Arguably the best band that this country has produced since the Beatles and Stones, the Arctic Monkeys rose to fame courtesy of a ‘Libertines’ fan forum providing them with a cult live following. Aided by the online platform MySpace they were eventually signed to Domino where they achieved immediate success in the UK with two number one singles and the fastest selling debut album of all time. Since then they have sustained critical and commercial success without compromising on their artistic direction, bringing about several creative twists and turns along the way. Here are five Essentials…
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Although it was preceded by an EP it was this storming anthem that heralded the bands’ arrival heading straight to number one upon release. Destined to be played at student unions and weddings for the next fifty years this is the quintessential early Monkeys track, a point that the band acknowledges by ensuring that it continues to appear in live shows today.
Crying Lightning - After their debut the Artics followed up strongly with ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’. It was with their third album though that they took their first left turn, on the Josh Homme co-produced ‘Humbug’. The sound was heavier and murkier as illustrated by the lead single.
Suck it and See - The bands fourth album is possibly their strongest. ‘Suck it and See’ blended Alex Turner’s ability to write stunning pop with a clever and often romantic turn of phrase - “That’s not a skirt, girl, that's a sawn-off shotgun, And I can only hope you've got it aimed at me”.
Do I Wanna Know? - With ‘AM’ the buoyant sound of ‘Suck it and See’ was superceded by a sleazier hip hop infused rock. ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ stood out as a radio friendly update on ‘Humbug’ era tunes such as ‘My Propellor’.
Star Treatment - ‘Star Treatment’ opened 2018s ‘Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino’. The album featured songs composed on piano and represented the bands biggest departure yet. Turner’s singing style had also evolved to that of a crooning lounge lizard. Much of the album contains a seemingly deliberate twist of schmaltz along with elements of the ‘plastic soul’ style adopted by David Bowie in the mid-70s.
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