Ongoing History: The enduring appeal of Mr. Brightside

August 14, 2024 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Mr. Brightside was one of the very first songs written by The Killers sometime around the end of 2001. It’s about Brandon Flowers’ real-life girlfriend who cheated on him.

One day, he walked into a pub in his hometown of Las Vegas called the Crown and Anchor, and there she was with some other guy. Brandon says “All of the emotions in the song are real. When I was writing the lyrics, my wounds from it were still fresh. I am Mr. Brightside!”

The song has since become massive, especially in the UK where it’s been on the singles charts for years. It is also the UK’s biggest-selling single never to reach #1. Mr. Brightside has earned The Killers millions.

I wonder what that old girlfriend and the guy she was cheating with make of all this?

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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