Is This It

Is This It
Mostly white album cover containing, largely in the right-hand side, a woman's nude right bottom and hip, with a black leather-gloved hand resting on it. It is captioned "THE STROKES IS THIS IT" in the top left-hand corner.
International cover
Studio album by
the Strokes
ReleasedJuly 30, 2001 (2001-07-30)
RecordedMarch–April 2001
StudioTransporterraum, New York City
Genre
Length36:28
Label
ProducerGordon Raphael
The Strokes chronology
The Modern Age
(2001) 		Is This It
(2001) 		Room on Fire
(2003)
Alternative cover
A psychedelic photograph of subatomic particle tracks in a bubble chamber used for the US cover
US cover
Singles from Is This It
  1. "Hard to Explain"
    Released: June 25, 2001
  2. "Last Nite"
    Released: October 23, 2001
  3. "Someday"
    Released: September 23, 2002

Is This It is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001 in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. It was recorded at Transporterraum in New York City with producer Gordon Raphael during March and April 2001. For their debut, the band strived to capture a simple sound that was not significantly enhanced in the studio. Building on their 2001 EP The Modern Age, the band members molded compositions largely through live takes during recording sessions, while lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas continued to detail the lives and relationships of urban youth.

After completing the album, the Strokes embarked on a promotional world tour before its release. The album was released progressively to coincide with their tour dates, with it being released in Japan on August 22 and the United Kingdom on August 28. The album's cover photograph was deemed too sexually explicit for the US market, and was replaced there. After the September 11 attacks, the American compact disc release was delayed from September 25 to October 9 and had its track list amended, with the song "New York City Cops" being removed and replaced with the newly written track "When It Started"; however, the American vinyl release still includes the track as a result of its release falling on September 11. Three singles were released from the album: "Hard to Explain", "Last Nite", and "Someday".

Promoted by the music press for its twin-guitar interplay and melodic, pop-influenced sound, Is This It peaked at number 33 on the US Billboard 200 and number two on the UK Albums Chart, going on to achieve platinum status in several countries. The album received widespread critical acclaim, with many critics praising it for its charisma and rhythm, which often referenced the works of 1970s garage rock bands. The release of the album is widely considered to be a watershed moment, and crucial in the reinvention of post-millennium guitar music. It has featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of the 2000s and of all time.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Betts, Stephen. "'Entertainment!' – The 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  2. ^ Betts, Stephen. "The Strokes, 'Is This It' – 100 Best Albums of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 100–1". NME. October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.