10 Greatest Arctic Monkeys Songs
After almost 15 years in the business, this band has remained one of the biggest in the UK.
Arctic Monkeys burst onto the scene in 2005 with their debut single 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor'. The fast, energetic indie rock stylings of the song continued throughout their debut record, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'. It was an instant success and to this day remains the fastest selling debut album by a British band in the UK.
Since then, the band have experimented with a variety of different sounds. From slow, crooning psychedelic and desert rock to thick and punchy garage rock, they have done all they physically can to try and advance their sound for most of their career.
Their latest album, 2018's Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino marked arguably the biggest shift in their sound, with heavy emphasis on dreamy piano driven songs as opposed to punchy guitars. Nonetheless it debuted at number 1 in the UK and was the fastest selling vinyl record in 25 years. Just goes to show how much staying power they have accumulated over the years.
Six albums into their career and they have so many golden moments and high quality songs. Let's take a look at the very best the Sheffield outfit has offered over the years.
10. Dance Little Liar
Easily the standout from their third effort Humbug, this is the song that caught the attention of Josh Homme, frontman for Queens of the Stone Age, to start collaborating with the Arctic Monkeys. It's not hard to see why considering how much it pulls from the stoner rock sub genre that Josh Homme is so familiar with.
Alex Turner is as descriptive as ever in his lyrics as he describes observing a dishonest partner in a relationship caught inside an intricate web of lies. His voice is distorted in such a way that it sounds as if he is singing through a phone or over a speaker system, emphasising the third person nature of the narrative. The titular dance is the way one might try to bob and weave out of a string of lies. It's beautifully simple.
Although Humbug isn't the strongest Arctic Monkeys record by any stretch, this song still remains a critical and fan favourite. And it's really not hard at all to be completely transfixed by its narrative.