A strong guitar background will thrum through your blood as the drummer hits the bass drum. This is the typical beginning listeners immerse themselves in when listening to many of the Arctic Monkeys’ popular songs. The bandmates include musicians Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Matt Helders and Nick O’Malley. Alex Turner is the famous lead singer and rhythm guitarist, accompanied by lead guitarist Jamie Cook. Matt Helders is their drummer who sings backup vocals as well as Nick O’Malley who also provides backup vocals and a bass line.
Originally, the band started as an instrumental only group. Turner and Helders started it as neighbors and teamed up with their friend Andy Nicholson, who played the bass guitar. He was in the band for four years, spanning from 2002-2006, and quit after growing tired of touring. The Arctic Monkeys played their first gig in 2003 at a pub in Sheffield City Center called The Grapes. After that, they immediately started recording their music and handing out CDs. The original CDs consisted of 18 demos they had recorded at their various gigs.
The Arctic Monkeys were also one of the first bands that took advantage of the internet to gain more popularity, mainly growing on the platform MySpace. They used the aid of their thousands of followers to release their first single called “Five Minutes with the Arctic Monkeys,” which was released in 2005. At the Carling Stage, reserved for lesser-known bands, and at both Reading and Leeds Festivals, they drew a large crowd. Additionally, the first single of the Arctic Monkeys’ was “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” and when released in October 2005, it rose straight to the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart. It was later ranked number seven on NME’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was nominated for multiple awards.
Currently, the Arctic Monkeys have released six studio albums: “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (2006), “Favorite Worst Nightmare” (2007), “Humbug” (2009), “Suck It and See” (2011), “AM” (2013), “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” (2018) and “The Car” (2022). “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” was their first official studio album and was the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history.
The Arctic Monkeys not only have an interesting past, but also continuously tour and release quality music. Their tone and style draw in many types of fans and appeal to listeners of all ages. They are continuously releasing quality music, and are a great band to listen to when listeners want to try something new.
