Rebel Diamonds

2023 greatest hits album by the Killers
Rebel Diamonds
Greatest hits album by
the Killers
ReleasedDecember 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)
Recorded2001–2023
Studio
  • Cornerstone (Los Angeles, California)
  • Kill the Messenger (Henderson, Nevada)
  • The Hearse (Berkeley, California)
  • 11th Street Records (Las Vegas, Nevada)
  • The Garage (Topanga, California)
  • Battle Born (Las Vegas, Nevada)
  • The Phantasy Sound (London)
  • Subtle McNugget (Los Angeles)
  • Electro-Vox (Los Angeles)
LabelIsland
Producer
  • Flood
  • the Killers
  • Steve Lillywhite
  • Alan Moulder
  • Brendan O'Brien
  • Stuart Price
  • Jeff Saltzman
  • Jonathan Rado
  • Shawn Everett
The Killers chronology
Pressure Machine
(2021) 		Rebel Diamonds
(2023)
Singles from Rebel Diamonds
  1. "Boy"
    Released: August 5, 2022
  2. "Your Side of Town"
    Released: August 25, 2023

Rebel Diamonds is a greatest hits album by American rock band the Killers, released on December 8, 2023, through Island Records. It is the band's second greatest hits collection, following Direct Hits in 2013.

The compilation features three original songs from the band's aborted eighth studio album – "boy", "Your Side of Town" and "Spirit" – produced by Stuart Price and Shawn Everett.

Background

On 5 August 2022, the band released "boy", their first new song following 2021's Pressure Machine. "boy" was written during the recording sessions for Pressure Machine and was described by the band as a "catalyst" for the album, but was left off the final album as the band felt it didn't fit the album's overall genre.[1]

20 songs for 20 years. }}</ref> Consequently, they intended for it to be the first single from their planned eighth studio album, which was to be a "more electro-leaning record" and to be produced during the Imploding the Mirage Tour.[2]

However, by the time their second single "Your Side of Town" was released on 25 August 2023, the band had scrapped this planned eighth album, instead suggesting that the two new singles would be included on an EP, which was later also scrapped.[2]

Instead, on 7 November 2023, the band announced that they were to release their second greatest hits album, Rebel Diamonds, to mark twenty years since their début album, Hot Fuss (2004). This serves as a retrospective look at the career of the rock band, featuring a chronological arrangement of twenty of their hits by the year of release, including at least one track from each album, alongside the two previously released standalone singles, "boy" and "Your Side of Town", and a new track, "Spirit".[3][4]

The album title is taken from the lyrics of their song "Read My Mind" from their second album, Sam's Town, which features the line, "the stars are blazing like rebel diamonds, cut out of the sun".[5]

Promotion

"Boy" was débuted live on 7 July 2022 at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, and was subsequently a regular fixture of set lists during the Imploding the Mirage Tour.[6] "Your Side of Town" was given a similar festival début, at Reading Festival on 26 August 2023.[7] Finally, "Spirit" was first performed live the week before the release of Rebel Diamonds, in São Paulo on 30 November.[8]

The release of the album was accompanied by the band's seventh major concert tour, the Rebel Diamonds Tour. This featured a number of arena shows in the UK and Ireland and North America, as well as festival headliner spots in Japan and Spain, between June and October 2024. The tour was announced the week before the release of the album with a four-city UK and Ireland tour, with additional international dates announced later.[9] In January 2024, the band further announced an eight-night residency in Las Vegas in August 2024 to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the release of Hot Fuss.[10]

Commercial performance

Rebel Diamonds débuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming the band's eighth number one album with first-week sales of 25,360 copies.[11][12] This tied them with R.E.M. as the US group with the most UK number one albums.[12]

Track listing

Rebel Diamonds track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" (from Hot Fuss, 2004)
  • Jeff Saltzman
  • the Killers
4:04
2."Mr. Brightside" (from Hot Fuss)
  • Saltzman
  • the Killers
3:43
3."All These Things That I've Done" (from Hot Fuss)Flowers
  • Saltzman
  • the Killers
5:02
4."Somebody Told Me" (from Hot Fuss)
  • Saltzman
  • the Killers
3:17
5."When You Were Young" (from Sam's Town, 2006)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
3:40
6."Read My Mind" (from Sam's Town)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Flood
  • Moulder
  • the Killers
4:05
7."Human" (from Day & Age, 2008)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
4:05
8."Spaceman" (from Day & Age)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
  • Price
  • the Killers
4:45
9."A Dustland Fairytale" (from Day & Age)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
  • Price
  • the Killers
3:45
10."Be Still" (from Battle Born, 2012)Damian Taylor4:35
11."Runaways" (from Battle Born)Flowers
4:05
12."The Man" (from Wonderful Wonderful, 2017)
3:41
13."Caution" (from Imploding the Mirage, 2020)
  • Flowers
  • Stoermer
  • Vannucci
  • Cameron
  • Everett
  • Rado
3:26
14."My Own Soul's Warning" (from Imploding the Mirage)Flowers
  • Rado
  • Everett
4:34
15."Dying Breed" (from Imploding the Mirage)
  • Rado
  • Everett
4:06
16."Pressure Machine" (from Pressure Machine, 2021)
  • Flowers
  • Keuning
  • Rado
  • Rado
  • Everett
4:45
17."Quiet Town" (from Pressure Machine)
  • Flowers
  • Rado
  • Rado
  • Everett
4:17
18."Boy" (previously released as a single)
  • Flowers
  • Price
  • Price
  • Everett
3:32
19."Your Side of Town" (previously released as a single)
  • Flowers
  • Price
  • Price
  • Everett
3:08
20."Spirit" (previously unreleased)
  • Flowers
  • Price
  • Price
  • Everett
2:59

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[b] signifies an assistant producer

Charts

Chart performance for Rebel Diamonds
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 31
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 91
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 177
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[16] 90
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] 97
Irish Albums (OCC)[18] 1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] 16
Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21] 80
UK Albums (OCC)[22] 1
US Billboard 200[23] 74
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[24] 6
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[25] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Zemler, Emily (August 5, 2022). "Brandon Flowers Discourages Overthinking on the Killers' New Single 'Boy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "The Killers "10 Questions" interview (and new single!)". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Strauss, Matthew (November 7, 2023). "The Killers Announce Greatest Hits Album Featuring New Song "Spirit"". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  4. ^ Rigotti, Alex (November 7, 2023). "The Killers announce Rebel Diamonds compilation featuring new song 'Spirit'". NME. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  5. ^ The Killers – Read My Mind, retrieved July 10, 2024
  6. ^ Gallagher, Alex (July 8, 2022). "Watch The Killers debut new song 'Boy' at Mad Cool Festival 2022". NME. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Singh, Surej (August 27, 2023). "Watch The Killers debut new single 'Your Side Of Town' at Reading 2023". NME. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  8. ^ David Amórtegui (November 30, 2023). The Killers - Spirit (New Song) @ Tokyo Marine Hall (São Paulo, 30.11.23). Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Richards, Will (December 1, 2023). "The Killers announce 2024 'Rebel Diamonds' UK arena tour". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Greene, Andy (January 23, 2024). "The Killers Announce 'Hot Fuss' 20th Anniversary Residency in Las Vegas". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Killers celebrate eighth Number 1 album with Rebel Diamonds". Official Charts. December 15, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "EMI claims 14th week at No.1 in 2023 with The Killers' best of debuting at the summit". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  13. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Killers – Rebel Diamonds" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Killers – Rebel Diamonds" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  16. ^ "The Killers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  17. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Killers – Rebel Diamonds" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  19. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". El portal de Música. Promusicae. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  23. ^ "The Killers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "The Killers Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  25. ^ "The Killers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  26. ^ "British album certifications – Killers – Rebel Diamonds". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
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