"12:51" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 6, 2003, as the first single from their second studio album, Room on Fire (2003). The track was written by Julian Casablancas and produced by Gordon Raphael.[2] It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
| "12:51" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Strokes | ||||
| from the album Room on Fire | ||||
| B-side | "The Way It Is" (home recording) | |||
| Released | October 6, 2003[1] | |||
| Studio | TMF, New York City | |||
| Genre | New wave, power pop | |||
| Length | 2:27 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Julian Casablancas | |||
| Producer(s) | Gordon Raphael | |||
| The Strokes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "12:51" on YouTube | ||||
Critical reception
edit"12:51" received positive reviews from critics. Billboard's Wes Orshoski wrote of the song: "Julian Casablancas' sleepy vocals arrive in synch with a nerdy, very '80s keyboard [Nick Valensi's guitar] that sounds so much cooler than it probably should against guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr.'s raw, fast strumming, the throbbing bass of Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti's cool swing beat."[3] AllMusic's Heather Phares wrote that "its whistling, synth-like guitars and handclaps are undeniably catchy, but at first, the song seems to be searching for a structure. Eventually, though, it becomes sneakily addictive -- it's a stealth pop song."[2]
The song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.[4]
Music video
editThe music video for "12:51" was directed by Roman Coppola and was inspired by the 1982 film Tron.[5]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "12:51" | 2:27 |
| 2. | "The Way It Is (Home Recording)" | 1:16 |
Personnel
edit- Julian Casablancas – vocals
- Nick Valensi – lead guitar
- Albert Hammond Jr. – rhythm guitar
- Nikolai Fraiture – bass
- Fabrizio Moretti – drums
Charts
edit| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[6] | 30 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 22 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 40 |
| Scotland (OCC)[9] | 7 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[11] | 7 |
| UK Indie (OCC)[12] | 2 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[13] | 15 |
References
edit- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 4, 2003. p. 27.
- ^ a b "Room on Fire - The Strokes". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ "Billboard Picks". Billboard. September 20, 2003. p. 47.
- ^ "The Strokes - Chart history". billboard.com. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan. "Different Strokes". Billboard. November 1, 2003. p. 99.
- ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 12:51". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Strokes – 12:51" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Strokes – 12:51". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 15, 2012.
- ^ "The Strokes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.