On this day in 2001, The Strokes released an unremarkable music video. Now it has been viewed 142,000,000 times and defines ‘indie chic’

The Strokes’ “Last Nite” video, released in 2001 to promote their debut album *Is This It*, helped establish the band’s image as effortlessly detached and influential in the rise of indie rock. Its deliberately plain presentation captured a raw, unpolished performance at a time when the band resisted the pressure to carefully shape their public image.

Director Roman Coppola persuaded the reluctant band to appear, and the video showed them playing in a television studio: Julian Casablancas looked distracted, drummer Fabrizio Moretti knocked over microphones, and the other musicians largely stayed still. It received heavy MTV rotation and remained a fixture for years; the article says it has since been viewed 142 million times and come to define “indie chic”.