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Why Do People Hate Kings Of Leon So Much?

On this day in 2008, "Sex On Fire" debuted at number one on the UK singles chart, and now everyone hates Kings of Leon. Why?

Kings of Leon Lead Vocalist Caleb Followill Performs During a Concert at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town South Africa 26 October 2011

Photo by Nic Bothma/EPA/Shutterstock

Kings of Leon have taken a lot of (arguably well-earned) flack over the years, but criticism aside, the Nashville family quartet was modern rock's last great act.

On this day in 2008, "Sex On Fire" debuted at number one on the UK singles chart, where the band had reigned supreme long before receiving any stateside recognition. But soon that would all change. "Sex On Fire" and "Use Somebody" off Only by The Night catapulted the band to stardom. Both tracks' howling choruses and rhythmic garage rock aesthetic placed them along the other kitschy indie hits that defined 2008, such as The Killers's "Mr. Brightside" and Arctic Monkeys's "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor."

The band was already an indie commercial darling, but Only by the Night mutated Kings of Leon into a different kind of beast. With their "whoa-oh" singalongs and sleek production, the band purposefully trimmed their garage hedges in favor of a more crisp and refined aesthetic. They had chosen to be a pop crossover hit in a deliberately calculated way.

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