10 of the biggest moments from Kings of Leon's career so far
Take a trip down memory lane...
From their humble beginnings in Nashville, Tennessee, over the past two decades Kings of Leon - made up of siblings Caleb, Jared and Nathan Followill along with their cousin Matthew - have grown from fresh-faced garage rockers into arena-consuming rock giants.
To celebrate the release of their upcoming ninth album 'Can We Please Have Fun' and accompanying tour, we've collected some of the band's biggest moments from its birth in 2002 for you to peruse at your leisure. Enjoy.
WATCH: Kings of Leon tell us why they love the UK
Kings of Leon's career: Take a stroll down memory lane with our look back at their biggest moments...
Career beginnings
The three brothers - Caleb, Jared and Nathan - grew up with their mother and preacher father, Ivan, who apparently let them play drums as part of his service. After their parents divorced and Ivan retired from preaching, Nathan and Caleb moved to Nashville, playing country music in the genre's hometown.
Whilst living there, the brothers met songwriter Angelo Petraglia who helped to hone their sound. They named themselves Kings of Leon after their grandfather, and Jared and the boys' cousin Nathan joined them in Nashville in 1999.
Pictured here performing in concert with Jet and 22-20s in September 2003.
2002: Kings of Leon are signed to RCA Records
Nathan and Caleb signed as Kings of Leon to RCA Records in 2002, and recruited Jared and Matthew as the remaining musicians and members of the group. They released their first EP 'Holy Roller Novocaine' in February 2003, and their debut album 'Youth and Young Manhood' in July 2003.
They released their second album 'Aha Shake Heartbreak' the next year, and also toured with the likes of U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan in 2005 and 2006.
2006 - 2008: Third and fourth albums, 'Sex On Fire' and headlining Glastonbury
The band's third album 'Because of the Times' became their first Number 1 record, having peaked at Number 3 with their previous two efforts. Fourth record 'Only by the Night' completely divided fans - but it's still their most successful album to date; peaking at Number 1 as well as selling nearly 3 million copies in the UK and 2.5 million in the US.
The album featured singles 'Sex on Fire' and 'Use Somebody' as well as 'Crawl', and peaked at Number 1 in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. 2008 was a pretty huge year for the band, as they also headlined Glastonbury Festival.
2009: BRIT Awards success and Glastonbury
After the success of 'Only by the Night', Kings of Leon won Best International Band and Best International Album at the BRIT Awards 2009, and also performed 'Use Somebody' at the ceremony. They headlined plenty of music festivals in 2009, taking to the stage at Reading & Leeds, T in the Park and Lollapalooza amongst others.
Kings of Leon also released their first DVD, 'Live at the O2 London, England', which was filmed at one of their gigs at the O2 Arena in London where they played a 22-song set to over 18,000 people. Nathan told Billboard.com, "England is really the first place we broke. We figured what better place to make a live DVD than where the fans have been the craziest for the longest."
The band also started up their own record label in 2009 - Serpents and Snakes Records.
2010: Big wins at the Grammys and 'Come Around Sundown'
Kings of Leon took home three gongs at the Grammy Awards in 2010 for 'Use Somebody' - Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Record of the Year and Best Rock Song. They put out their fifth album, 'Come Around Sundown', later that year, spawning singles 'Radioactive' and 'Pyro', as well as 'Pony Up' and 'Pickup Truck'. The record hit the top spot in the UK, and Number 2 in the US.
The band embarked on a huge tour in 2010, playing at over 50 dates across North America and Europe, and played at the Slane Castle Festival in Ireland. In June 2011, they performed at the Isle of Wight Festival (pictured). Just a month later, singer Caleb appeared to be intoxicated whilst the band performed in Dallas, Texas, and in August they chose to cancel remainder of their US tour. After their Australian tour concluded in October, they announced that they were going on hiatus.
2013: The band return with 'Mechanical Bull'
Sixth album 'Mechanical Bull' was released in September 2013, featuring singles 'Supersoaker', 'Wait for Me' and 'Don't Matter' among others. It debuted at Number 1 in the UK, and Number 2 in the US.
Pictured here at a session for Absolute Radio in 2013.
2014: Isle of Wight Festival
Kings of Leon took to the stage at the IOW 2014 as headliners (pictured), and spoke to us backstage... Head to YouTube to watch the interview.
2016: 'WALLS'
Kings of Leon announced their sixth album 'WALLS' in August 2016, surprising fans who had become used to their five-syllabled album titles. However, being stylised in capitals, it was later revealed to be an acronym for 'We Are Like Love Songs'. They headlined Lollapalooza festival in September 2016, showcasing 'Waste A Moment' from their upcoming album which was released a month later in October 2016.
It was the band's first Number 1 album in the US, and also scored the top spot in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and Austria. In 2017, they headlined British Summer Time at Hyde Park in London as well as Reading and Leeds the following summer in 2018.
2020: Finsbury Park gig
The band announced in February 2020 plans for three UK concerts in June and July - playing at Newcastle Utilita Arena on Tuesday 7th July, Leeds First Direct Arena on Wednesday 8th July with a huge gig at London's Finsbury Park, alongside Courteeners, Cage The Elephant, Inhaler, Soccer Mommy, and The Big Moon. Unfortunately, the shows could not go ahead due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
2021: 'When You See Yourself'
After putting out teasers of four new songs, 'Must Catch The Bandit', 'Feel Like You Do', 'Dancing In Your Head' and 'Spin It Like We Can', fans were overjoyed when the band finally released their eighth album 'When You See Yourself' in March 2021. The teasers, along with the album, marked the band's first release of new material in five year, since the release of 'WALLS' in 2016. The record debuted at the Number 1 spot in the UK, becoming their sixth Number 1 album.
2024: Ninth album and UK tour
The band announced six more UK shows for summer 2024 in addition to their previously announced slot at American Express presents BST Hyde Park, coming hot on the heels of their ninth album announcement. 'Can We Please Have Fun' is set for release on 10th May 2024, made up of 12 tracks and produced by new collaborator Kid Harpoon at Dark Horse Studio in Tennessee.
WATCH: Kings of Leon Q&A at British Summertime Festival
You can hear Kings of Leon's biggest hits on the Absolute Radio playlist. Listen to Absolute Radio now.
Now read:
How Kings Of Leon became one of the biggest rock bands on the planet
Absolute Radio's guide to the hottest upcoming tours and festivals
Kings of Leon add six dates to summer 2024 UK tour