Ranking All The Killers Studio Albums
The Killers are a rock band co-founded by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning in 2001. Their line-up saw a number of changes, but by 2002, they had settled on their current line-up, which is not necessarily the same as either their recording line-up or their touring line-up. Soon enough, the Killers released Hot Fuss in 2004, which became the first of their seven studio albums so far. On the whole, the band can be considered one of the biggest acts to ever emerge from the state of Nevada, seeing as how they are one of the biggest rock bands of the 21st century.
7. Imploding the Mirage
Imploding the Mirage came out in August of 2020. As a result, interested individuals might be tempted to assume that it is one of the numerous studio albums created because of the COVID-19 crisis. However, it should be mentioned that Imploding the Mirages was planned well before that, as shown by the announcement of its existence in November of 2019. In any case, the studio album is quite decent on the whole. Unfortunately, it is going up against some very formidable competition. In particular, while it feels very soulful in places, it lacks the epic feel that can be found on a lot of the band’s other releases.
6. Pressure Machine
Speaking of which, the creation of Pressure Machine was influenced by the COVID-19 crisis. In short, the Killers realized that they wouldn’t be able to go on the planned tour to support Imploding the Mirage right away, so they looked for something else with which to occupy their time. Initially, they thought about using the leftover material from their last studio album to start making another one. However, the Killers eventually decided to do a concept album based on Brandon Flowers’ childhood in Nephi, UT. The result is very reflective. Moreover, Pressure Machine is interesting in that it is so concerned with the choices, thoughts, and feelings of people from small towns. The studio album’s newness makes it difficult to judge, but currently, it is looking a lot like one of those releases that become better and better-regarded as time passes.
5. Day & Age
Day & Age was the Killers’ third studio album. In a sense, it was meant to be a continuation of its immediate predecessor Sam’s Town. However, Day & Age was more experimental in nature, which was a risk at the time. Some people liked it. Others, not so much. Still, Day & Age was a clear sign that the Killers wouldn’t just settle for who they were but would continue seeking out ways to exceed themselves.
4. Wonderful Wonderful
There was a five-year gap between Battle Born and Wonderful Wonderful. However, the latter proved to be more than capable of living up to its name. Some people have mentioned a resemblance between Wonderful Wonderful and Sam’s Town, which is fitting because the Killers realized that they wanted to make a full-length record while they were celebrating the 10th anniversary of their second studio album’s release. Having said that, it is important to note that this studio album is very much its own thing, having incorporated everything that the band had learned in the decade since.
3. Sam’s Town
It is sometimes said that both Hot Fuss and Sam’s Town were greatly influenced by Las Vegas. However, if Hot Fuss was influenced by the heart of the city, Sam’s Town was influenced by its outskirts. One suspects that this opinion was helped along by the strong sense of faded glory that has woven its way through much of the material. Something that contributed to a rather different feel for the studio album when compared with its immediate predecessor. Amusingly, there was actually some critical hostility towards Sam’s Town in the early days, which was sometimes motivated by a perception that the band was imitating more established artists poorly. Said hostility didn’t eat much into its commercial popularity. If anything, it seemed to have energized the fans, so much so that the studio album managed to pick up something of a cut following. Nowadays, those sentiments have mellowed out to some extent, with the result that Sam’s Town has come off looking quite good.
2. Battle Born
As the story goes, the making of Battle Born started out being somewhat strained for the Killers. The band had chosen to take an extended hiatus after the completion for the tour meant to support Day & Age. As a result, the band members went off to do their own thing. Both Brandon Flowers and Mark Stoermer released solo albums. Meanwhile, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. released a studio album with his side-project. As for Dave Keuning, he took a break while spending more time with his family. Regardless, while the extended hiatus was said to have been beneficial because it gave everyone a chance to develop their own way to think about music, it also meant that their initial interactions during the making of Battle Born were extremely strained. Fortunately, the Killers persevered, with the result that everything started working again with the creation of “Runaways.” A song that Flowers has outright called the backbone of the entire studio album along with the second single “Miss Atomic Bomb.” Regardless, the claim that the extended hiatus was beneficial has a fair amount of truth to it. After all, Battle Born proved to be one of the band’s best releases, not least because it has a lot of heart and a lot of soul.
1. Hot Fuss
Unsurprisingly, Hot Fuss occupies the number one position on this list. Generally speaking, it takes some time before a band can put out a true classic. However, a decent argument can be made that the Killers managed said feat on their first try, particularly since said release managed to sell more than 7 million copies. Only time can reveal the true classics. However, in this case, it feels safe to say that time will be kind.
