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Song · The Strokes

“12:51” by The Strokes

From the album Room on Fire (2003)

“12:51” by The Strokes appears on 34 radio countdowns from 24 stations between 2003 and 2025. It was first released in 2003 on the album Room on Fire. Its best result is #8 on the CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2003. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #29 alternative song of 2003, #6,817 alternative song of all time and #178 of the '00s.

34countdowns
24stations
#8best position
0#1 finishes
3top 10 finishes
2003–2025years charted

Watch

The Strokes - 12:51 (Official HD Video)

Video from YouTube (thestrokesVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"12:51" was the Strokes' opening shot from Room on Fire, their second album, sent out as the first single in October 2003. Julian Casablancas wrote it and Gordon Raphael produced, and it's a short, twitchy thing: Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. play guitars made to sound like synthesizers, Nikolai Fraiture's bass throbs, Fabrizio Moretti keeps a loose, cool swing, and Casablancas sounds half asleep in the best possible way. Handclaps and a whistling lead keep it bright.

Critics liked it; AllMusic figured it for a stealth pop song that sneaks up on you. It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. Roman Coppola directed a video that borrows its glowing look from the 1982 film Tron, which suits a song this in love with retro gadgetry.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2003 10 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2003 107
2003 23 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 2003 91
2003 34 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2003 106
2003 76 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2003 101
2003 45 WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 2003 100
2003 52 K-Rock New York, NY K-Rock Top 92.3 Songs of 2003 92
2003 49 89X Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON 89X Top 89 Songs of 2003 89
2003 8 CD101 Columbus, OH CD101 Top 101 Songs of 2003 101
2003 42 Y100 Philadelphia, PA Y100 Top 100 Songs of 2003 100
2003 34 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 102 Songs of 2003 102
2003 60 The Bear Ottawa, ON The Bear Top 107 Songs of 2003 107
2003 34 The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2003 99
2003 36 Channel 104.9 San Jose, CA Channel 104.9 Top 104.9 Songs of 2003 105
2003 41 WBCN Boston, MA WBCN Top 104 Songs of 2003 104
2003 16 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 2003 103
2003 92 102.1 The Edge Dallas-Fort Worth, TX KDGE Top 102 Songs of 2003 102
2003 102 103.1 The Buzz West Palm Beach, FL Buzz 103.1 Top 103 Buzz Cuts of 2003 103
2003 43 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 2003 100
2003 86 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2003 100
2004 49 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2004 107
2004 68 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 2004 106
2004 10 107.7 The End Seattle, WA The End Top 77 Songs of 2004 77
2004 83 CFNY 102.1 The Edge Toronto, ON CFNY Top 102 Songs of 2004 102
2004 99 The Bear Ottawa, ON The Bear Top 107 Songs of 2004 107
2004 60 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) WEQX Top 102.7 of 2004 103

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2003 1912 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 1912 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 35 96.5 The Buzz 96.5 The Buzz Top 96 of the New Millennium 96
2005 1899 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2009 64 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 2009) 101
2022 173 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 2000s 907
2024 532 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century 1055
2025 341 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century 909
2025 720 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 800 Mood Booster Songs 800

Charting alongside it in 2003

Best songs of 2003 →
  1. 1Seven Nation ArmyThe White Stripes
  2. 2Like a StoneAudioslave
  3. 3Bring Me to LifeEvanescence
  4. 4Somewhere I BelongLinkin Park
  5. 5Times Like TheseFoo Fighters
  6. 6Weak and PowerlessA Perfect Circle

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