Arjun P (Year 11)

The Arctic Monkeys is a band that originates from Sheffield in England, consisting of lead singer Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, lead guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O’Malley. They are my favourite band and I’m essentially just writing this article to talk about how much I love them. Arctic Monkeys (AM) have seven studio albums in their lineup, with all of them having their own strengths and uniqueness. This article will rank these albums and whilst I love all of them, some are better than others.

7: The Car

The most recent of the Arctic Monkeys albums, is also, in my opinion, their worst. That isn’t to say that it’s bad however, as I quite like this album, it just isn’t my go-to compared to other albums in the AM lineup. The Car was a further shift away from the rock of previous albums, with a calmer, lounge pop style. The album also marked the first time that the Arctic Monkeys didn’t top the UK charts, however, an album debuting at number two is nothing to scoff at, especially considering that, in the same year, Harry’s House, Midnights and Sour were released.

Favourite Tracks:

The Car, Body Paint

6: Suck it and see

Suck it and see, released in 2011, is a reference to a term originating in England simply meaning to try something. The album itself was the Arctic Monkey’s first attempt at breaking into the American music market, and so they would work to hide Alex Turner’s Sheffield accent and abandon the faster pace of the previous albums. The changes in sound are most evident in tracks such as Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair, and Brick By Brick, where the singing is a lot slower and the pitch lowered. I felt as though a lot of the songs lacked the charm of previous Arctic Monkeys songs, with many being quite repetitive. That isn’t to say it’s a bad album though, the bar for AM is incredibly high. In a vacuum it’s a good album, however it doesn’t do as well when compared to the rest of AM’s lineup. The lyrics are still amazing though, as are with most Arctic Monkeys songs.

Favourite tracks:

Piledriver Waltz, Don’t Sit Down Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair

5: Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino

After the success of AM, many expected to find a similar style within Arctic Monkeys’ next album, which would be released in 2018. What was released instead however was an incredibly drastic change to their style. The Arctic Monkeys would release Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino, which, shifted their style from the indie rock of all their previous albums to lounge pop, psychedelic pop and space pop. That’s not to say it was bad however, as I think this is the most interesting album they’ve released, with some of Alex Turner’s best lyrics. Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino is a concept album set in the future about someone who’s suffering from writer’s block. The album serves as a commentary on the current state of society, and the band’s grievances with the growing dependence on technology, as well as the commoditization of everything. Although I’ve ranked this as the 3rd worst in the Arctic Monkeys lineup, I still think all the songs are amazing, with some, such as ‘One Point Perspective’ and ‘Four Out of Five’, shining above the rest. At the time of it’s release, it was also the fastest-selling vinyl album in the last 25 years. A lot of criticism from this album stems from its style being a lot less palatable to some compared to their previous albums, however, all bands change in style eventually, it just happens that this was a much more jarring change than other bands popular during their time.

Favourite tracks:

Four Out of Five, One Point Perspective, Star Treatment

4: Humbug

The next four within this list have all been shifted around quite a lot, however, I’ve put Humbug, as the worst of them due to a very specific reason. Humbug, released in 2009 is probably my favourite album to listen to, and has the Arctic Monkey’s best writing, as well as some of the best songs within it. However, it ranks in the middle due to the varying quality of the album. Whilst most of the songs are amazing within this album, some, such as ‘Dangerous Animals’, as well as ‘Dance Little Liar’ and ‘Fire and the Thud’, are very average songs for Arctic Monkeys standards. They lack a lot of the darker nature of some of the other songs within Humbug such as ‘My Propeller’ and ‘Crying Lightning’, as well as the incredible tone of ‘Cornerstone’. They’re not bad songs, of course, just not the best. However, despite the downsides of this album, Humbug contains, in my opinion, some of the best songs the Arctic Monkeys have written in terms of enjoyment to listen to, as well as lyrically. The standouts are ‘Pretty Visitors’, ‘Cornerstone’, and ‘Crying Lightning’, each having their own unique charm that hasn’t ever been replicated within an AM album before and after them.

Favourite tracks:

Cornerstone, Crying Lightning, Pretty Visitors

3: Whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not

This was the Arctic Monkeys’ debut studio album, released in 2006. It features are far less polished feel than the albums after it. However, I feel this works in its favour, as it gives it a lot more of a garage rock vibe than the other albums they’ve released. It’s also the fastest-paced album they’ve released, which is made incredibly apparent by songs such as ‘I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor’ and ‘The View from the Afternoon’. One grievance I do have with the album, however, is the song lengths, with many of them being just over 2 minutes long. Despite this fact, much like every album after it, none of the songs miss, all of them are amazing, some better than others though.

Favourite Tracks:

When the Sun Goes Down, Fake Tales From San Francisco, I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor

2: AM

The final two albums on this are honestly interchangeable, with the ranking depending on what songs I’m in the mood to listen to on any given day. AM, released in 2013, is considered one of the greatest rock albums of the 21st century due to its catchy guitar riffs, amazing lyrics (as always) and, was the album that finally let the Arctic Monkeys into the American market, giving them even more potential fans. Almost all the songs are of equal quality to one another, with the most popular tracks being ‘Do I Wanna Know’ (2.3 billion plays), and ‘I wanna be yours’ (700 million plays). The only two songs that are behind the rest in terms of quality are ‘Fireside’ and ‘I Want It All’, which lack the catchy riffs and meaningful lyrics of the other tracks. It was also robbed of the Grammy for best rock album in case you were wondering (as was the next album).

Favourite Tracks:

Arabella, Snap out of It, No.1 Party Anthem, Knee Socks.

1: Favourite Worst Nightmare

Released in 2007, Favourite Worst Nightmare is an album with literally zero misses and is, in my opinion, the Arctic Monkeys’ best album. It has everything, the fast-paced tracks of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, the catchy riffs of AM and the

darker atmospheres of Humbug. Each song flows incredibly, with the standouts being ‘Teddy Picker’ and ‘Brianstorm’. The album also leaves room for more sombre tracks such as ‘Only Ones Who Know’, and TikTok’s favourite from 2022, ‘505’. Overall, this is Arctic Monkey’s best album and, whilst my favourite songs are placed within albums such as AM and Humbug, this is the most consistent in terms of quality and theming.

Favourite Tracks:

Brianstorm, Teddy Picker, Old Yellow Bricks, 505, Fluorescent Adolescent