Arctic Monkeys: From MySpace to Glastonbury
Using MySpace to gain traction after forming in 2002, Arctic Monkeys were the talk of the industry by the time their 2006 debut dropped. Perfectly in tune with the album’s title, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, frontman Alex Turner famously shouted, “Don’t believe the hype,” before launching into what would become their breakout hit—and arguably still their biggest tune.
There was plenty of hype, but Arctic Monkeys had the music to back it up. Alongside I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, the debut also gave us When the Sun Goes Down and the fan-favourite Mardy Bum—Arctic Monkeys tunes that helped define the era.
Only Lily Allen had previously managed to harness the power of the internet to push her music this effectively in the early 2000s, before Facebook and YouTube had truly taken over.
Slotted alongside other garage-rock contemporaries like The Strokes, The Libertines, and The Fratellis, Arctic Monkeys felt like part of a wider musical movement. Their debut brought not just fame and festival slots, but the freedom to keep evolving with each album.
Arctic Monkeys Tunes: Evolving Sound and Enduring Legacy
The next three studio albums, Favourite Worst Nightmare, Humbug, and Suck It and See, didn’t yield tunes of the same calibre as their debut, yet it didn’t seem to matter. The fans allowed them to grow. While the albums charted high, the singles didn’t have the same chart-topping impact.
Then, in 2013, AM marked a more mature phase for the Arctic Monkeys, and the tunes were back. With tracks like Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High? and Do I Wanna Know?, the band delivered what many critics and fans consider their greatest release.
By now, Alex Turner’s lyrics and rock star persona had taken the Arctic Monkeys to a place of credibility. They had the tunes, the fans, the festivals, and sold-out tours. In other words, they’d made it.
Following AM, they released Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino in 2018 and The Car in 2022, though no major hits emerged from these albums. But, once again, it didn’t seem to matter.
That said, if the Arctic Monkeys ever manage to top classics like I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, When the Sun Goes Down, Mardy Bum, Do I Wanna Know?, and Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?, they could easily become the biggest band in the world.
As fans await the next album, one thing is certain: whatever we expect it to be like, that’s exactly what it won’t be.
Arctic Monkeys Tunes | Related Pages
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor | Chords + TAB
Learn how to play I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor by Arctic Monkeys using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C#5 B5 | A5 F#5 | C#5 B5 | A5 F#5 |
Stop making the eyes at me, I’ll stop making the eyes at you…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (Arctic Monkeys) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Mardy Bum | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Mardy Bum by Arctic Monkeys using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D | F# |
Well, now then, Mardy Bum…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Mardy Bum (Arctic Monkeys) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Arctic Monkeys on the web
