platinum;<ref name="BPI"/> by August 2020, it had sold 2,335,495 copies in the UK.<ref name="UK sales">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2022 the album was named as the 20th most successful debut album in UK chart history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album has also been certified platinum or multi-platinum in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Hot Fuss had sold over seven million copies worldwide as of December 2012.<ref name="WW sales">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rolling Stone ranked Hot Fuss 43rd on its list of the "100 Best Albums of the Decade", and it 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.<ref name="gigwise">Template:Cite news</ref> Rolling Stone ranked Hot Fuss the 33rd of its list of "The 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time".<ref name="rs-greatest">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The album has inspired numerous cover recordings, including Meg Washington's 2022 cover album of the same name.

Accolades

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result
2004	Shortlist Music Prize	Shortlist Music Prize	Template:Nom
2005	BRIT Awards	Best International Album	Template:Nom
	Grammy Awards	Best Rock Album	Template:Nom
	Meteor Ireland Music Awards	Best International Album	Template:Nom

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Drowned in Sound	UK	Best Albums of the Year	2004	2
Gigwise<ref name="gigwise"/>	US	Best Debut Album Ever: Readers' Poll	2013	1
NME<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US	500 Greatest Albums of All Time	2013	495
Q<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	UK	250 Best Albums of QTemplate:'s Lifetime 1986–2010	2011	17
Rolling Stone<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US	Top 100 Albums of the 2000s	2009	43
Rolling Stone<ref name="rs-greatest"/>	US	100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time	2013	33
Rolling Stone<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US	10 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time: Readers' Poll	2013	9
The A.V. Club<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	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 are produced by Jeff Saltzman and the Killers, except "Everything Will Be Alright", produced by Brandon Flowers.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hot Fuss.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

The Killers

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

Additional musicians

• Sweet Inspirations – gospel choir Template:Small

Technical

• Jeff Saltzman – production, recording Template:Small
• The Killers – production Template:Small
• Brandon Flowers – production Template:Small
• Corlene Byrd – recording Template:Small
• Dave Stedronsky – engineering assistance
• Mark Needham – engineering assistance Template:Small; mixingTemplate:Efn Template:Small
• Will Brierre – engineering assistance
• Dario Dendi – engineering assistance
• Alan Moulder – mixingTemplate:Efn Template:Small
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – masteringTemplate:Efn

Artwork

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

Charts

Weekly charts

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Weekly chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2004–2009)	Peak position
European Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	6
Greek International Albums (IFPI)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	7
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	101
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	88

Year-end charts

2004 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2004)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	41
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	148

2005 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2005)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	19
European Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	16
French Albums (SNEP)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	79
Irish Albums (IRMA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	21
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	12
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	17
Worldwide Albums (IFPI)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	28

2006 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2006)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	72

2007 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2007)	Position
Belgian Midprice Albums (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	6
Belgian Midprice Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	40
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	93

2008 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2008)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	124

2009 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2009)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	115

2018 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2018)	Position
Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	32

2019 year-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2019)	Position
Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	87

Decade-end charts

2000s decade-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2000–2009)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	97
UK Albums (OCC)<ref name="Noughties">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	26
US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	131

2010s decade-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2010–2019)	Position
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	49

Century-end charts (running)

Century-end chart performance for Hot Fuss

Chart (2000–2019)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	30

Release history

Release history for Hot Fuss

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