10 Artists That Changed With One Song
9. When You Were Young - The Killers
The entire appeal of the Killers’ first record seemed like it was ripped straight out of the ‘80s. From the minute that you heard songs like Mr. Brightside or Somebody Told Me, these guys felt like the logical extension of acts like Tears for Fears or Duran Duran, utilizing those splashy keyboard sounds and making them new again. Brandon Flowers wasn’t looking to be a nostalgia act though, and he found his way back into rock and roll in the heartland.
While Sam’s Town had a lot in common with their debut, the turning point for the entire band was When You Were Young, which has a far more reflective tone than what their initial lyrics were about. After spending time falling in love with Bruce Springsteen’s music, this song feels like it was ripped straight out of the Boss’ playbook, down to the walk down of different instruments just like in Born to Run. Flowers is practicing what he preaches here, taking the sound of Springsteen and painting pictures of people who are looking for some kind of salvation, either through the love they find in each other or the rest of the world that awaits them outside of their nothing town.
They’ve never looked back from this song either, creating albums mining the same heartland rock that they love. Although Mr. Brightside is still their most celebrated song, When You Were Young is a more accurate picture of what the Killers are these days.