Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys are considered Britain's biggest band of the early 21st century. Their 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not briefly grabbed the fastest-selling album in British history. Arctic Monkeys were one of the first bands to benefit from the tangled web of social media and broke into the U.S. market by beefing up their guitars. They are a respected, adventurous, and successful group.

Arctic Monkeys formed in 2001. Guitarists Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, and Matt Helders began playing together as high school students. The band's audience swelled as fans circulated their demo recordings via the Internet. BBC Radio examined the band's music and mounting hype. Arctic Monkeys' first two singles topped the U.K. charts. Their debut album ousted Oasis' Definitely Maybe as the fastest-selling debut in British history. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not sold 363,735 copies during its first week alone. Arctic Monkeys received the 2006 Mercury Prize and donated the accompanying money to an undisclosed charity. The band went on tour in America in 2006, with temporary bassist Nick O'Malley taking over in the U.S. for the shows. 'I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor' and 'When the Sun Goes Down' both topped the U.K. charts. 'Who the F**k Are Arctic Monkey?' is on the album 'NME,' outsold 'Oasis' by U2, and is one of the Top Five British albums ever released. Arctic Monkeys released their fifth album in 2013, after which the band went on an extended hiatus. In April of 2018, the band played at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony. It's unclear when the band will return to the stage again, though they have hinted at the possibility of it in the future. 'Do I Wanna Know?' is one of the new songs the band performed at the Olympics. The song was a cover of the Beatles' 'Come Together.'