Why Are Arctic Monkeys So Good?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Alternative Rock Last Updated November 17, 2022

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Arctic Monkeys, an English rock band, have a pretty decent portfolio of albums that brought them an impressive number of awards under their belt. Yet, fans and critics alike wonder, why are Arctic Monkeys so good?

Arctic Monkeys are so good because singer Alex Turner perfectly manages to capture a wide range of emotions in his lyrics and vocal delivery, and their music feels urgent, relentlessly giving an insightful analysis of human behavior.

In addition, critics opined that Alex Turner (the band’s frontman) had the capability to stir up the core of an old-fashioned world that rock bands rarely dared to enter.

For example, AM chose “Suck It and See” as the title for their fourth studio album.

The album was released in 2011. Many critics identified the title’s name as a mischievous move to joke about American corporate and cultural sensibilities. The album’s title certainly gave rise to some censorship controversy back then.

Still, few bands in rock history have mustered the courage to generate more hype than the Arctic Monkeys. But did the band members usher in a new era too? When did they become so famous?

Let’s find out in detail!

What are Arctic Monkeys known for?

Arctic Monkeys are known for their super-psychedelic, blunt, and irreverent lyrics, which helped usher in a new era of music marketing.

They were perhaps one of the only groups to use the internet to gain popularity. The band’s idea was heralded as a new method to attract public attention, suggesting the possibility of a change in how bands could be promoted.

As per reported news, “Arctic Monkeys were the first band to give away CDs at their early concerts and a selection of free music online”. They became an internet sensation, with a massive fan following in the UK and worldwide.

Along with their penchant for introducing novel promotional methods, AM became well known for its strong stage presence. Turner was mostly acknowledged for pushing his musical boundaries and his human behavior studying capabilities that he captured perfectly through his lyrics.

But did the band use any autotune to achieve that perfection?

Luckily, I made sure to discuss it in a recent article. After all, autotune is all too common these days. But while some use it to simply enhance the sound, others use it to mask poor singing ability, Which is it with Alex?

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Why are Arctic Monkeys so popular?

Arctic Monkeys are so popular because they bring a wide variety of influences from Brit-pop to hard rock combined with Alex Turner’s surrealistic symbolism which helps listeners to find renewal even in the darkest places of human emotions.

According to an entertainment website, AM ran the risk of channeling a time when they weren’t even born. Therefore, they felt the urgency to revisit and refashion the past as accurately as possible.

The band successfully did it with the help of Turner’s smooth baritone, which gives a sense of maturity and reflects a lost time.

For example, songs like “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” and “Suck It and See” ring the true bells of American optimism. These tracks attempt to transport the listener’s mind to faded joys caught in a specific time period that cannot be understood if the tracks are not listened to closely enough.

This sense persuades all of the band’s writing style, which perhaps makes the band’s lyric crafting so poetic and appealing to the audience.

Who inspired the Arctic Monkeys?

Some of the groups and artists that influenced them include Oasis, The Clash, The Strokes, Craig Nicholas, and others.

One of the early band members, Matt, told an online magazine: “When we started the band, none of us played anything. We just put it together.”

However, they picked their influences from what they mostly listened to as teenagers, so aside from the bands I mentioned above, others included:

  • The Libertines
  • The Coral
  • The Jam
  • Nick Cave
  • The Velvet Underground
  • The Prodigy
  • Leonard Cohen

But was Christianity amongst the strongest sources of the band’s inspiration? Luckily, I made sure to discuss the band’s Christian beliefs in a recent article.

I have also discussed Alex Turner’s religion and what controversy gave rise to a heated argument, bringing AM’s religious iconography into question. Just click that link to read it on my site.

When did Arctic Monkeys get popular?

Arctic Monkeys became popular with their first studio album, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”. The album brought the group several critically acclaimed awards and a monstrous fanbase.

Unless you have been living under a rock for ages, you would know that the band has undoubtedly tasted what is called commercial success ever since their formation in 2002.

They emerged as an instrumental group consisting of close friends and neighbors who shared the same musical tastes. Later, in 2003, the band started recording demo tracks and was pretty confident that they were ready to rock the stage.

They started handing out their album CDs at gigs they went to, catching wide public attention on social media platforms like My Space.

Critics believe that social media played a huge part in helping AM debut with their album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”, officially released in 2006. In fact, this became their fastest-selling album in the UK’s chart history, winning them several Brit Awards.

Let’s take a look at AM’s other fastest-selling albums:

  • Favorite Worst Nightmare (2007)
  • AM (2013)
  • Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)

Is Arctic Monkeys the best band?

Arctic Monkeys may be a respectable band but not the best in the world. This spot has been well occupied by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and others.

Arctic Monkeys certainly changed the course of the music scene, but as far as their ranking as the best band goes, critics have different opinions.

AM had a unique spark, and their music was magnificent. They constantly remained a topic of discussion, whether it was for their onstage performances or offstage controversies related to their drug usage. Enough has been published about them. But most critics don’t consider Arctic Monkeys as the best band in the world.

Here are the top 10 biggest bands by popular vote:

  • The Beatles 
  • The Rolling Stones 
  • Pink Floyd
  • Led Zeppelin 
  • Queen 
  • U2
  • Guns N’ Roses 
  • The Who
  • AC/DC
  • Nirvana

Staying on the same subject, Do you want to know if the Arctic Monkeys used drugs to improve their performance? 

Luckily, I made sure to talk about it in a recent article. After all, Turner and his bandmates are well known for being drunk on stage. But if that just part of their act and what other substances do they use regularly?

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Understanding Arctic Monkeys

Conclusion

Arctic Monkeys received major attention for their first album and were hailed as having a thing for words. But why are the Arctic Monkeys so good?

From one perspective, the band was the first to invent a new methodology to promote albums, i.e., through the internet. Arctic Monkeys were also one of the first bands to bring about a significant change in music production.

Their music has a sense of maturity and moodiness that no one had captured before. A combination of the right energy and attitude. It is hard to name all the factors that made the AM a huge success. But all that one can say is that rock history is incomplete without AM.

Arctic Monkeys @ the Wiltern by Neon Tommy was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.

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