The Strokes are an American rock band formed in 1998 that rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the garage rock revival. Upon the release of their acclaimed debut album Is This It in 2001, many critics hyped the group as the "saviors of rock" for their stripped down sound, heavily influenced by bands such as The Velvet Underground. Since then, the band has maintained a large fan base and has enjoyed much success, particularly in the United Kingdom.