How and Why Has "Mr Brightside" Never Left the UK Charts?

May 19, 2017 8:37 AM

For reasons unknown, "Mr Brightside" is currently in the UK charts. Looking at the UK chart history, you may be surprised to learn that there is actually not a single year since its release in which "Mr Brightside" has not been in the Top 100. [...] We have thought long and hard about this and come up with a few theories about what might be prompting this return to glory, which we are going to share with you below, because we care.
posted by damayanti (33 comments total)

Well played with The Killers reference in the first 3 words of the FPP. Bravo.
posted by Twain Device at 8:48 AM on May 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

And yet, the most shocking thing in that article is that The OC ended ten years ago.

Jesus Christ I'm old.
posted by Talez at 8:51 AM on May 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

In the rock revival thread, where I was made a mixtape to explain what exactly WAS the late 90s-early 00s rock revival bomlet? I realized I always had this huge outsized affection for Mr. Brightside and I had no idea why (I know literally no other killers songs) until I watched the music video for the first time and it's a heavily art directed , high concept tribute to Moulin Rogue! And like "oh, that's why."

Sometimes asehetics can be subliminal.
posted by The Whelk at 8:52 AM on May 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

*queues up Hot Fuss for the day*
posted by curious nu at 8:53 AM on May 19, 2017 [5 favorites]

I must admit, I'm pretty bad because I prefer new wave and synthpop The Killers rather than alternative rock/post-punk The Killers.
posted by Talez at 8:55 AM on May 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

But are they human, or are they dancer?
posted by chavenet at 8:58 AM on May 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

Well, that's on you guys. I take no responsibility for it whatsover. I've never heard of the song. I've never heard of the band. For all I know, this is some kind of viral hoax. Though they got Eric Roberts to play along apparently.
posted by Naberius at 8:59 AM on May 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

Sort of related:

these are the 7 best music videos featuring Eric Roberts
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:00 AM on May 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

I have a huge love for the DJs From Mars Sweet Child of Mine/Mr Brightside mashup.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:03 AM on May 19, 2017 [5 favorites]

Best remix.
posted by empath at 9:08 AM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also, the headline for this is hugely misleading: "How and Why Has 'Mr Brightside' Never Left the UK Charts?"

That's not what the article says:

Looking at the UK chart history, you may be surprised to learn that there is actually not a single year since its release in which "Mr Brightside" has not been in the Top 100. It has charted 166 times and counting.

So it has left the charts. 165 times. But it keeps coming back.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 9:17 AM on May 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

Which doesn't make a good headline but is actually a far weirder thing to me.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:24 AM on May 19, 2017 [4 favorites]

It's because I find all "coming out of my cage" memes hilarious and adorable. And Hot Fuss came out the year I started university, so every time I hear a song off it, I feel like I should be a little bit cider-drunk.
posted by threetwentytwo at 9:30 AM on May 19, 2017 [5 favorites]

The UK charts have always been much weirder than their US cousins, haven't they? (Excepting the whole Red, Red Wine thing, I suppose.)
posted by uncleozzy at 9:35 AM on May 19, 2017

So of course I opened up Spotify to listen to this song, because how could I not? But the next thing it tries to play for me? Fucking Oasis? No, Spotify, no!
posted by explosion at 9:37 AM on May 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

This is so well done. Tempted to say it's a Britain vs. US style thing.

Regardless, the Theresa May Theory is total genius.
posted by martin q blank at 9:52 AM on May 19, 2017

The weirdness of the UK charts might be explained by how few sales are needed to get into its lowest reaches.
posted by beschizza at 9:52 AM on May 19, 2017

The weirdness of the UK charts might be explained by how few sales are needed to get into its lowest reaches.

Yeah? Laurie Anderson made number 2 in 1981, when single sales were massive.
posted by Devonian at 11:03 AM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Because everyone loves a good rhyme fakeout.
posted by ckape at 11:20 AM on May 19, 2017 [6 favorites]

I've always felt like I'm the only one who got that, ckape.
posted by redsparkler at 11:25 AM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

All I can say about "Mr. Brightside" is the missus always replaces the outro "I never" with "Viagra." At the top. Of her. Lungs.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 11:27 AM on May 19, 2017 [12 favorites]

When I was a baby disc jockey, Carole King's "Tapestry" was spending YEARS on the Billboard Albums chart, but then, the chart was 200 items long. It was replaced in longevity by "Frampton Comes Alive", then, when '80s stand-bys Elton John and the Eagles came out with Greatest Hits albums, they shared the title together. I gave up paying attention after that.
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:07 PM on May 19, 2017

That album though, the mere fact we are talking about it in 2017 about a pretty strange pop band.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 1:25 PM on May 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's kinda funny how the trend-setting bad boy cool NY kids the Strokes were initially beloved and now receives all the hate, and the seen as derivative square Mormon Vegas boys the Killers is still receiving success.
posted by Apocryphon at 2:08 PM on May 19, 2017 [3 favorites]

Ah God. Maybe this is related to why the radio keeps playing (the vastly preferable) "When You Were Young." That's been a pretty integral part of the soundtrack to this year for me.
posted by limeonaire at 4:47 PM on May 19, 2017

I've not encountered this song for years and now I can't get it out of my mind, it's killing me.
posted by unliteral at 2:56 AM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]

look, the u.k is a country where the theme to "bob the builder" became a no 1 hit

so, yeah ...
posted by pyramid termite at 8:38 AM on May 26, 2017

There's no law that says I have to listen to this song at least once a day, especially two or three times in a row, is there? No, I thought not. So, what's the story then?
posted by unliteral at 9:00 AM on May 26, 2017

I am trying to stop
posted by unliteral at 4:58 AM on May 28, 2017

That album was one of the last CDs I ever bought. Still sounds good today.

I got soul but I'm not a soldier...
posted by NeoRothbardian at 3:01 PM on May 28, 2017

I've not encountered this song for years and now I can't get it out of my mind, it's killing me.


And taking control?
posted by DrAstroZoom at 7:24 AM on June 1, 2017 [2 favorites]

Still getting a daily dose. Only just now saw the name on the bass drum - The Genius Sex Poets.
posted by unliteral at 3:22 PM on June 1, 2017

Oh man. This song is in this movie I just started watching, right after Ben Folds' "The Luckiest"—which in and of itself is kind of messing with my head to hear in a film—and it immediately made me think of this thread. That is all.
posted by limeonaire at 7:48 PM on June 14, 2017