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Room on Fire

by The Strokes

Released: October 21, 2003

Indie rock, garage rock revival, new wave

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Recording Conflict.

The Album

"Room on Fire" is the second studio album by American rock band The Strokes, released on October 21, 2003, through RCA Records. However, they parted ways with him, citing that their collaboration felt "soulless." Godrich later reflected that both he and lead singer Julian Casablancas were control freaks, leading to a conflict over the direction of the music. Guitarist Nick Valensi mentioned that having a couple more weeks could have improved the final product.

Inside the Recording

Three singles were released from the album: "12:51," "Reptilia," and "The End Has No End." Following their tour for the debut album Is This It, The Strokes returned to the studio and initially hired Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. Ultimately, the band returned to their original producer, Gordon Raphael, and had only three months of studio time to complete the album.

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The Strokes - Room on Fire

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Then

Reception

The title comes from a lyric in the song "Reptilia." Upon release, the album received positive reviews and peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, selling 597,000 units by October 2006, which earned it a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Room on Fire achieved significant success, earning a gold certification by the RIAA in December 2003 and later being certified platinum in June 2021 for selling over one million units.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Room on Fire" is the second studio album by American rock band The Strokes, released on October 21, 2003, through RCA Records. The title comes from a lyric in the song "Reptilia." Upon release, the album received positive reviews and peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, selling 597,000 units by October 2006, which earned it a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released from the album: "12:51," "Reptilia," and "The End Has No End."

Following their tour for the debut album Is This It, The Strokes returned to the studio and initially hired Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. However, they parted ways with him, citing that their collaboration felt "soulless." Godrich later reflected that both he and lead singer Julian Casablancas were control freaks, leading to a conflict over the direction of the music. Ultimately, the band returned to their original producer, Gordon Raphael, and had only three months of studio time to complete the album. Guitarist Nick Valensi mentioned that having a couple more weeks could have improved the final product. Room on Fire achieved significant success, earning a gold certification by the RIAA in December 2003 and later being certified platinum in June 2021 for selling over one million units.