Twenty-five years ago, The Strokes released their debut album Is This It, a record that revitalized guitar music and sparked a new wave of indie culture. The album, first released in Australia on July 30, 2001, catapulted the New York quintet—Julian Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr., Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti, and Nikolai Fraiture—to rock stardom. Singles like Last Nite, Hard to Explain, and Someday became anthems, propelling the album to number two on the UK charts and number 33 on the US Billboard 200.
The album's enduring influence
Widely regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time, Is This It is known for its distorted guitar sound and iconic cover art featuring a gloved hand on a woman's hip. It inspired bands like Arctic Monkeys and The Killers, revived indie disco nights, and reshaped the musical landscape of the 2000s.
Producer Gordon Raphael on the making of the album
Gordon Raphael, who produced the record in his East Village basement studio in early 2001, recalled the band's meticulous approach. 'Guitar music was very unfashionable,' Raphael told Metro. 'They were learning but they were also extremely smart and very well prepared. They had a higher standard of perfection than almost any band I'd worked with—they weren't going to let anything slip.' He added, 'Even when we started making the album, I could feel the whole world watching.'
Radio DJ Steve Lamacq on The Strokes' effortless cool
Legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq highlighted the band's natural appeal. 'Is This It is the record which informs everything on both sides of the Atlantic for guitar bands for the rest of the decade,' he said. 'The Strokes begat The Libertines, who influenced the Arctic Monkeys—all the big guitar bands of the noughties start with this debut. They felt so uncontrived. They were sharp looking but looked like they'd just got up—an amazing trick to pull off.'
Felix White of The Maccabees on a lightbulb moment
Felix White, guitarist for The Maccabees, described hearing The Strokes as a revelation. 'It was like hearing a guitar band where the music fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle,' he said. 'Others took the leather jackets and holes in the jeans, but for us it was about how the music was put together. Trying not to sound exactly like The Strokes was the battle.' He recalled supporting them on tour: 'Seeing those silhouettes on stage was magical.'
Former NME editor Conor McNicholas on a changing of the guard
Conor McNicholas, NME editor from 2002 to 2009, witnessed the band's rise firsthand. 'I started at Reading Festival in 2002. The Strokes were headlining over Pulp—a real changing of the guard,' he said. 'There was before The Strokes and after The Strokes. The album was a defining moment. Instantly, being in a band was cool again. Kids changed their clothes and picked up guitars. Within a year we had Franz Ferdinand and the UK scene kicked off.'
