10 Greatest British Hard Rock Bands

By the time the mid '00s rolled around, the rock scene was still firmly entrenched in the garage rock scene. For as many great riffs were coming out of bands like the Strokes and The White Stripes, there was still a bit of spice lacking from their delivery by the decade's midpoint. The light may have been fading on the genre, but the Arctic Monkeys rose to the top of the rock heap and set a damn forestfire.

Appearing on the Internet at first, the band's debut Whatever People Say I Am... was a breath of fresh air, detailing the English nightlife with some of the most infectious riffs of the era like "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor." While the band nearly topped themselves on Favourite Worst Nightmare, their artistic scope extended far beyond just ferocious rock and roll.

Ever since their debut, Alex Turner and co. have created some of the most interesting rock albums of the past decade, experimenting with desert rock, throwback styles, and even lounge jazz on their latest record Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. We may have come a long way from the garage at this point, but it hardly matters once you sit down and listen to these tunes.