Rock group Kings of Leon was founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band is made up of brothers Caleb, Jared, and Nathan Followill as well as their cousin Matthew Followill, making it a family affair. In its early years, the band’s sound was a mashup of garage rock, Southern rock, and blues elements.
The band’s sound has changed over the years to incorporate new genres, such as arena rock and alternative rock. Initially, the band was most well-known in the UK, but by 2008, they were also having chart success in the US.
Two BRIT Awards, four Grammy Awards, and other honors have been bestowed to The Kings of Leon. The Kings of Leon have put out eight studio albums, five EPs, two compilation albums, a live album, a video album, 27 music videos, 26 singles, and three promotional singles during their careers. The albums of Kings of Leon are listed in order.
1. Only by the Night (2008)
Only by the Night is the most successful album that Kings of Leon have released to date commercially speaking. This album gave birth to two of the band’s most well-known songs, ‘Sex on Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody,’ both of which were released as singles.
It was the most popular album in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, and Australia respectively. The United States, Austria, Canada, and the Netherlands all placed “Only by the Night” in their top 10 charts with its release. The album was nominated for the Best Rock Album award at the 51st Grammy Awards, where it also won two BRIT Awards.
2. Come Around Sundown (2010)
Although the Kings of Leon already had a considerable following in the United Kingdom, it wasn’t until the release of their fifth studio album, ‘Come Around Sundown,’ that they achieved commercial success in the United States.
It reached number one on the album charts in Australia, Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Belgium, Ireland, and Germany. In the United States and the Netherlands, it reached its highest position at number two. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, it was up for consideration for the award for Best Rock Album.
3. Mechanical Bull (2013)
Some of the songs on ‘Mechanical Bull,’ such as ‘Supersoaker’ and ‘Temple,’ have a sound that is similar to the music that King of Leon played in their earlier days.
Despite this, tracks like “Family Tree” and “Rock City” demonstrate the band’s progression toward a groover sound, which they had started to cultivate by this point in their career.
In addition to the UK and Ireland, ‘Mechanical Bull‘ also topped the charts in New Zealand and Australia. The United States, Austria, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands all saw it reach its highest position of number two.
4. Aha Shake Heartbreak (2005)
‘Aha Shake Heartbreak,‘ the Kings of Leon’s second album, is rated as the greatest by NME. Since making their debut album, the band has grown more at ease with their sound.
The Kings of Leon ranked third on the UK album charts for the second time, and they also achieved that place in Ireland. Additionally, it outperformed the previous album in the US, charting at number five on the Billboard 200.
The album’s three hits were “The Bucket,” “Four Kicks,” and “King of Rodeo.” ‘Taper Jean Girl,’ another song on the album, also features coarse language. The album carries a parental advisory label because of this song.
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5. Because of the Times (2007)
Because of the Times is considered to be the best album by Kings of Leon, according to Giddy Up America. This is due to the fact that it symbolizes the transition from the band’s original sound to their experimenting with new genres.
Even though it was the band’s third studio album, some of the sounds from the band’s previous two albums, which its original fans liked, are still present in this album.
On the other hand, the incorporation of new influences can be heard across a good portion of the album’s tunes. It was the first time that Kings of Leon had reached the number one spot on the charts, and they did it in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.
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6. Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
The first album released by Kings of Leon was titled “Youth & Young Manhood.” It was obvious that the band had a strong passion for their music and a strong desire to succeed in the industry, and both of these passions came through rather clearly on this album.
It felt as though they gave each tune everything they had got. In the United Kingdom, it was an instant hit, climbing all the way to position three on the album charts.
However, its highest position on the Billboard 200 chart was merely 113. This album was used as the basis for the band’s release of four singles: ‘Red Morning Light,’ ‘Molly’s Chambers,’ ‘Wasted Time,’ and ‘California Waiting.’
7. WALLS (2016)
The seventh studio album by Kings of Leon, “WALLS,” was released. It’s interesting to note that “WALLS” stands for “We All Like Love Songs,” which is an abbreviation. Although the title is an acronym, the complete name continues the Kings of Leon trend of giving album names with five syllables.
The album by Kings of Leon was the first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and it also reached that position in Austria, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. Waste a Moment, Reverend, and Around the World were the three singles from this album that were made available.
8. When You See Yourself (2021)
Before the release of ‘When You See Yourself‘ in 2021, the Kings of Leon had not put out an album in the previous five years. The band has been releasing music for the past three decades, thus with this album, they demonstrated that they can remain relevant even after so much time has passed.
When You See Yourself” was the most popular song in Austria, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland respectively. It reached its highest position on the Billboard 200 at number 11. The songs “The Bandit” and “100,000 People” were taken from the album and published as singles.