Top 5 Arctic Monkeys Albums

There are five slots in this list and there are five Arctic Monkeys albums. What does this mean then? Well it means that this list was practically made for the four Sheffield lads! Too bad that there aren’t five members though, because that would’ve been a triple whammy of fives which would’ve been cool for me to say (well I said it anyway but it certainly didn’t sound cool). Awkward writing aside though, the band have worked hard since their 2006 debut album and 5 albums in 7 years is definitely an impressive feat. 

5. Favourite Worst Nightmare- For me this is without a doubt their worst album. Many people would probably disagree with me because nearly everyone loves their early raw sound. However this second album just feels like their debut album but more polished. Sure, the guitars have more effects rather than only power chords but the melodies sound similar. Front man Alex Turner is still spitting out words like some sort of post punk poet but you can’t blame him really. He was young and I’m sure his energy made him do this. The lyrics are still good though, album highlight “The Only Ones Who Know” is simply gorgeous but it gets lost in the rockiness that surrounds it.

4. Suck It and see- This was a tough one for me to decide because I love this album but I also love AM too. In the end though, I think that AM barely pips Suck It and See to third place because I feel that there’s a lot more to AM. Suck it and See is a very stripped back, bare bones album in terms of its production so this makes it a bit samey and dull at times. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s still a fantastic album. I listened to it to death when it first came out but I don’t think it holds up well now. I also feel that Alex Turner had quite a lot of input in this album rather than the entire band. Songs such as “Piledriver Waltz” and “Love is a Laserquest” are drenched in his lyricism and it really stands out from the rest of the band. However there are moments where the group play together as a tight unit such as “That’s Where You’re Wrong “and “All My Own Stunts”. Overall, I still love this album though.

3. AM- Latest album “AM” propelled Arctic Monkeys to indie rock superstardom and it’s not surprising really. The record is full of American influences and I feel and that this makes sense seeing as the band spent ages in the USA making this album. “Do I Wanna Know” is pure route 66 music, “Arabella” sounds like Queens of the Stone Age circa Era Vulgaris (but less dirty sounding) and “Knee Socks” has a sassy Destiny’s Child type feel to it. Fear not though, the band stick to their British roots as well and it’s certainly easy to spot. “No. 1 Party Anthem” sounds like John Lennon if he went to Los Angeles rather than New York, “I Want It All” is clearly a homage to British glam rock bands and “Mad Sounds” has really Beatle-esque sounding chord changes. This album has a variety of sounds to it which makes it thoroughly recommended one overall.

2. Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not- Many people would call this the perfect debut album. It’s raw, it’s bursting with energy and it’s very memorable. Yes, Arctic Monkeys burst onto the mainstream back in 2006 when indie rock was huge. Who can forget that classic live performance of “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” on the BBC, where Alex Turner told everyone to “not believe the hype”. Surely this moment will go down as one of the most memorable in British music. Anyway, live performances aside, this album is from a special young band that definitely had something important to say. “Dancing Shoes” is clearly a snarl at rowdy clubbers, “Riot Van” is a melancholic tale of the police being unfair and “When The Sun Goes Down” is about a nasty, rough neighbourhood. Don’t listen to Alex Turner because you should believe the hype surrounding this debut album. It’s simply terrific.

1. Humbug- I’ve gotta admit, many people will find this is a controversial decision but c’est la vie. This purely at number one only because it’s such a bizarrely brilliant album. If you ask most people what their initial reactions were when they first listened to this album then many would’ve been like “what the hell!?”, give it a few more listens though and it’ll grow on you like some sort of weird yet pleasant fungus. This is definitely Arctic Monkeys at their most different, I mean, just look at songs like “Dangerous Animals” and “My Propeller”. These songs are certainly Arctic Monkeys at their most heaviest. Not only that but you’ve also got some quite psychedelic moments too. Take for example “Cornerstone”, “Pretty Visitors” and “Crying Lightning”, these songs are drenched in strangeness yet they can still pass as something easily accessible.  Not only that, but lyrically, it’s also quite unusual. Said lyrics range from “the tramp with a trampoline” to “messing with smoke alarms. Just go buy this album and try not to fall in love with its hypnotising, eerie feel. Humbug is the perfect example of a dark horse album and it should absolutely not be ignored. 

Now let’s all look forward to what is going to be an incredible headlining set at Reading and Leeds festivals!