Mr. Brightside
"Mr. Brightside" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by the Killers | ||||
from the album Hot Fuss | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | September 29, 2003[1] | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:43 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | The Killers | |||
The Killers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mr. Brightside" on YouTube |
"Mr. Brightside" is the first single released by American rock band the Killers.[8] It was the band's debut single and is from their debut studio album, Hot Fuss (2004). Written by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, it was one of the first songs the Killers ever wrote.[9] Two music videos were made for the song: the first one was shot in black and white and features the band performing in an empty room. The second one, based on the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, was filmed for the song's re-release.
The song was first released on September 29, 2003. It became more popular upon its re-release in 2004, peaking at number 10 in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It is the Killers' best-selling song in the US, where it has sold over 3.5 million copies.[10] In the United Kingdom it has also sold over 3.52 million copies and is the longest-charting single on the UK Singles Chart Top 100, with 307 weeks (5 years, 10 months) on the chart as of March 2022 and is the most streamed track released prior to 2010.[11] It is also one of the top fifteen most downloaded rock tracks ever in the United Kingdom.[12]
"Mr. Brightside" was named "Song of the Decade" by UK radio stations Absolute Radio and XFM, and in April 2010 Last.fm revealed that it was the most-listened-to track since the launch of the online music service, with the track being played over 7.66 million times.[13] In October 2010, it was voted ninth in the Greatest Guitar Riffs of the 21st Century so far by Total Guitar magazine.[14] Additionally, in 2010 Rolling Stone listed "Mr. Brightside" as the 48th-best song of the 21st century,[15] also, in 2021, it was ranked number 378 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[16]
Recording and production
Lyrically, "Mr. Brightside" depicts a true story of Flowers' jealousy and paranoia when he walked into a bar in Las Vegas and found his girlfriend cheating on him.[17] "I was asleep and I knew something was wrong," he said. "I have these instincts. I went to the Crown and Anchor, a bar in Vegas, and my girlfriend was there with another guy."[17]
Guitarist Dave Keuning composed the music before meeting Flowers. Flowers then wrote lyrics and composed the chorus after hearing Keuning's ideas. Flowers credits the speed of the song's creation to its having only one verse. He says, "We went in and made demos pretty quickly after that, and it took a ton of time. That's also why there's not a second verse... I just didn't have any other lines, and it ended up sticking."[18] Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. is credited with creating the fast-paced drum beat in the first twenty-two seconds.[19] The "calling a cab" section of the song has both a musical and textual similarity to the middle section of the song "Queen Bitch" from David Bowie's album Hunky Dory (1971).[20][21] "Mr. Brightside" is written in the atypical key of D♭ major.[22]
The song was mixed for its inclusion on Hot Fuss by Mark Needham, along with business partners Braden Merrick and Jeff Saltzman. The song was first created as a reference mix in just over half an hour "on an 8 input console, with no automation" according to Needham. Despite several subsequent remixes, the members of the Killers preferred the original one, which then made it onto the record. In recording the vocal effects, Saltzman used Echo Farm, sticking with the default vocal effects setting. Needham says it "overdrives the vocal a bit and sets an 84 ms delay."[23]
History
In their first performance together as the Killers, Flowers and Keuning played "Mr. Brightside" as part of a two-song open-mic night set at Las Vegas' Cafe Roma. Of the performance, Flowers says "It was terrible, awful."[24] In November 2001, the group had recorded "Mr. Brightside" along with three other demos including "Desperate", "Replaceable", and "Under the Gun" at Mike Sak's Kill the Messenger Studio in Henderson, Nevada. They handed out a demo of the song for free during their shows in 2002. After signing with UK indie label Lizard King Records, the track was sent to radio as a buzz single and it received frequent spins by BBC Radio 1 DJ's Zane Lowe and Steve Lamacq as well as being play-listed by XFM. Just one week after its April release, MTV2 secured a deal to air the song for a week.[25]
The Killers performed the song live on the rooftop of Caesars Palace during halftime of the Las Vegas Raiders' first-ever home game at Allegiant Stadium on September 21, 2020; the halftime show was broadcast on U.S. television on ESPN & ABC's simulcast coverage of Monday Night Football.[26][27]
Reception
In one of the song's first reviews, The Washington Post stated, "dashing through the tune as if it were a power ballad on speed, Flowers and company had the capacity crowd pulsing along with glee."[28] "Mr. Brightside" became a popular song within the Las Vegas music scene with one reviewer calling it a "feel-good anthem that ranks as one of the best local tracks in a long time".[29] In positive reviews, NME said the song was filled with "ambition, sex, and noise"[30] while Rolling Stone described the song as having "swelled with anthemic majesty".[31] The Guardian considered "Mr. Brightside" to be the most overplayed song, and noted that it has been played "on the radio. In the supermarket. In the pub. The office. In a cab. Thrumming through your neighbours' wall. [...] Blasted out at every party or wedding you’ll attend for the rest of your life."[32] In 2020, Paste ranked the song number three on their list of the 20 greatest Killers songs,[33] and in 2021, American Songwriter ranked the song number one on their list of the 10 greatest Killers songs.[34]
Commercial performance
"Mr. Brightside" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 40 on February 12, 2005,[35] and peaked at No. 10 on June 11,[36] thus making it a sleeper hit. The song reached 3.5 million in sales in 2016.[37]
In 2005, "Mr. Brightside" was the sixth most downloaded song on iTunes.[38] To this day "Mr. Brightside" still has the highest popularity rating that iTunes offers, even after being available for purchase for over ten years.[citation needed] Additionally, sales of Hot Fuss album reached over 5 million sales by 2006.[39] The online music streaming service Last.fm reported in 2010 that "Mr. Brightside" was the most downloaded song on the website.[40] By July 2014, the song sold more than 820,000 copies in the United Kingdom,[41] making it the UK's No. 12 most downloaded rock track of all time.[12]
As of April 2021, "Mr. Brightside" has spent 260 non-consecutive weeks, or five years, on the UK Singles Chart, the most out of any song.[42][43] As of 2017[update], it had charted on the UK Singles Chart in 11 of the last 13 years,[44] including a 35-week run peaking at number 49 in 2016–2017.[45] It was the UK's most streamed pre-2010 song, until it was surpassed by Oasis' "Wonderwall" in late 2018,[46] and continued to be purchased for download hundreds of times a week by 2017.[47] In March 2018, the song reached the milestone of staying in the Top 100 of the UK Singles Chart for 200 weeks.[47] Explanations have included the song's popularity at parties, its popularity on streaming services, and the continued presence of the Killers as a popular live band in the UK.[45][47] According to the Official Charts Company, the song has been streamed 281 million times in the UK and has sold 3,520,000 copies there as of April 2021.[42]
Music videos
There are two videos for this song: the first version (also known as the UK version) was filmed in Staten Island, New York, and was directed by Brad and Brian Palmer under their studio Surround. Later on in the year the label decided to create a more mainstream video for the US market: the second video (also known as the US version) was filmed in Los Angeles, California. Directed by Sophie Muller, the video stars Flowers, Izabella Miko, and Eric Roberts in a love triangle, occurring within the context of a burlesque show.
The US version won an MTV VMA in 2005 for Best New Artist in a Video, beating other nominees such as John Legend, Ciara, The Game, and My Chemical Romance.[48] The photos featured on the inner sleeve of the album Hot Fuss were shot on set during the filming of the UK version music video and were inspired by the black and white look of that video.
Releases and cover versions
In 2005, Stuart Price released a remix of the song under his pseudonym Jacques Lu Cont. Reviewers were generally negative: for example, Michael Paoletta said this version "depletes the song of its energy and intensity". That same year, this song as well as two others by the Killers (Smile Like You Mean It and Somebody Told Me) reached the Billboard Top 20 single chart.[49][50] An extended version of the Stuart Price remix of the song was featured on the Killers' 2007 B-side and rarities compilation, Sawdust.[51][52] During the tour for Brandon Flowers's solo record, he performed the remix version with Stuart Price during his show at Brixton Academy and has since performed it on his tour as the show closer, again in the remix form.
An early demo of the song featured Dave Keuning on bass and Matt Norcross on drums, before Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci were members of the band. The original demo was officially released on the 2013 compilation album Direct Hits. On the Killers' 2012 album Battle Born, they released "Miss Atomic Bomb", which is considered a companion song to "Mr. Brightside" lyrically.
The song has been covered in a swing/jazz style by Paul Anka on his 2007 covers album Classic Songs, My Way. Crossover rock-jazz artist ELEW created a piano version for his 2010 ELEW Rockjazz Vol. 1. English pop-punk band McFly covered the song as a B-side to their 2005 single "I Wanna Hold You". Texan artist Playradioplay! covered the song on his 2007 EP The Frequency as well. An acoustic bluegrass cover was recorded for CMH Records' Bluegrass Tribute to The Killers.[53] Abi Sampa from The Voice UK recorded a mashup of "Mr. Brightside" and M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes".[53] Many other artists have performed live covers of the song, including American rock band Fall Out Boy, Chris Daughtry at The Masked Singer USA, Isa Raja on X Factor Indonesia and Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald.
The song has also been covered by the Vitamin String Quartet, Boyce Avenue and on the UK television show Orange Unsigned Act by contestant Tommy Reilly. Additionally, a cappella versions have been produced by groups including Wheaton College's Gentlemen Callers, MIT's Resonance[53] and Boston-based Overboard. Flowers performed the song during his solo tour in 2010. Indonesian hardcore band Thirteen also covered this song. The Wanted covered the song as part of a medley of the Killers songs during their summer 2013 live shows.[54] Kelly Clarkson covered the version live on The Kelly Clarkson Show.[55]
Legacy
"Mr. Brightside" appears on the soundtrack for the 2006 film The Holiday. The song is played on a CD player by character Amanda Woods, portrayed by Cameron Diaz, in order to relieve stress and forget about her boyfriend's infidelity.[56] The song is also briefly featured in the 2013 film About Time and Rabbit Without Ears.
The song has become a crowd favorite among Michigan Wolverines football fans at Michigan Stadium, where fans in excess of 100,000 sing along to the tune when it is played in the fourth quarter.[57][58] The 2017 football season saw the song being sung in unison by the student SuperFans at Alumni Stadium during Boston College Eagles football games, and has become the unofficial go-to song for Boston College fans during sporting events. It was also a memorable feature of the 2017 AFL premiership celebrations by Jack Riewoldt of the Richmond Tigers, who sang the song in its entirety live alongside the Killers.[59]
British singer James Blunt has said that "Mr. Brightside" is his favorite song of all time.[60] In 2008, it was released as downloadable content (DLC) for the Rock Band series. It is one of the all-time highest selling DLC songs for the game.[citation needed]
Accolades
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Absolute Radio | United Kingdom | 100 Best Songs Of The Decade[62] | 2009 | 1
|
Channel 4 | United Kingdom | Greatest Songs of The Noughties | 2009 | 2
|
Complex | United States | The 100 Best Songs of the Complex Decade[63] | 2012 | 74
|
KROQ | United States | Top Songs of 2005[64] | 2005 | 3
|
NME | United Kingdom | Best Tracks of 2004[65] | 2004 | 5
|
NME | United Kingdom | 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years[66] | 2011 | 5
|
NME | United Kingdom | 100 Greatest Songs of NME's Lifetime 1952–2012 | 2012 | 83
|
Total Guitar | United Kingdom | Greatest Guitar Riffs of the 21st Century[14] | 2010 | 9
|
Triple J | Australia | Hottest 100 of 2004 | 2004 | 13
|
Rolling Stone | United States | 100 Best Songs of the 2000s[3] | 2009 | 48
|
Pitchfork Media | United States | The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s | 2009 | 72
|
Pitchfork | United States | The Top 50 Singles of 2005 | 2005 | 18[67] |
VH1 | United States | 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s[68] | 2011 | 55
|
XFM | United Kingdom | Top 100 Songs of the Decade[69] | 2009 | 1
|
Triple J | Australia | Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time | 2009 | 38
|
XFM | United Kingdom | The Top 1,000 Songs Of All Time[70] | 2010 | 1
|
NME | United Kingdom | The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[71] | 2014 | 116
|
Triple J | Australia | Triple J Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years, 2013 | 2013 | 7
|
BPI | United Kingdom | Most Streamed Songs Released Before 2010[72] | 2017 | 1
|
IRMA | Ireland | Most Streamed Track of the Noughties Decade[73] | 2020 | 1
|
Awards
The song was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, but lost to a live version of "This Love" by Maroon 5.
Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Billboard Music Awards | Digital Song of the Year | Nominated |
MTV Video Music Awards | Best Rock Video | Nominated | |
Best Group Video | Nominated | ||
Best New Artist in a Video | Won | ||
Best Art Direction | Nominated | ||
MuchMusic Video Awards | People's Choice: Favorite International Group | Nominated | |
Best International Video – Group | Won | ||
TEC Awards | Outstanding Record Production Single or Track | Nominated | |
2006 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated |
Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical | Nominated | ||
International Dance Music Awards | Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track | Nominated | |
2014 | Official Charts Company | Pop Gem Hall of Fame | Inducted[41] |
Track listings
UK 7-inch white vinyl (2003)[74]
UK limited-edition CD single (2003)[75]
UK limited-edition 7-inch red vinyl single (2004)[76]
UK CD1 (2004)[77]
UK CD2 (2004)[78]
US promo CD (2004)[79]
|
Australian limited-edition enhanced CD single (2004)[80]
European CD single (2004)[81]
European enhanced maxi-single (2004)[82]
US 2×12-inch vinyl (2005)[83]
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[114] | 15× Platinum | 1,050,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[115] | Gold | 30,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[116] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI)[117] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[118] | 6× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[119] | 7× Platinum | 4,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[120] | 2× Platinum | 3,500,000[10] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | September 29, 2003 |
|
Lizard King | [1] |
United Kingdom (re-release) | May 24, 2004 | [121] | ||
United States | October 11, 2004 | Alternative radio | Island | [122] |
January 18, 2005 | [123] |
See also
References
- ^ a b "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. September 27, 2003. p. 39.
- ^ Devotta, Sam (November 29, 2017). "(Un)Covered: Mr. Brightside". idobi Radio. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ a b "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. June 17, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (May 15, 2013). "Arena-Rock Masters, Unafraid to Leave the Lights On". New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ Scarisbrick, Betsy (September 24, 2017). "Review: The Killers' 'Wonderful Wonderful' is less than wonderful". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Partridge, Kenneth (September 1, 2015). "With Hot Fuss, The Killers caused (and defined) a scene". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Graff, Gary. "Retro Rockets The Killers' Rock Act Takes off despite Labeling as 1980s Band: [Final Edition]." Proquest. N.p., May 27, 2005. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ "The History Of 'Mr. Brightside' By The Killers, 10 Years Later". The Huffington Post. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ a b Paul Grein (January 9, 2013). "Week Ending Jan. 6, 2013: The First Top 10 Hit of 2013". Chart Watch. Yahoo Music. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
- ^ "The Killers' 'Mr Brightside' Chalks up U.K. Chart Milestone". Billboard.
- ^ a b Alexandra Pollard. "'Sex On Fire' revealed as UK's most downloaded rock song ever". gigwise.com.
- ^ "The Killers Mr Brightside is most played song". Belfast Telegraph. April 20, 2010.
- ^ a b "Celebrity News, Gossip and Photo Galleries – HuffPost Celebrity UK". Spinnermusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ Hermes, Will, Christian Hoard, Jody Rosen, and Rob Scheffield. "50 Best Songs of the 21st Century." Proquest. N.p., January 7, 2010. Web. September 26, 2016.
- ^ "500 Best Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ a b "Mr Brightside: The hit that just won't die". BBC News. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Carley, Brennan (May 8, 2015). "Brandon Flowers Lists His 10 Favorite Brandon Flowers Songs." SPIN. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
- ^ Breckenfield, Ed. "Off the Record: The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci – "Hot Fuss"" Proquest. N.p., September 2005. Web. September 26, 2016.
- ^ "NME Reviews – The Killers: Mr Brightside". NME. September 15, 2005. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ "Rolling Stone – The Killers: How We Wrote 'Mr. Brightside'". Rolling Stone. September 29, 2018.
- ^ Dave, Keuning; Brandon, Flowers; Ronnie, Vannucci; Mark, Stoermer; Killers, The (May 1, 2009). "Mr. Brightside". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ "Mark Needham | Interview with The Killers Mixing Engineer".
- ^ "Q&A: Brandon Flowers". Rolling Stone. April 21, 2005.
- ^ "Killers Head MW CD Talent Thrillers." Proquest. N.p., April 24, 2004. Web. September 26, 2016.
- ^ Raiders Public Relations (September 16, 2020). "The Killers set to rock halftime of the Raiders' home opener on Monday Night Football". Raiders.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Watch: The Killers perform Mr. Brightside during halftime on Monday Night Football (Videotape). Paradise, Nevada: Las Vegas Raiders. September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "For a Moment, the Killers Killed." Proquest. N.p., June 2015. Web. September 28, 2016.
- ^ Prevatt, Mike. "The Killers". Las Vegas CityLife. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011.
- ^ "The Killers: Mr Brightside". NME. October 8, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ Gitlin, Lauren. "The "Rolling Stone" Review: Live – The Killers." Proquest. N.p., November 11, 2004. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Repeat offenders: what is the most overplayed song?". the Guardian. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Lane, Lexi; Gutierrez, Juan (August 25, 2020). "The 20 Best Killers Songs". Paste. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Walthall, Catherine (August 26, 2021). "The Killers Top 10 Songs". American Songwriter. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 – Mr. Brightside". Billboard. February 12, 2005. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
{{cite web}}
:|archive-date=
/|archive-url=
timestamp mismatch; September 16, 2017 suggested (help) - ^ "The Billboard Hot 100 – Mr. Brightside". Billboard. June 11, 2005. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
- ^ "Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 06/06/2016" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2016.
- ^ "IPOD'S TOP 10 DOWNLOADS: [2 STAR Edition]." Proquest. N.p., June 2005. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ Waddell, Ray, and Brian Garrity. "The Killers." Proquest. N.p., September 23, 2006. Web. September 26, 2016.
- ^ "The Killers' 'Mr Brightside' Most Played Song." Proquest. N.p., April 20, 2010. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ a b c Myers, Justin (July 5, 2014). "Official Charts Pop Gem #63: The Killers – Mr Brightside". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- ^ a b Copsey, Rob (April 1, 2021). "The Killers' Mr Brightside claims record-breaking 260th week – exactly five years – on the Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Moore, Sam (April 1, 2021). "The Killers set new UK chart record with 'Mr. Brightside'". NME. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Stephen (June 4, 2017). "'Mr. Brightside' Will Never Die, And Here's Why". NPR Music.
- ^ a b Westbrook, Caroline (May 20, 2017). "Mr Brightside by The Killers has been in the UK charts every year since 2004". Metro. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ (What's The Story) Morning Glory? [Remastered], October 2, 1995, retrieved November 16, 2018
- ^ a b c Copsey, Rob (March 16, 2018). "Why The Killers' Mr Brightside refuses to leave the Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ Bernard, Audrey. "Invigorating Diddy Hosts Amazing 2005 MTV Video Music Awards." Proquest. N.p., September 2005. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ Sculley, Alan. "Killers on a Rampage ** Frontman Brandon Flowers Makes a Fuss over the Band's Debut Album: [MERGE Edition]." Proquest. N.p., June 8, 2005. Web. September 27, 2016.
- ^ Paoella, Michael. "Music: "Billboard" Picks – Singles: Dance – The Killers." Billboard – International Newsweekly of Music, Video and Home Entertainment March 5, 2005: n. pag. Print.
- ^ Carlsson, V. (August 28, 2008). The Killers-Mr. Brightside (LYRICS). Retrieved September 25, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/
- ^ Reen, C. (March 8, 2011). The Killers-Mr. Brightside (Thin White Duke Remix). Retrieved September 25, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/
- ^ a b c "The Killers' Mr. Brightside: 10 of the Weirdest Covers". NME.
- ^ "The Killers medley – The Wanted in Scarborough". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Kelly Clarkson Covers The Killers' 'Mr Brightside' – Billboard". Billboard.
- ^ "The Holiday's Soundtrack on IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ James, Jordan (October 8, 2017). "Watch: Michigan Stadium sings 'Mr. Brightside' in rainstorm". 247Sports.com. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ Champion, Brandon (October 9, 2017). "Michigan students sing 'Mr. Brightside' as rain blasts the Big House". MLive.com. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ "Jack Riewoldt sings entirety of 'Mr Brightside' with the Killers at 2017 Premiership Party". September 30, 2017.
- ^ "Charts: My List-James Blunt." Proquest. N.p., March 23, 2006. Web. September 26, 2016.
- ^ "Mr. Brightside – The Killers". VEVO.
- ^ "Mr Brightside by The Killers". Song of the Decade. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "The Killers "Mr. Brightside" (2004) – The 100 Best Songs of The Complex Decade – Complex". Complex. April 18, 2012.
- ^ "KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2005 Countdown List". www.radiohitlist.com.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...NME End Of Year Lists 2008". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. May 9, 1992. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". Nme.Com. April 30, 1997. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "Top 50 Singles of 2005 | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ Anderson, Kyle (September 29, 2011). "U2, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters fill out VH1's '100 Greatest Songs of the '00s'". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
- ^ "Presents The Top 1,000 Songs Of All Time... The Book". Xfm. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "artists | xlists | Photo". Xfm. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
- ^ "Pictures of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time - 200-101 - NME.COM". NME.COM.
- ^ "The Killers' Mr Brightside was the most-streamed song released before 2010". BBC News. May 18, 2017.
- ^ "Mr. Brightside by the Killers is Ireland's most streamed Noughties song". OfficialCharts.com.
- ^ Mr Brightside (UK 7-inch single sleeve). The Killers. Lizard King Records. 2003. LIZARD007X.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (UK limited CD single liner notes). The Killers. Lizard King Records. 2003. LIZARD007.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). The Killers. Lizard King Records. 2004. LIZARD010X.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (UK CD1 liner notes). The Killers. Lizard King Records. 2004. LIZARD010CD1.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (UK CD2 liner notes). The Killers. Lizard King Records. 2004. LIZARD010CD2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr. Brightside (US promo CD liner notes). The Killers. Island Records. 2004. ISLR 16192-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (Australian limited enhanced CD single liner notes). The Killers. Island Records. 2004. 2103362.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (European CD single liner notes). The Killers. Island Records. 2004. 0602498804193.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr Brightside (European enhanced maxi-single liner notes). The Killers. Island Records. 2004. 0602498804186.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Mr. Brightside (US 2×12-inch vinyl discs). The Killers. Island Records. 2005. B0004170-11.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
- ^ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1607. May 20, 2005. p. 28. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "R&R Canada Rock Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1599. March 25, 2005. p. 62. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Killers". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside". Top Digital Download. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
- ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "The Killers – Mr. Brightside". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. January 10, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "The Killers Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 2005". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2017". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2018". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2019". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ "Rock Streaming Songs – 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2020". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Griffiths, George (January 4, 2022). "The Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (December 11, 2019). "The UK's Official Top 100 biggest songs of the decade". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ "Brazilian single certifications – The Killers – Mr. Brightside" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (The Killers; 'Mr. Brightside')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – The Killers – Mr. Brightside" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved December 14, 2018. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Mr. Brightside" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – The Killers – Mr. Brightside". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – Killers – Mr Brightside". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – The Killers – Mr. Brightside". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. May 22, 2004. p. 31.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1576. October 8, 2004. p. 35.
- ^ "Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1589. January 14, 2005. p. 21.