Kings Of Leon: From Nashville Roots to Global Rock Icons
Formed in Nashville in 1999, Kings Of Leon came together with a strictly family affair. The band consists of three brothers—Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill—and their cousin, Matthew Followill. Their journey started with the release of an EP in February 2003, entitled Holy Roller Novocaine. The EP’s title track and Molly’s Chambers made an early impression, setting the stage for their debut album later that year.
Released in July 2003, Youth and Young Manhood featured four out of the five tracks from the EP, marking the band’s entry into the music world. Although it didn’t create massive waves commercially, it built a loyal following. Two years later, they released Aha Shake Heartbreak, an album that was well-received by critics but failed to generate significant hits.
In 2007, Kings of Leon dropped Because of the Times. While it continued their upward momentum and charted well in the UK and Ireland, it didn’t produce any major hits. But in 2008, the band reached their breakthrough with Only by the Night. This album, with tracks like Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, propelled them to international stardom. Sex on Fire hit #1 in three countries, and Use Somebody reached the top two in several others. The album itself topped charts worldwide, selling over six million copies and cementing Kings Of Leon as one of the biggest rock bands of the era.
Their success was reflected not only in their global acclaim but also in their widespread adoption by cover bands around the world, who often finish their sets with Sex on Fire, Mr. Brightside, Livin’ on a Prayer, and Summer of ’69. These hits, along with Molly’s Chambers and Radioactive, helped the band expand their influence far beyond their Southern rock origins.
In 2010, they followed Only by the Night with Come Around Sundown, which featured tracks like Radioactive and Pyro. While they’ve continued to release albums since, none have quite matched the success of their earlier hits. Nonetheless, Kings Of Leon remain an iconic rock band, showing that even a family from Nashville, expected to play country music, could carve out their place in rock history.
Kings Of Leon Tunes | Related Pages
Molly’s Chambers | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Molly’s Chambers by Kings Of Leon using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
||: F#5 (F#/E F# F#/E F# F#/E) :||
Free, that’s all that she can bleed, that’s why’ll she’ll never stay…
Sex On Fire | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Sex On Fire by Kings Of Leon using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E E6 | E E6 | E E6 | E E6 |
Lay where you’re laying, don’t make a sound…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sex on Fire (Kings Of Leon) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Use Somebody | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C | C/E | Fsus2 F | Fsus2 F |
I’ve been roamin’ around, always lookin’ down at all I see…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Use Somebody (Kings Of Leon) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Kings Of Leon on the web
