Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
From the Bottom of the Chart to the Top of the World
There is a version of music history where “Use Somebody” never becomes the song you know. Where Kings of Leon stay exactly what they were in 2007 – a critically respected Southern rock band with a devoted indie following and zero mainstream radio presence. Where Caleb Followill keeps his guard up, writes another album of swaggering guitar rock, and the band carries on without ever crossing over.
That version of history did not happen. And it almost didn’t, because when “Use Somebody” entered the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 2008, it entered at the very bottom – #100. Picked last.
It would go on to spend 57 weeks on the chart, peak at #4, and win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 52nd Grammy Awards. It also took home Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal that same night. Not bad for a song that started its chart life at the back of the line.
The Album Behind the Song
“Use Somebody” came from Only by the Night, Kings of Leon’s fourth studio album, recorded in April 2008 at Blackbird Studio in Nashville with producers Jacquire King and Angelo Petraglia. It was a pivotal record for the band – a deliberate step toward a bigger, more atmospheric sound that departed from the raw garage feel of their earlier work.
For a band that had built their reputation on gritty albums like Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak, the polished, arena-ready production of Only by the Night was a significant shift. The record also produced “Sex on Fire,” which became a #1 hit in the UK. But it was “Use Somebody” that ultimately defined the album’s legacy – and the band’s career.
What the Song Is Actually About
The most interesting thing about “Use Somebody” is how personal and unguarded it is for a band that had always projected a certain toughness.
Frontman Caleb Followill has said the song came together largely on the road, born out of genuine loneliness. At the time, he was recovering from shoulder surgery and spending time away from everything at his farmhouse – isolated, reflective, and more honest with himself than he’d typically allowed in his writing. When the line “I could use somebody” came to him, he wasn’t even sure what he meant by it. Was he talking about a person? About home? About something spiritual?
That ambiguity is exactly why the song resonated so broadly. It doesn’t prescribe a specific kind of loneliness – it just names the feeling. The desire to be known by someone, to have someone in your corner, is universal enough that the song found listeners well beyond the band’s existing fanbase.
Why the Chart Journey Matters
A debut at #100 in 2008 reflected the reality of how rock music moved through mainstream radio. Kings of Leon were not an overnight phenomenon – they had been building a following for six years before this record. “Use Somebody” didn’t explode out of the gate; it grew. Rock radio, word of mouth, and a particularly memorable performance on Saturday Night Live in October 2008 all contributed to the slow burn that eventually pushed the song into the top five.
That kind of chart trajectory is rare. Most songs debut near their peak and fade. “Use Somebody” did the opposite – it entered quietly, earned its position week by week, and ultimately outlasted almost everything else on the chart that year.
The Takeaway
“Use Somebody” is not a forgotten song. It is not a hidden gem. But it is proof that what starts at #100 doesn’t have to stay there – and that the most enduring songs are often the ones that took time to find their audience rather than demanding it immediately.
That’s the whole point of this blog. Not every great song announces itself. Some of them start at the bottom of the list and work their way up. This one made it all the way.
