The hill I will die on: You should be legally obliged to play Mr Brightside at your wedding | Amelia Tait
Sure, it’s about jealousy, infidelity and paranoia, but the Killers’ biggest hit is a dancefloor banger: any marriage that starts without it is guaranteed to end in divorceI’ve been to...
By Amelia Tait · The Guardian Opinion
Sure, it’s about jealousy, infidelity and paranoia, but the Killers’ biggest hit is a dancefloor banger: any marriage that starts without it is guaranteed to end in divorce I’ve been to two weddings where the bride and groom refused to play the Killers’ pop-rock hit Mr Brightside , and both ended in divorce. Well, not yet or anything – but I’m sure it’s coming. How happy can a couple really be if they’re not willing to play the biggest banger to ever bang moments after their hearts have been bound together as one? There are some things that should never be missing from a wedding unless you outright detest your guests. Canapes, yes. Cake, sure. And the opportunity to scream, “Comin’ out of my cage and I’ve been doin’ just fine” next to someone’s Auntie Debs? Undoubtedly. Why should a song about jealousy, paranoia and infidelity pump through the speakers on your special day? Because everyone knows it. Mr Brightside is the third most sold and streamed song in the UK, and it’s the longest-charting single in this country’s history, even though the Killers are (somehow) American. Unlike much else these days, the track transcends borders. In 2025, YouGov asked more than 1,000 Americans which songs they knew all the words to, and Mr Brightside came in 15th place . The songs above it included The Star-Spangled Banner, Happy Birthday and Jingle Bells. Amelia Tait is a freelance features writer and the author of Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller Continue reading...