Album · The Killers
Sam’s Town by The Killers
Sam’s Town is an album by The Killers, released in 2006. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 115 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “When You Were Young”, on 61 lists with a best position of #2.
Sam's Town, the Killers' second album, came out on Island in 2006, and it's a big, dusty, wide-open rock record with its eyes fixed on the American horizon. Alan Moulder and Flood produced it, and it was recorded at the Palms Casino Resort. Brandon Flowers said he set out to make an album that traced, in order, everything that had shaped him into the person he'd become.
That ambition comes through in every chorus. The songs are wide-screen heartland rock with synths and swagger: Dave Keuning's guitars ring out like they're aimed at the back of a stadium, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. drive the rhythm hard, and Flowers, on vocals and keyboards, sings like he's got the whole desert to fill. "When You Were Young" charges in at full gallop, "Read My Mind" shimmers and yearns, "Bones" struts with a cheeky kick, and "For Reasons Unknown" rattles along with a restless heart.
It has sold almost five million copies worldwide. For its 10th anniversary, Bong Load Records reissued it on October 7, 2016, as a remastered double vinyl limited to 5,016 copies, with two bonus tracks: an unreleased demo called "Peace of Mind" and a Pet Shop Boys remix of "Read My Mind".
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Sam’s Town on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | When You Were Young | 61 | #2 | – | 2006–2026 | |
| 2 | Read My Mind | 32 | #2 | – | 2006–2026 | |
| 3 | Bones | 16 | #16 | – | 2006–2009 | |
| 4 | For Reasons Unknown | 6 | #46 | – | 2007 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.