Ongoing History Daily: The insane longevity of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”
“Mr. Brightside” was the first-ever single from The Killers. It first appeared on September 29, 2003, and was followed by a re-recoded version in 2004. Since then, it has sold 3.5 million copies in the US and more than 3.6 million copies in the UK. In fact, it’s the longest-charting song in the history of His Majesty’s Kingdom, appearing on the charts for over seven years.
It’s earned the band millions. Not bad for a song that was recorded in guitarist Dave Keuning’s closet that he was using as a sound booth. And there’s another human aspect to the song, too.
Brandon Flowers, who had been working as a bellhop in a Las Vegas hotel, wrote the song after he walked in on his then-girlfriend cheating with someone else. We hear in the song Brandon’s reaction to discovering what was happening. No one knows her name, but I wonder how she feels about being the subject of a hit that’s sold over 10 million copies worldwide?
