Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Never liked them, never will.

Arctic Monkeys, _Whatever Peepo Say What I Am, It's What Im Not Innit?_ 🌟🌟 If early 2000s British pop rock was a little too polished, then maybe late 2000s was a bit sloppy. From the very first words of this album, the lads are here to remind you how rough and tuff and working class they are. It's a fairly generic and unsurprising mix of punky radio and teen-friendly rock and it kinda bridges the gap from... like Franz Ferdinand to... Kasabian? But who cares really. I propose a new title. Whatever People Say Wire Isn't is What Arctic Monkeys Is---so go listen to Wire instead. Or another band with some original ideas.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘈𝘮, 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘕𝘰𝘵 has the swagger and guitars to tick the “indie rock” box, but I’m not convinced it offers much beyond that label. The songs are energetic and capture a slice of 2000s nightlife, yet the hype feels bigger than the music itself. A decent debut, but far from the groundbreaking indie classic it’s often made out to be.

This album definitely has grown on me over time. Not my first listen and probably won't be my last. Feels raw and unpolished, but in a good way. The wall of sound from the drums, stop start guitars, interesting bass lines, all a product of the time when garage rock was big. Not perfect by any means but very strong all round.

Alright he.

I’d rather listen to a rabid raccoon slowly dying in a clothes dryer than that album ever again.

Mid 9/10 Very entertaining and energic project throughout with fun lyricism. I haven’t felt bored during the entire listen. I am defo coming back to this project

Brilliant! Great energy.

A classic album from when I was a young adult. I admit I don’t love the album but there are a few tracks that even I appreciate.

One of my favorite bands absolutely 5 star

Great album. Has a throwback, post-punk feel and is much more raw than their later material.

I kinda feel like this is okay enough, but I can just listen to The Strokes instead and like it way more.

Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🍻🥴🚬 Production: 📻🤔🤷 Music: 😎⏳🔄 Rating: 🙈🙉🙊/5

I enjoyed this. I'm a big "AM" fan and haven't listened to their earlier albums. While this first album is definitely evidence of a band coming into their sound and finding their niche, it was enjoyable. Hoping their later albums come up on this 1001 list.

244/1089 - This does not sound like the album cover at all. Probably the best out of all the indie rock/garage rock revival bands from the 2000s, I like the post-punk sound because of how distinct and angular it sounds. Post-punk/New Wave reminds me of classical counterpoint in a way which is one of my favorite things about music.

I don't like this album nearly as much as I should and I'm convinced it's the cigarette imagery messing with my subconscious. Also the way this album was marketed was super annoying in 2006. . . I try and love this album but I just can't.

Not offensive but nothing amazing 3.7

It's arctic monkeys I'm never mad at arctic monkeys Love mardy bum

Yessir

I BET THAT YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR

It's got that one bop and then some other songs that are also there.

Very raw. Definitely worth a listen. Brings me back to my college days.

3.5

banger. such a strong debut album with so many memorable moments. a certain romance is maybe a top 25 song of all time for me. sounds silly to say after writing all of that - it's not my favorite AM album but that's just my subjective take. objectively, a great listen. 4/5.

a rock/punk combo with a bit of a primus feeling to it. Overall Arctic monkeys seem like something I should be hearing regularly. Not sure why I haven't listened to them more

The Arctic Monkeys sound is so unique yet timeless, but this definitely isn't my favorite album of theirs. Fingers crossed for Favorite Worst Nightmare to be on this list too

I like the instrumentals on this especially Still take you home. Pretty solid listen overall

Just listening to this in isolation, you wouldn't know it was their debut album. But for a debut album, hot damn. Maybe a 4/5 is a bit too generous if I were to split hairs and a 3/5 would be appropriate because the album is a bit rough around the edges. But I really liked it anyways so I'm giving it a solid 4/5.

Great album. I've always been an Arctic Monkeys fan. While this isn't the perfect album packed with #1s that is AM, I appreciate the less refined, more raw feel.

it took me until listening to a few songs back to back to realize that they are british... embarrassing! Very enjoyable album

M-5/10 S-5/10

awesome, of course

Dancey post punk from the mid 2000’s. Not exceptional, but still a fun listen.

Lot of energy here.Rather liked it

除了最后一首其他的都不喜欢，不明白车库摇滚旋律和节奏如果都不行的话有什么好听的，被黑人音乐吊打的玩意。

This album came out when I was in Korea... we used to frequent Club FF, styled as an "indie bar", and "I bet you look good on the dancefloor" was heard multiple times a night. I think I prefer where Arctic Monkeys went with their sound as they matured (e.g. A&M) compared to this debut. Some great singles, but the sound wasn't that distinct from their peers... yet.

Totally missed this when it first came out. It feels very of the time, that early to mid aughts garage rock sound. My brain somehow conflates them with Imagine Dragons and 21 Pilots and I really don't know why. That's pretty unfair to them. And honestly, pretty unfair to me, I don't wanna even think of that other bands.

It's good.. I feel like if I was a bit younger when it came out it would have it harder for me.

Simply a great album. I don't think I can add anything to the accolades already given.

Yeah, this slaps. I'm a pretty big Arctic Monkeys fan but I never listened to this one before this. I'll give it a 4. However, I think Favourite Worst Nightmare and AM deserve a spot on here more.

I blame these ‘lads’ for contemporarily perpetuating the very worst subsect of British culture: the “night out”. It’s this soul-sapping, hedonistic hivemind of people that seem to glorify the ‘one night stand’ as the holy grail of life, those who employ cheap alcohol and subterfuge solely to reach orgasm. This forty-minute journey through somebody else’s grimy streetside life in a post-industrial setting is enough to seriously annoy me by the first minute of the first track. Hey, maybe I can be a songwriter too if I appeal to the masses who clearly just love these guys? I’ll write about nightclubs, “tarts”, alcohol and, waking up after a night ‘aat, feeling satisfaction after fulfilling nothing more than the primal goal of the mammal. I’ll slather it in sloppy, uninteresting guitar so I can label it “rock”. Every song here annoyed me to some degree, so I’d like to bestow three more distinct accolades. The song that annoyed me the most goes to: Mardy Bum for masquerading as heartfelt where in truth vulgarity lies. The song that made me feel the most sick goes to: Still Take You Home for its vague services to misogyny and the overall feeling that Alex Turner, or the bloke on the cover that I can’t wait to stop looking at, is shouting over loud music with beer on his breath. The song that annoyed me the least goes to... it’s a tie! The winners are: From the Ritz to the Rubble for being the only song with a memorable tune despite the uniformly unfavourable lyrics, and A Certain Romance for having the least horrible lyrics and for ending my suffering as the last track. With incredibly little redeeming qualities and an association with my least favourite people I’ve had the misfortune of encountering, it’s a 1 star from me.

When I hit play, I thought this group was going to be mid 00s house music, so this is immediately jarring. Not a bad thing. This band sounds just like another band I have heard but I just can't place it right now. I'm think Jet or The Strokes, but that doesn't feel right. It distracted me the whole album, maybe franz ferdinand but that feels wrong too. Overall, if I had heard this in 2007, I probably would have loved it, because it sounds just like this other band I already like, but, like this other band, probably couldn't place the group when I needed too. Its a shame I only heard this today.

Meh

Un de mes albums préférés 🫶

Fucking banger of an album

Solid just not my style

Really good album. I was really excited when it popped up and enjoyed it for hours.

En pidä. Laulettu todella ärsyttävällä tavalla. Instrumentaaliosiot aivan kivoja.

I’ll never understand people who love Arctic Monkeys. Riot Van is a pretty good song

a personal classic. <3 feels like a product of it’s time in a really good way. i love it lots

Good listen. The song writing stood out.

-good -no bad songs -good voice

I can’t believe this album is 19 years old. It fills me with nostalgia, but also not, considering I still listen to it at least once every couple of months. The single for I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor and the subsequent album were both released during my third year of university. At the time, two of my most-listened-to bands were Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines, so Arctic Monkeys felt exactly tailor-made for me (I guess for a lot of people too, considering they rocketed to stardom). I went in hard for UK post-punk revival and Arctic Monkeys came at the tail end of it and kind of blew everyone else out of the water (at what, age 19, 20?!). This album is absolute catnip to me. It has the wry nightlife chronicles of Pulp, the gritty garage rock charm of The Strokes, a dash of the danceable post-punk of Franz, and the witty lyricism and frenetic energy of The Libertines (minus the disastrous drug habit, doomed-poet pretensions, and absolutely shambolic drama). Oh, and there’s the small detail of a very intriguing frontman… Alex Turner, a dream date if there ever was one, took on the Sheffield storyteller mantle vacated by a semi-retired Jarvis Cocker and ran away with it. Nowadays Alex is quite the seasoned performer with a very, uh, dedicated fanbase. The Arabella video might actually exceed Blur’s Beetlebum for thirstiest YouTube comments section (and for good reason). But before he became the AM-era swivel-hipped, pompadour’d rock god, Alex was a shaggy-haired, awkward-cute boy who happened to be a staggeringly talented songwriter. That’s the Alex Turner I loved best. Alex’s Sheffield is populated by shady pimps, hipster-poseur indie bands, surly taxi drivers, “totalitarian” bouncers, and night club hooligans. Few escape his pointed pen - a vapid Topshop princess, a shitty band, local thugs, the cops, and even his own buddies get sent up. He doesn’t leave himself/the narrator out of the crosshairs either (You Probably Couldn’t See For the Lights But You Were Staring Straight at Me; From The Ritz To The Rubble). It’s his arch self-deprecating attitude that keeps him from sounding like a judgemental asshole. It’s tempting to see Whatever People Say I Am as a document of what’s now being retroactively called the indie sleaze era. As James Murphy would say, “I was there.” But was I really? I was too busy watching classic movies on DVD, goofing off at home with my housemates (this is what happens when you’re a nerdy introvert in a house full of them), or holed up in my room writing essays (or more likely, procrastinating from writing essays by watching Radiohead performances on YouTube). But I did occasionally enter a club or attend a party populated by scenesters. And while we didn’t have chavs in Vancouver, we had plenty of drunk idiots and girls with bad fake tans and pretentious hipsters. It’s familiar even though I wasn’t living the lifestyle. And that’s the genius of this album. The antics that Alex depicts aren’t unique to Sheffield in 2006. His references are local but he isn’t really writing about a specific subculture or scene. He’s capturing the universal teen/early 20s experience of an underwhelming night on the town. This isn’t The Cobrasnake. There’s nothing aspirational or particularly cool going on in Alex’s stories. Right from the first track, Alex warns not to set your expectations too high before embarking on your night out. You can think of this as a concept album depicting one long, somewhat disappointing night out. There’s initial hope (I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor), a crappy show (Fake Tales of San Fransisco), failed attempts to pick up (Dancing Shoes; You Probably Couldn’t See For the Lights), putting on the drunk googles to settle for someone less than ideal (Still Take You Home), a run-in with cops (Riot Van), failed attempts to get a taxi (Red Lights Indicate Doors are Secure), and Sunday morning regret (From The Ritz to the Rubble). The outliers are Mardy Bum and Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But… . The latter is the band’s two-fingered salute to townie haters (and probably the worst song on the album). But Mardy Bum could be a flashback to earlier in the day/week. Was the tiff and possible breakup with the girlfriend the catalyst for the night out? Whether you take the album as a connected narrative or a series of sketches, it tells an impressively coherent story. Interestingly, Alex never really returned to the observational humour and nocturnal sketches of Whatever People Say I Am. As the band evolved their sound away from the scrappy indie post-punk of their debut, Alex stretched his lyrical legs towards more sophisticated wordplay and abstract and poetic themes. His nuanced love songs on later albums displayed his growing emotional maturity - but the songs on the debut have a special place in my heart. This album stands alone as a unique capsule of Alex’s viewpoint at a very specific time in his life. It spoke to me when I was 20, and the appeal never wore off. Not because it reflected my own experiences, but because I love Alex’s sharp, funny social commentary. It’s rude of me to fail to mention the rest of the band until now, but they all deserve credit for the loud, fast, energetic sound of this album (especially drummer Matt Helders). The pace of this thing is relentless. Almost every song is a banger. Interestingly, a lot of the songs start out with a heavy intro, settle into catchy verses and chorus, before ramping back up again. It’s a really fun record to jump around to. I’ve seen them live three times and it’s always the most fun when they play these songs. Whatever People Say I Am has stood the test of time as one of my all-time favourite albums. I’m not sure it’s my favourite Arctic Monkeys album (I’m very partial to Suck It and See, even though it’s not the strongest overall) but I’m always in the mood to listen to it. Sometimes bands just get it right the first time around. Even the weaker tracks aren’t that bad. A near-perfect album. Couldn’t give it 5 stars fast enough. Highlights/my favourite lines: -The View From the Afternoon The first song sets the stage for the “evening entertainment” - a little preface for the tale that unfolds on the rest of the album. It’s also a warning about the hazards of drunk dialling. Is he trying to remind himself not to call the (ex?)girlfriend from Mardy Bum? “Anticipation has the habit to set you up / for disappointment in evening entertainment” This could also be a sly reference to the hype around the band before they released their first album. After their early MySpace-fuelled success led to a record deal, the UK press was collectively frothing at the mouth with the promise of yet another ascendant indie guitar band. Arctic Monkeys weren’t just an “NME band” though. Whatever People Say I Am got pretty universal acclaim, and not just in the homeland. Alex promised a ruckus and he delivered. P.S. Anyone who read Alex’s misplaced Valentine’s card to Alexa Chung would agree there’d be nothing more welcome in your inbox than verse and chapter from Alex Turner…iykyk. -I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor An all-time banger. Like most people, the first song I heard from them. I was instantly sold and ready to accept the album with open arms. -Fake Tales of San Francisco This poseur takedown is the most 2006 song on the album and still so funny to me. As we entered the second half of the 2000s, for some reason the war on hipsters was the most important cultural issue of our time (ah, quaint days!). I wonder how many people listened to this song and quietly put away their trilby hats. Fake Tales, told from the sidelines of a crappy local band’s gig, really showcases Alex’s genius for droll observational humour. His storytelling is so vivid, I cringe every time imagining the vibe of the night. After witnessing a girl run out of the show and complain to her friend that the band was “fucking wank,” the narrator reasons that at least the singer’s girlfriend liked it: “His bird said it’s amazing though so all that’s left / is the proof that love’s not only blind but deaf” I don’t know where or what Hunter’s Bar is but I find this hilarious: “He talks of San Fransisco, he’s from Hunter’s Bar / I don’t quite know the distance but I’m sure it’s far / yeah I’m sure it’s pretty far” -Riot Van It starts as a funny little interlude about some lads’ run-in with the cops and devolves into police brutality. “Have you been drinking son? You don’t look old enough to me.” “I’m sorry officer, is there a certain age you’re supposed to be?” -Mardy Bum There are hints of it throughout, but this songs exposes Alex as an utter romantic. Mardy Bum stands out as the sole light, poppy tune on an album full of loud bangers. The song starts off as a lighthearted recounting of a lovers’ quarrel but takes an impassioned turn when Alex insists he does care about his girl: “Of course I do, yeah I clearly do!” …it gets me every time! On later albums, Alex expands his love song repertoire with devastatingly romantic heartbreak tracks like 505 and Love is a Laserquest. If anything, I think now he’s more known for his romantic songs than the dry humour of his early work. Honourable mention: Alex’s insanely charming Yorkshire-accented pronunciation of “cuddles”(“coodles”!). -When The Sun Goes Down This is why Alex is a cut above in his songwriting. Not content with simply documenting his mates’ drunken antics, he turns his eye towards the streets and is dismayed by what he sees. The song starts off with the narrator observing a sex worker with compassion before turning his scorn on her “scummy” pimp. With a few simple lines, an entire character is sketched out: “Can see it in his eyes yeah / that he’s got a driving ban / amongst some other offences” -A Certain Romance My favourite song on the album. A lyrical master class. This closing track brings us full circle from opener The View From the Afternoon. Here Alex laments the sorry state of his hometown nightlife - “there ain’t no romance around there” … as he told us himself, anticipation has the habit to set you up for disappointment. It opens with their signature furious racket before resolving into a bouncy ska-inflected rhythm. Alex decries the local chavs and barroom hooligans (“just cuz he’s had a coupla cans / he thinks it’s alright to act like a dickhead”) and throws off pithy little one-liners insulting his uncouth fellow youths (“there’s only music so that there’s new ringtones”). But just before you start thinking he’s on his high horse, he cheekily undercuts himself by admitting that his own friends are just as bad: “What can I say? I’ve known ‘em for a long, long time / And, yeah, they might overstep the line / But you just cannot get angry in the same way” And then it’s all punctuated by a two-minute outro solo that sends you to the stratosphere. You feel nostalgic and euphoric and melancholy and regretful of your lost youth. Masterpiece!

This album is a complicated listen for me. I love it. I'm a big Arctic Monkeys fan. But it also makes me really sad, and the more I listened to it for this review, the sadder I got. On the first listen, it was just a fun rowdy rock album i'm revisiting from my youth and i'm just having a good time unpacking my stuff and basking in the nostalgia. On the second listen, the existential dread came crashing in. Turner is so good at capturing what it feels like to be in your 20s and going out to clubs and getting up to mischief with your friends and getting drunk and talking to girls and going to shows etc. I remember doing all of those things. I remember feeling how he feels on this album. I specifically remember shit talking bad bands that I got stuck watching because I was playing in the same show as them, like on fake tales (the girlfriends sitting around watching their boyfriend's shit bands is real, the new girlfriends enjoy the show (the love is deaf scenario), the ones who have been around awhile openly look at their phones throughout their boyfriend's set, they've realized that having a boyfriend in a band is not all it's cracked up to be). The sadness and existential dread comes from the fact that those times are over for me now. No more shows. No more going out with the boys. Meeting women happens on an app. etc etc. I am old-ish now and that feels sad. I wish i could go back to the days described on this album. And by the third listen, the memories of dead relationships started to consume me. I feel like I've bonded with a lot of exes over this album/band. I saw them live in concert with one ex. I saw a cover band do this album in full with another ex. I remember one ex giving me shit for not knowing the middle of the catalogue (at the time i was mainly a fan of this album and AM, now i know all the albums) and forcing me to listen to 505 and more. I can remember different exes singing these songs to themselves, certain lines I can still hear in their voices. I think I even worked on a cover of Mardy Bum with one of them. Weirdly, the vast majority of the women I've dated were into this band. Either they're music people, and they're into this album and Favourite Worst Nightmare (especially fluorescent adolescence) OR they're not music people and they're fans of AM because that album was inescapable in 2013. This is definitely not a "dude" band, there's a sizeable female contingent to the fanbase and I keep dating members of it. Perhaps it's Alex's charming good looks? Perhaps it's the confident, clever and romantic lyrics? It's probably all of the above and more. Anyways... these memories really brought me down, because in the end they all left. There's no happy ending to these memories. Perhaps i need to start dating women who hate this band. Learn from my mistakes. All this to say... i like this album a lot but I also makes me feel quite sad... which i guess is a sign of a good album, in that it definitely has an emotional impact. It definitely captures a time and place in my life, just not one i want to revisit regularly. And this makes it sort of hard to rate. I love this record, but it makes me feel bad. I don't know how to reckon with those feelings in my review. Objectively, it has a very specific sound that i really connect with, a sound they never fully capture again in their catalogue. I love the energy, the stops and starts, the lyrics, the wit, the hooks, the guitar work, the momentum. It's fuckin' awesome. Sure... It's not a perfect album... there are no bad tracks, just a couple that feel redundant in comparison to other stronger tracks on the album... but I don't skip them. They're part of the experience. I think it's probably a 4.5 for me... but i'll round up because of the personal pain it delivered. Specific track thoughts: I Bet You Look Good On The Dance floor - it's a classic. Somehow i missed it on much music when it debuted and only found it later. That guitar solo intro rips. The Romeo and Juliet line rocks. The whole song is hooks (oops all hooks). Fake Tales of San Francisco - Too real. The cocaine line made me laugh. You Probably Couldn't See... - I like that bit at the end with the vocals soloed. Still Take You Home - Love that chorus. Great riff. Even though the song feels sorta cruel, when it comes out of his mouth, it just works. It doesn't feel gross. Somehow he pulls it off. Riot Van - I like how slow and dreamy it is... like they're mocking the cops. They don't take them seriously at all. THe rest of the tracks are so intense. They're about subjects that actually matter. But the cops, pfft. Alex doesn't give a fuck about them. Mardy Bum - Just a beautiful pop song about fighting with your partner. I love the line "and you got the face on"... it paints this picture of a couple that's been together a long time, that knows each other, that's definitely fought before and will fight again. It's a simple phrase but it makes the relationship feel deep and rich and real. When The Sun Goes Down - this was my first exposure to the band. It really blew me away as a teenager. Nothing else in my world sounded like this. I was mainly listening to pop punk and this was something completely different. I still have a soft spot for it. It is probably my second favourite song on the album. The big guitar riff is sooooo good. It's their Roxanne and it's so good. I don't know who this song is about, but I don't like him much. I love the slow intro and outro. I love how he says "scummy". A Certain Romance - this one is my favourite. It's got great riffs. It's got tons of hooks. It's slow and sweet and fast and epic. The lyrics are witty and capture 2006 small town life, which i relate to. But also to me it always felt like a commentary on losing some sort of essence of being alive (a certain romance) through modernity and technology and progress, maybe it was just the music/ringtone line. I love the epic finale. It's a perfect track. I think it was the last one written for the record. I remember telling my dad that this record beat a beatles sales record and he didn't believe me. I'm not sure if it did or not, but in my memory it did.

6/10

Meh, it was alright but forgettable. 2.5/5

AM? More like Advil PM

Pretty good.

Can't say I'm the biggest Arctic Monkeys fan but this is the best thing I've heard from them so far

Clearly should have given this more listens beyond Dancefloor upon initial release. Really enjoyed this.

Why do all these bland early aughts “rock” bands sound exactly the same?

More punk rock than I was expecting. Reminds me of Sprints

4.5 - senai pažįstamas, turi puikių bangerių

Really enjoyed it.

Pre crooning pub ballads.

i say you're a gloriously original new take on mouthy guitar rock

„Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not“ ist ein energiegeladenes Debüt, das den Zeitgeist der britischen Indie-Rock-Szene der 2000er Jahre perfekt einfängt. Mit scharfzüngigen Texten und treibenden Gitarrenriffs liefern die Arctic Monkeys eine rohe Momentaufnahme des Nachtlebens und jugendlicher Unruhe. Doch trotz der starken Attitüde wirkt das Album stellenweise monoton – viele Songs ähneln sich im Tempo und Aufbau. Die musikalische Vielfalt bleibt hinter dem lyrischen Witz zurück. Ein solides Album mit Kultstatus, aber nicht ganz so bahnbrechend, wie sein Ruf vermuten lässt.

Vet!!

Very nostalgic for me, used to listen to this album alot when i was 14/15. Still loved it!

I really liked this album when it came out, kind of a time and place in my hipster days. Too bad it almost became a blueprint of the type of rock I really got sick of over the next 5 or 6 years. In spite of that, upon revisiting and free from the deluge of garbage indie, this album is still really solid. Loud and rocking I caught myself enjoying the listen here and there. Doesn't really stack up to a lot of the legends on this list, but in context a pretty okay experience.

Classic stuff in a tight package. Agree with the note that many AM songs sound like AM songs, but I’d argue their cohesion is has more ups than downs, at least as far as “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s Not What I Am” is concerned. That unique layered guitar you hear and hopefully enjoy from track one stays present through to the album’s close. That’s not to say nothing’s done to keep songs fresh, as I find subtle differences go far in this context. Additionally, Alex Turner excels at the predominantly rapid-fire lyrical approach this album so often presents, but I find that his more intimate moments lack the punch he boasts in later albums. As a final note, the tracks present in this album vary greatly in runtime. This carries subtle but impactful weight in supporting the album’s tendency for its tracks change in tune and build over their respective runtimes. Construction of such varied tracks leads to an album that feels internally distinct even in such a packed lineup, but must inevitably be quite a chore to complete. I can picture how the band may’ve felt temptations to repeat a few refrains they found especially poignant in the interest of outputting a more expected 3-3.5 minute structure. Glad they didn’t.

Part of me wants this album to get off of my lawn. Though, another part of me knows the Arctic Monkeys are nice boys and when they mature they will make some stuff I like better. They're kind of like Radiohead that way.

Favourites: All of them!

Really good

This one rocked! I haven’t heard their early stuff before.

Puffff...odio a estos tíos. Realmente no los odio a ellos, odio a sus fans, que son unos pijos con ganas de ir de punks. Y a la mierda de prensa que les chupó la polla cuando salieron y los pusieron como los nuevos Beatles. Aquí estamos, 20 años después nadie se acuerda de ellos. Y ahora voy a escuchar el disco.

3.5

Great album. Fresh and powerful.

Possibly the most overrated rock band of the 21st century. Never really got into them and this album didn't convince me.

This was everywhere when it came out. I liked it, but with time I liked it less and less as I wanted to hear something else. Listening back, I like it less now than I did then. I think this is slightly tainted by the absolute guff that they’ve released since and the gushing praise that comes there way when they do anything from the media. It’s not great. It’s not bad. It’s of its time. 3 stars, but only just.

I feel like i'm in year 8 again - Riot Van is so underrated; There exists no better album closer than A Certain Romance

Record that hooks you from the starting track! So much energy, great workout album, personal favorite.

- mardy bum - riot van said im a scumbag dontcha know

1. The View From the Afternoon – 2.0 2. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – 2.5 3. Fake Tales of San Francisco – 2.5 4. Dancing Shoes – 2.0 5. You Probably Couldn’t See for the Lights but You Were Starting Straight at Me – 2.0 6. Still Take You Home – 2.5 7. Riot Van – 2.5 8. Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured – 2.5 9. Mardy Bum – 2.5 10. Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But… - 2.0 11. When the Sun Goes Down – 2.5 12. From the Ritz to the Rumble – 2.5 13. A Certain Romance – 2.5

Not really sure what to say about this album. Couple of okay tracks. Tends to speak the lyrics, and very quickly.

Not list worthy

One of my favorite bands of all time, high 4? I struggle to be objective with this one, not my favorite monkeys album but high energy, great songwriting, fun drums

Nice music but I prefer their AM album. I did not know any song. 3.7 stars

My first venture into the Arctic Monkeys' material, and I have to say: this is fantastic. The 2000s equivalent of London Calling. And every bit as angry and energetic. I've been known to condemn punk/rock artists for releasing a relentless onslaught of high-calibre 2-minute tracks, but something about this music just screams "good" more than so many of its predecessors. It's clean yet gritty, tasteful yet grungy... and of course has that anti-establishment embellishment that you don't need to read between the lines to notice. There are no throwaway tracks, with the worst ones still being "really good" and probably the strongest song on most other punk(esque) records. Every instrument is not only played well but also mixed and produced excellently. And those guitar riffs! Juicy, they are. The guitarwork and basswork is on-point here, along with the driven, reasonably complex drumming. The Arctic Monkeys do some pretty unconventional things throughout this record. Music stopping and restarting is interesting enough by itself, but doing it for several seconds? Sometimes multiple times per track? Leading to a new section that develops the pre-established musical themes? Holy arctic. Turner's vocal is intensely British (what else?) but he doesn't sacrifice quality of singing (much). Compare to bands like the Sex Pistols, Limp Bizkit, and Bad Religion. Maybe I'm just immeasurably relieved at a band in this genre actually being kind of great, not sacrificing quality for the sake of political messaging. The two can coexist, and they do here, easily. Re my previous point about the onslaught of punk-esque tracks, Arctic Monkeys even manage to somewhat avoid that with the quieter interlude Riot Van, showing that they don't just cater to sorrowful Gen X alumni with worn-out, now-unused VCRs. 5/5 Key tracks: The View From The Afternoon, Mardy Bum, When The Sun Goes Down

It's not bad, a lot of catchy tunes. The vocals kind of get stale, I don't know what it is, maybe the effect that was applied. Sounds like he is singing on a walkie talkie. Other than that I enjoyed it but it's not something that I would go back to.

Can a band be both over-hyped and absolutely magnificent at the same time? That's been my assessment of Arctic Monkeys for a long time. Man, they are talented, but I just can never get my head around the idea that they are as good as their many fans say they are. Then again, listening to an AM album is NEVER a bad experience. And this album certainly belongs in the conversation when you're talking about greatest debuts of all time.

Not really my cup of tea.

Fun stuff

Punk, but with someone who can sing. Not angry enough.

Good all the way through

This is a band, and an album, that I want to like more than I do. That said, there are a couple bangers here.

This was more punk/harder than I eggspected. It was actually really good for that vibe because they have a really nice mix of punk and chill and their lyrics are fantastic. They also use really unique and I tweeting chords which I really like. Good job Monkeys

First off, amazing album name. I would consider myself an Arctic Monkeys fan. I love their overall vibe and sound. This is a great album, but not my favorite by them (or even my second favorite). I wonder if anybody has ever looked at me and surmised that I look good on the dance floor? Almost certainly not.

Arctic Monkeys are such a crazy band. They have been world famous since before I was a teenager, and somehow the lead singer is only 39. They rocketed to extreme fame in a year or two, and they were barely adults. What a crazy life. "The View From The Afternoon" captures the essence of the 2000s Arctic Monkeys immediately. This is a great song and is immediately recognizable as them. The opening to "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" goes so hard. It's a sick riff, and then it transitions into an equally sick but different bouncy rhythm. "Riot Van" is a new-to-me song and I love it. "Mardy Bum" is my favorite song on the record. I love the slowed-down pace and the vocals. This is an amazing album. It's not too long. The sound is a little repetitive, but I love it. There is great variety in here, and I love the perspective of drunken teenage england. 9/10

I hadn't listened to this album in full before, even though AM was a very important and formative album for me in my adolescence. I think it's a solid album, but definitely didn't trip my trigger as much as I expected. This debut definitely has the Arctic Monkeys sound, but lacks the refinement that makes their later work so special. While it starts strong, it kinda just stays like that for most of the album, not really going anywhere interesting or playing with highs and lows. It's not that I didn't enjoy this, but I think it does blend in to the other indie rock being made at the time. That being said, Alex Turner's vocals and songwriting will always stand out and are sharp here.

The debut project from Arctic Monkeys shows passion, leverage, production, and a certain essence that only the 2000s rock can produce. And it works fantastically. It isn't MAGNIFICENT, but it's definitively something everyone should hear. (How did Arctic Monkeys fans accepted "The Car" knowing they could make something like this? It's beyond me.) 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Very Arctic Monkeys-y. Good

Favorite songs: Dancing Shoes, I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor, The View from the Afternoon, Fake Tales of San Francisco, You Probably Couldn't See For the Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me, Still Take You Home, Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured, From the Ritz to the Rubble, Perhaps Vampires Is a Bit Strong But..., A Certain Romance Least favorite songs: Riot Van 5/5

What a debut this is

I started pretty neutral on this and got tired of it quick. I don’t get why it’s on here sounds like a throwback to earlier English punk rock.

This is cool, i remember listening to this in like middle/high school and i wonder if i would like it if it werent for the nostalgia factor. I also dont think it would work without his voice and accent

Okay i actually liked this. I thought there were some pretty good lyrics. Marty Bum and riot man were my favorite

Legal, tipo de musica que agradaria qualquer ambiente.

Nice.

Now that’s how you do a debut album. Brilliant, still fresh, original, funny. Passes the test of time.

3.5

White boys need to make music like this again

Можливо мій улюблений альбом всіх часів. Хлопці зробили просто магію з піснями про те як бути молодим. Досі періодично слухаю і кайфую. Ідеальна подача, класні гітари, топові барабани. Хіт на хіті. Не знаю, що тут може не подобатися)

Ідеальний дебют, все ще напевно найкращий альбом в їхній дискографії.

the random slow song in the middle SLAPPED, rest was upbeat, all new to me and pretty good

97/1001. I can clearly see how all the music press went crazy over the next sensation: the Arctic Monkeys - restoring rock ‘n’ roll, making music, great again, giving hope to guitar based music, going back to the basic, the next Strokes etc. And partly why not, it is fresh and has energy, it seems the band had fun, it is not overproduced etc. BUT (add your favourite thing why it also sucks). My kids seem still to love them and their later ouvre, and whenever they have played it I haven't had to squirmish in pain. I guess that count for something. Lastly, as a person living in the Arctic I am ever so grateful for the band for bringing the global focus to the North. Or was it climate change? Well maybe you are to blame about turning my city to a tourist hellhole for 5 months in the fall-winter-spring.

It’s alright

This is (maybe) not a five-star album in the classical sense. It’s neither all killers, nor is it wildly inventive or groundbreaking. But here is the thing: my judgement is clouded. Because from a subjective perspective, this is where it all started for me personally. As a teenager growing up in a rural town, this album was hu(uuuu)ge for me. Fake Tales of San Francisco is an all-time favorite, and even today it transports me back to the cold winter of 2006, when my brain was rewired after actively hearing this melange of indie and post-punk for the first time - made by someone roughly from my own generation. Over the years, I’ve listened to thousands of different albums, genres (and of course to the godmothers and godfathers of this style) but this one still feels special. Unlike many other releases from that era, I think it has aged remarkably well (with the debuts from Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, and Maxïmo Park also standing the test of time). Alex Turner is a great lyricist, the drumming is sharp, and the whole thing carries an amazingly raw energy - youthful yet timeless.

like the great value version of AM

Very good album, just not my vibe

The opening bars of “A Certain Romance” would be great to start a concert. Will have this song on my liked song list. I enjoyed this album. The group is new to me.

For me, this album has it all.

There was so much AMs hype, and I was turning 15. These songs are scratched into my soul. So much raw energy. But does it hang together?

Not really my style, but I can see how people like it and why it was innovative at the time.

really funny that the first album i get for this is one i’ve listened to a thousand times. not my favorite am (sias, no question) but not my least favorite either. lots of their most underrated but still great stuff— fake tales of san francisco, when the sun goes down, a certain romance etc etc

Honestly, this felt like Arctic Monkeys as they were meant to be enjoyed. big deep drums, guitar licks played on strings of thick sinew, high hats that make you anxious and hurry whatever it is your doing, and lyrics that make you feel like you're running out of time. I really enjoyed this album, and felt like all the tracks were well made and thought out, and fit the album well. Favorite track of the album was Dancing Shoes, with honorable mention to Marry Bum, and a shoutout to British people.

Visionary, legendary, etc etc, prequel to an incredible rise, nothing else to say

I cannot tell whether I like this or not.

Probably their best

Alex Turner we love you

Klart det cooleste britiske indie album vi endnu har haft

Længe siden jeg har hørt den fra ende til anden, kæft en fed plade! Alle sange er kæmpe bangers og det lyder stadig virkelig cool.

This album is still so good! Everything about it is just so god damn cool. I also know a guy who used to play From the Ritz to the Rubble pretty well in his band 😎

It was fine.

A couple good ones, but very repetitive

I only really knew the Arctic Monkeys for their major hits, and never gave their catalogue a listen. It's a shame I hadn't done that, because this album is an absolute banger. Top to bottom, it really reminds me of that mid 2000's garage rock scene. The best album I've listened to so far.

Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys (2006) | Indie Rock / Garage Rock | Avg: 6.73 | Favorite Song: “Mardy Bum”* This debut is fast, sharp, and undeniably confident, and mostly solid, with a few standout moments. “Mardy Bum” rises above the rest with its laid-back charm and subtle emotional pull—arguably the most well-rounded song on the album. A handful of other tracks like “A Certain Romance” and “When the Sun Goes Down” land in the upper range as well, proving that the band had more than just punchy riffs going for them. There’s a clear voice here, even if the tone can feel one-note at times. Much of the album settles in the 6 to 7 range, which makes sense for a project that’s more about youthful energy than compositional depth. Some of the songs blur together in their pacing and vocal delivery, and while that adds to the unified aesthetic, it also limits the emotional variety. Still, it’s easy to hear why this hit like a jolt of electricity back in the mid-2000s. It’s messy, brash, and undeniably fun—even if it doesn’t fully break free from its own attitude.

A little too hard punk for my taste but it's okay. Would spin this again.

Great album to listen to. I never took the time to listen to Arctic Monkeys before but I think I will again.

15/08/25 - evening 5/5 Proper indie sleaze, no notes. First album ive been given that I've already listen to in full and love. Fake tales of San Francisco is for sure the best on here. Love these Sheffield lads. messy, raw and amazing

Ok and catchy at times, but a lot of it sounded the same after a while.

So much better than Coldplay

Not for me

reminds me of the vines, and the other bands of their ilk around turn of the century punk pop rock. I definitely think it's better than the other bands of their ilk, but again, not really my thing. Guy's voice is a little grating. Would still rather listen to this than anything in the 2 or 1 star piles.

very aughts pop punk. not really my style

Fun rock album. I really enjoy the grungy raspy Alex Turner.

"Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" is the debut studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys. Indie rock, garage rock, post-punk, revival, punk rock, alternative rock and post-Britpop are the Wiki-listed genres. That's a lot but I agree that they're hard to exactly pinpoint on this album. Critics likened this album loosely to a concept album "which describes British nightlife, clubbing and pop culture and romance from a first person perspective of a young person/clubber from North England." I'll go with that. Commercially, the album was the fastest-selling debut in British music history. The band gave away free demo CDs at their gigs and the subsequent internet sharing promoted the fan expectations. The album reached #24 on the US Billboard 200. The band members included Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitars), Jamie Cook (guitars, backing vocals), Andy Nicholson (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Helders (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The album had wide-spread critical acclaim and won the 2007 UK Mercury Prize. The album kicks off with "The View From the Afternoon." And literally kicks off with the fast drums, roaring guitar and rumbling bass. Turner comes in with rapid vocals. Hard guitar riffs. An appropriate musical start as well lyrically as the narrator anticipates the upcoming evening including the "daft" message he's sure to send before the sun comes up. The band keeps it rolling on the next song, their first single, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor." The guitar riffs builds, the charging drums. The music sets into a groove. A very catchy song. I like the semi start-stop dynamic they have going. They slow it down a bit on the third song "Fake Tales of San Francisco." Another nice groove and it's actually danceable. The music goes harder with the guitar in the middle eight. It's about how a band tries to be like other bands and gives a fake image. A strong start to this album. The band can be melodic and they show it off in "Mardy Bum" with the guitar. This song has a melancholy vibe as it should be as it describes a relationship strained by a partner's grumpiness. The band saves the best for last with the album closer "A Certain Romance." Fast drums and a loud guitar riff, the band jams and then they slow it down. A high-pitched guitar melody. The band really shows the ability to jam together again. It's lovely song as it follows the romantic activities among the youth. Most of these songs are short and rapid with the music and vocals. They are also very catchy and at times have a groove. The music has a punk approach but can be put into a lot of other styles mentioned in the first paragraph. The band can also slow it down with great melodies. Alex Turner's singing style is almost a talk-rap as he matches the speed of the music. This is a great album. I think it sounded better today than when it came out. The band has gone on to other musical styles (which I like) but this is the one to listen to.

Great debut that lays the foundations of Turner as a brilliant songwriter

It’s a solid record with some really nice bits.

Felt like a continuous stream of riffiness with admittedly catchy lyrics. Maybe I was not in the mood but I felt like the album was kind of just not all it was cracked up to be?

2010 took over my body, sorry

Still hits, if I’m being honest

Idk like less interesting Strokes. The whole Garage Rock Revival thing with the overuse of seventh chords never worked for me. This album is for nicer people.

Energetic Rock

Agree to disagree, but this one is lame

Absolute belter of an album that took me straight back to the mid-2000s. The beat is somewhere between disco and rock that lends itself well to shouting along in a room full of partygoers. The lyrics are excellent and many songs refer to common, everyday experiences from the time, such as the anticipation of a night out, drunk texting your crush, or struggling to get a taxi home from the rank. Had so much fun I listened to it twice.

When the sun goes down takes me back to the 2000s. What a tune

Buen álbum. La música se la puede desmenuzar en sus instrumentos. Todos y cada uno de ellos. La batería y los bajos son espectaculares. Gusta

So good I almost didn’t listen to it. I’m glad I did.

Pretty good listen this. Some of the lyrics feel a bit dated, or maybe it's just that I'm old. Some of the songs sound a little too similar too, but overall enjoyable.

I actually don’t look good on the dance floor but thanks for the vote of confidence. Obviously a 5, everything else is bollocks. I think you do need to listen to this with a smoke after a few jars though

It's not quite as good as I remember. I think it's partly because of how annoying he is now. But can't seriously contemplate anything than a 5

Would have been a 5 at some point. Much like myself don't think it's aged particularly well. More filler than I remember. Worth 4 stars for nostalgia

Ah yes, 2006, the era where indie and emo bands had story length titles to their songs. I can’t hate, I love those bands. Arctic Monkeys were never my favorite, but I enjoyed some of their songs. I tend to favor some of their songs from later albums, but there is some good stuff here too. “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” is a great song and has fond memories attached (my best friend used that as the closing credits and “bloopers” for our high school Hamlet movie. It was pretty great.) and “Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But…” is also a standout. There’s some other good tracks, and nothing here sticks out in a bad way. Definitely an enjoyable album.

Jag föredrar vilket 1995 års britpopband som helst framför detta, ge mig Ash, Mansun eller t.o.m. Menswear anyday. Det här är samma rätt serverad ljummen 10 år senare i nåt fåfängt försök att tro att det kan hända igen. Jag förstår inte vad detta kan ha för existensberättigande än mindre vad det gör på en sån här lista/genomgång? (Övriga album vi har lyssnat på här kan jag förstå vad dom gör här även om dom inte är bra) Det här ögonblicksmusik och inte ens särdeles bra sådan, problemet är bara att ögonblicket var 10 år innan det här släpptes och att det 20 år sen det släpptes nu. Vad ska jag liksom göra med den här nu? Det är dubbelfel och 0-30 i egen serve. Look good on the dancefloor ska vara single of the week i NME ena veckan, nästa vecka ska det vara någon annan singel och då ska AM vara bortglömda för all evighet. Det är så det funkar, det är så det ska funka och det är så det bör funka. Kan man ens sätta nåt annat än etta på det här även om man är inne på sån här musik? Lyssna hellre på Menswear - Nuiance, Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand, Timo Raisänen - I'm indian ...eller ännu hellre denna veckans single of the week i NME

Arctic Monkeys har säkert haft roligt i replokalen. Men det är mest tröttsamt och enformigt att lyssna på.

Bra skrammel, men ganska få catchiga melodier, att jämföra med t ex Strokes debut som har ett snarlikt sound. Finns några guldkorn, men sällan låtar som helhet utan snarare någon fin refräng här och där. En rak trea, varken mer men eventuellt mindre.

Jag är lite svag för Arctic Monkeys men har inte lyssnat på deras debut tidigare. Fin indie/postpunk med influenser från disco och ska. Om ett album av Alex Turner ska vara med på lista så är nog the Last Shadow Puppets en värdigare kandidat.

🗯 Still an absolute blinder. 19 years on and it hasn’t lost a drop of its pint-splattered brilliance. It’s sonic crack. This album meant something to me at the time — still does. One of the finest of that mid-aughts wave. They seemed to arrive fully formed, all energy and elbows, like they’d been waiting their whole lives for this exact moment. The drums are ferocious — up there with Matt Tong on Silent Alarm — and the guitars punch with purpose. And then there’s Alex Turner: barely 20 and already dropping lines like he’s seen the whole world through a taxi window at 3am. It’s lad culture dressed in poetry, small-town stories with stadium-sized charisma. And songs, well, it’s an embarrassment of riches. It was the fastest-selling debut in UK history — and somehow, it’s even better than we gave it credit for.

Still not my style of music but enjoyed listening too

Every track on this is a banger in some way. Favourite Track(s): Riot Van, Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But… Least Favourite Track(s): Mardy Bun

Had some incredible tracks on here. Nothing bad in here, just don't think the Artic Monkeys hit the sweet spot until a few albums in. Vibes are splendid though

Not Arctic Monkeys’ creative peak but their most raw and energetic stuff. Good listen, maybe a 3.5

Lots of energy can get samey though. A few bangers

One of the great indie records of the aughts. Has the danceability of Franz Ferdinand and mixes it with a punk sound and clever lyrics. The result is still great today.

Fantastic.

Mid.

Really enjoyed this - it was consistently good 👍

Familiar with this one and stands up to when I used to listen to it regularly. 4/5 stars

A classic. I love the Arctic Monkeys so much, dude.

An older guy I knew in high school loaded my mp3 player up with a bunch of 2000s indie rock, including a lot of Arctic Monkeys. In our small town in Montana, it felt like I was listening to music that none of my peers had ever heard of. As a recovering indie hipster kid, I think this album holds up great.

I adore this album, it's on my regular rotation, I'm pretty sure I know every word. The Monkeys have overall a solid track record for writing fun lyrics, catchy, hooky songs and playing crisp, solid pop-punk-brit-rock. Absolute staple album for any teenager in the Western canon. This is by far my fave brit-rock album on this list so far (but I've hated most other brit rock stuff I've heard). Five stars for WPSIA,TWIN in terms of my personal enjoyment, but may I remind the dear listeners that this is meant to be a list of one thousand and one albums to listen to before you die. You have one thousand and one days and then you expire. And this is what you want to spend a day on? Absolutely not

A mixed bag. The opening track is an absolute banger. the second track is an absolute banger. The closing track is also a banger. In between is a lot of mediocre. "Fake Tales Of San Francisco" is boring, "Mardy Bum" is so cheesy it feels like a joke and "When The Sun Goes Down" is a gimmick song based on an almost spoken intro. The song quickly descends into chaotic noise. This band has far better albums than this, but it's so much better than most of the crap on this list, so I won't be too harsh.

Can’t stand this guys voice so far

Great storytelling. Great playing. Great to hear singing in a Yorkshire accent. Great album.

Perfectly listenable, but didn’t grab me. I’m a bit fatigued on some of this music that was so popular as we were growing up. Maybe kids of the 80s feel the same way about stuff I lap up now?? Food for thought.

This does nothing for me. It's like The Libertines: it's the same empty, overly refined music that wants desperately to be anything but. At least The Libertines were first. And on heroin. The writing here really is - and I hate to use this word - sophomoric, telegraphed plainly by that god awful album title. Get out of your own ass, Turner. There's nothing good up there.

This is a great album. However, it’s also a compelling case against rock music as a vehicle for new bold statements about “the culture”. Listening to these songs - the detached sarcasm, the devil may care attitude to it all - I can’t help but feel that it’s played out. It’s not to say the music isn’t good (some these tracks go hard). I just don’t see it as bringing anything fundamentally new or interesting to the table as far as rock music goes. ✨

Oh good, I'd always wondered what an Arctic Monkeys was. I'm kind of surprised: I had no idea that "indie rock" was a genre that I apparently do not enjoy at all. Maybe this sounds like a descendant of grunge, and since I missed the 90s, I don't have the background to appreciate it? So yeah, pretty much just fell flat for me.

Oli aik hyvä oikeesti. Olin jo tykänny osist biiseist nii ei ollu yllätys

Honestly the singles are probably the best part of this album for me. What was pioneering to me at the time of release, granted I was 13/14, is now a bit stale, repetitive, and cliche. That's not to say I don't enjoy it, I just think the best bits are the singles, it's very representative of the year it was released in. The lyrics have a northern charm and wittiness, the guitar tones have that standard 2006-indie-tone, and the drums are punchy to tie it all in. It's like getting pissed down the pub with your mates.

Listened to about half the album. It all sounds very unserious, not-so-good, and very very mediocre.

Didn’t love the first track but the album is listenable and evocative of a time. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor is still good.

Yes! So fresh, so good!

Nope

Several good songs. Could listen to again. Low 4

When I'm listening a lot of my time is wondering what made this album on the list. This is a good album, it's snot bad, but I don't know why I would have to listen to this one.

Part of me loved it but part of me was slightly annoyed because they gave me a little bit of wankier vibes. Like they know they are good and let it ooze all over their music. Sometimes it is great and makes for some fun lyrics and great riffs, but then other times it just is too much and becomes sort of annoying. I really liked Mardy Bum and A Certain Romance.

The singer is sooooo Brit-ish! Alot of singers you might not even know that they are British. Like Phil Collins. I don't think I'd know he's British just by listening to him. anyway.. Great guitar work and super creative changes. I'm a 4.5 with this and kick it up to 5 just because they groove as hard as they fucking rock!

I’ve been excited to get this one because I’ve heard great things but never gave it a listen before. It was super fun and rockin’, but it was missing a little depth in the lyrics for me. It was largely about party culture, which I have nothing against (obviously), but it was hard to emotionally connect to, and it didn’t reach 5 territory.

Modern classic

This is another one of those completely average albums. Nothing stood out, and nothing was terrible. The guitar was solid, but I found the singing slightly annoying.

Solid Garage Rock Revival band and album. Liked it, would listen again.

I get why they'd include AM but this one is just kind of average to me

Creative sounds. Not for me but very musically interesting.

24/1001 :: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: Fake Tales of San Francisco, Mardy Bum, I listened to this album quite a bit when it came out. I thought the Arctic Money’s were gonna be the next Libertines but turns out they became much more. I think? I feel like their albums lost a little piss along the way but when I listened back to this record I was reminded why I feel in love with them at first. This album is fun as hell and very British. So British in fact that I think some of these references go over my head…what the hell is a marry bum anyway? OK, now back to listening to Sabbath. Sorry Alex Turner…

Not overly a fan of alternative rock/punk. I can see why college girls can sink their teeth into this genre of musoc

3/5

College nostalgia, Brit-rock defining album, very into it

I hadn't realised that this was their debut album...It's a ripper. This album takes everything that was good about British rock bands at the time and dials it up to 11. There are some absolute bangers on this album.

Not bad, not great. I’ve enjoyed the Arctic Monkeys stuff I’ve listened to over the years but it doesn’t grab me as amazing or anything.

75/100. Arctic Monkeys’ debut came out swinging, quick, clever, and full of life. It captured a moment in time with raw confidence and gritty energy, blending garage rock with fast-talking lyricism and a distinctly British wit.

Nope

Genre: Garage Rock Revival One of Britain’s greatest rock albums of the 2000s. Lots of energy, lots of spunk and youth. I’ve listened to this album umpteen times in my life by now, and I’ve yet to get sick of it. It’s not totally perfect, but it’s a real gem, and an interesting little time capsule considering where the Arctic Monkeys have gone since. 4/5

One of my son’s favourite bands so I often hear this album around the house. But I was aware of them long before he was old enough to know them. There’s a lot to like about this album and I have bought the CD on the strength of liking most of the hits coming from it. Always happy to hear these songs on a random shuffle. 3/5 19/7/26

Its been a long time since I listened to this album but I used to be a huge Arctic Monkeys fan back in high school so I was looking forward to revisiting it. I think it holds up really well. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" is still an absolute bop and there's plenty of other bangers here. I don't think its my favorite AM record but I understand why its the one they would go with for this list. Definitely the greatest album with a Adam Sandler look-a-like on the cover. Favorite track: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Um álbum excelente. Sonoridade mais crua. QoA Vesper

It's incredible that this was banged out by a bunch of kids. The lyrics are killer. The intelligence of the arrangement of instruments. Talent beyond their years. 'But his bird said it's amazing so all that's left is the proof that love's not only blind but deaf.'

I hate when the media called something rock'n roll, but for this it was right on the money. 100% energy, variation on point, great songwriting. This gets me pumping.

Early 00's British Institution.

Pretty fast and playful, and consistently good. I don't think there was any one track that stood out or left a big impression

First album added to spotify under 1001 albums. Definitely has punk rock feel.

I have never listened to this album cover to cover despite being very aware of the Arctic Monkeys and enjoying the songs I have heard. I'm excited to hear any hidden gems I've been missing out on. Well, no real hidden gems unfortunately. The last song may have been my favorite of the songs I hadn't heard before. I wanted to like this album more. It just wasn't interesting to me. The guitar work seemed good, lots of "punk-y" type songs mixed in with some slower ones. It just didn't really grab me. Disappointing. 3.4/5

One of my favorite albums growing up and such a fun, high energy punk album. Full of cheeky stories of teenage revelry and mischief, it was filled with perfect anthems of my youth. While I am impressed at the bands willingness and ability to change over the years, this will forever be my favorite version of the band and its raw simplicity and fun lyrics always keep me hooked. What a privilege to re listen after all these years.

This album just makes me think of Davis so it makes me happy. Super nostalgic too because all the big kids were obsessed w it in freshman t show so it will always be a cool album to me. 4.5 cuz it’s a tad one note

Acc insane like wow this album rocked. I think given some more listens this would easily vault into top 15 territory of all the albums we’ve listened to.

Not my style so much, but I like the pop punk vibe. And the guy has a really good voice.

Decent punky rock, modern, not overly produced.

I had never listened to their debut. Much more rock than the more indie than the stuff I’m familiar with. I especially liked the closing track.

I've enjoyed the Arctic Monkeys. The guitar on Mardy Bum kills me, I love it. But I had never listened to an entire album. Still love them. I can't figure out why I enjoy them so much, but I guess the guitars, and the punk ethos, and the voice all come together nicely.

It probably is the best of the wave of 00s UK indie I grew up with. Really good, sharp songwriting, tight playing, a great rhythm section, fun, funny, smart.

Not really a fan

solid 4! i liked the album overall and got a few favs

I’m not exaggerating when I say that it literally took me one second into this album for me to realize I was gonna love it. Arctic Monkeys was one of those bands that were somewhere on the edge of my radar, but never really got to the center. I think I considered them too indie for me, probably because of AM (I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it). But after this, I’m practically kicking myself for never really giving them a shot. It’s got every good element of 2000’s rock and alternative. It’s catchy, frantic, and never one-note. I genuinely don’t think there was one weak song here. Even the slow song Riot Van didn’t break the streak. This list has given me some drivel from the UK music scene in the 2000’s. Really, all they needed to give me was stuff like this. Fucking fantastic. Favorite track: Between A Certain Romance and The View From The Afternoon. It’s hard to pick. Other hits: rest of the album

Was already massively into this album. Just classic stuff - my 3rd fave AM album at time of rating, mainly because of Fake Tales of S.F. and Still Take Yo Home. Massively takes me back to Whistler 2026/27.

Pretty awesome!

This album voted for Brexit. Nothing surer.

I remember when Dance Floor broke. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my speed at the time. Glad to finally ingest this whole album. Very catchy. Very British. If I were 16 when it came, I would've adored it.

I never got this band, and listening today only confirms it: these guys sound painfully, unmistakably middle class. Like leather jackets bought from Zara.

essential brit rock band of the 2000's. This album has been saved in my library for ages now and it doesn't get boring or old or outdated with age!! love them, they haven't put out an album i didn't like yet :]

A new take on indie pop rock, sang with a proper accents and telling the stories of growing up in city. Raw and in your face.

A pure rock revival to harken back days of ol' with the Brit Pop wave.

vier bis fünf – nochmal hören

It’s alright. Decent rock but a bit bland really. The lyrics and stories aren’t as clever as they think they are.

One of the best debut albums released. Not everything hits the mark but when it does its exciting. The drumming and lead guitar manage to cancel out the affected vocals enough. When the sun goes down, I bet you look good on the dancefloor and mardy bum are career highlights.

amazing

Having swerved this album when it came out, I wasn't sure how listening now would go. The first track didn't give me much hope as the fast and frantic on each instrument and vocal quickly became a constant baseline without much deviation for me. But then as the tracks progressed it gave me that variation I craved; in particular on the vocals. The lyrics are confrontational and caricatures people, which I find hard to tune into, but when/if you are tuned in, it's an adrenaline fun ride.

You can feel the sticky carpets. A whole album dedicated to the local lads living in big towns and provincial English cities and their nights out when all the uni kids have gone home. Fake tan, lager, idiotic banter. But the music is as good as this wave of indy/garage rock got. Frenetic guitars and countering bass add to the picture of a youthful summer - old enough to think you're an adult but too young to worry about the rent.

Great lyrics and strong song writing elevate strong, but standard, indie fair

Authentic and raw.

This is a very rare album. One that, in 2006, seemingly everyone in the UK all loved all at once. Music fans and people who couldn't care less all cottoned on to this group at the same time, with catchy, immediate singles leading to the release of a well rounded and (more than anything else) fun album. There is a freshness to it that almost 20 years later still manages to make you sit up, despite all of the singles having received more than its fair share of airtime. Alex Turner is at his funniest on this debut. Its his well observed, interesting or absurd lyrics that turns an album of energetic garage rock tunes and slower indie ballads into something instantly relatable for most listeners. "Have you been drinking, son? You don't look old enough to me." "I'm sorry, officer, is there a certain age you're supposed to be? 'Cause nobody told me." There are touch points that you can hear under the bonnet: The Strokes; The Streets; The Rapture; but what they're doing is a new amalgamation and created an album that still today some guy in your local pub describes as "the last time a band made proper music."

Some of the first basslines i learned, two weaker tracks but otherwise perfect, a classic.

It’s fine, but not my thing.

6/10 Is this the Hives, Franz Fernidad, or the Vines? 7-7-2025

This started out, like I wasn't going to like it, and wondering how they survived putting out an album like this. It did get better about half way through, and I could hear the band I'm more familiar with. If I was in a store, listening to this ... I would not have bought it.

It is ok. I was familiar with the more popular songs from radio and clubs back in the day. Loved some of the lyrics, phrasing and delivery. Outstayed its welcome pretty quickly though. Good, rugged no frills production.

Can remember this coming out and alongside Franz Ferdinand this began a renaissance of guitar British guitar bands. Great debut, much better than Oasis. Musically superior and good lyrics.

Not for me. Good energy. 5/10.

Definitely a brilliant album, not a tastemakers selection. Just a robust and angsty British rock album. As good as debut albums come. These blokes were 18-20 when writing, recording, releasing and touring this culturally important album. I agree with the guy who said this is important to those who were young when it was released. I agree, but finding it late in my life was huge. A return to '06 and my roots in punk.

Heard it before. This album is the true sound of early 00s indie which could make it terribly dated nowadays but for some reason it sounds as fresh as ever. Every single song is a banger. Timeless classic 5/5

a drunk singer, a loop and an angry battery

Great thrash got boring

Love it. Great songs, dark subjects. Great debut album.

A land mark debut, an accurate representation of a moment in time.

Great debut but they got better. AM is their high point although Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is a personal favourite. My sons first ever concert, a forever memory for us both

One of the "new" albums (i.e. not in my version of the book). Not a false step here. Very assured debut (fastest selling debut at the time of release). An Indie classic.

Decent, but unremarkable & derivative

Pure 00s Rock

Before he started crooning about the milk going off on his spaceship, Alex Turner really was an incredible storyteller.

Hard-driving ‘00s emo-post-punk garage rock. It has admirable energy and they let loose with some thrash. It was a little too British for me between the vocals and the lyrics, and too of its time.

Classic!!!!

Big monkeys fan. Not their best, however. Fair go. Worst Song: Still Take You Home Best Song: The View From The Afternoon Songs added to Liked Songs:

Fans hearing this album for the first time thanks to MySpace would be ultimately mislead in the wonderful future that social media could bring. Though AM would subsequently release stronger albums, Whatever People Say I Am remains a home run of a debut that doesn't let up, and does 2000s Brit Rock better than any other band at the time.

The birth of Arctic Monkeys arrives at the intersection of iteration and identity, on the corner of continual reinvention, instantly making space for my favorite modern band’s place within the great rock & roll tradition.

This is a good album.

A Certain Romance - Guitar riff is lovely and beat is pleasant. Straight ear candy

Last great rock album. Amzinf sound, great riffs. No skips at all.

Album is a lot of fun.

No skip territory, but a lot of the style is repetitive. That being said, the style is great. Arctic Monkeys, in my eyes, are one of the first modern rock bands that was making rock cool again, branching away from the soft emo rock era of Nickelback, Fall Out Boy, etc.

It was ok

god bless Sheffield

este disco se siente como tener 20 años, que te esten pasando miles de cosas por adentro y por afuera, no las entendés del todo pero estás empezando a conocerte y la única forma que tenés de sacarlas es con música galopante, rítimica, que no da respiro, porque un poco te querés escapar del lugar donde creciste y de todos sus personajes aunque al mismo tiempo todo te da un poco de nostalgia. Querés ladrar y comerte el mundo, y la guitarrita es tu más fiel amiga.

Great sound.

A straightforward album by a reliable band. I had fun listening to it, though there are no stand-out tracks for me.

Already know and love this one. Yay Arctic Monkeys! :) Best song: When The Sun Goes Down Notable(s): You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights, Riot Van, The View From The Afternoon

Get off the bandwagon. Put down the handbook.

This album is top notch stuff from Arctic Monkeys. While they didn't create the genre of early 2000's Brit-Indie-Pop-Punk they may have perfected it with this album. Bright guitars, fast drums and jazz chords combine for some really fun music. No doubt that I have a bias toward this album from having it on repeat when it came out in 2006 but I stand by my adolescent interest. This music is energetic and fun and has aged perfectly.

This is a shot of pure nostalgia. I had this album on constant rotation in high school. It was one of the albums that got me out of the classic rock hole I was stuck in. My tastes have definitely changed since then though, as I can’t see myself returning to this album too frequently, if ever. When this came out I absolutely loved the stop-start guitars and how they played with the bass and drums. It’s still fun to listen to now, but I definitely don’t connect to this music the same was as I did back then. I still listen to Modest Mouse from time to time, which was the other band that saved me from only ever listening to classic rock. It’s a shame they’re not on this list.

En 2006, quatre jeunes de Sheffield, à peine sortis de l’adolescence, catapultaient sur la scène rock britannique un pavé d’une authenticité foudroyante. "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not", le premier album des Artic Monkeys avec un son brut et sans fard d’une jeunesse désabusée mais vibrante. Dès les premières mesures de "The View from the Afternoon", le ton est donné. Une batterie frénétique, des guitares qui lacèrent l'air de riffs acérés comme du verre brisé, et par-dessus tout, la voix d'Alex Turner, gouailleuse, précise, débitant à une vitesse folle des observations d'une acuité sidérante. C'est là que réside le premier coup de génie de l'album : sa capacité à capturer l'ordinaire pour le transformer en une poésie urbaine et électrique. Les sorties en boîte de nuit, les espoirs de séduction maladroits, les altercations évitées de justesse, les taxis de fin de soirée ; chaque morceau est un court-métrage, une tranche de vie de la classe ouvrière du nord de l’Angleterre, dépeinte avec un réalisme cru et une ironie mordante. L'album est une décharge d'adrénaline quasi ininterrompue. Des hymnes générationnels comme "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" ou "Dancing Shoes" sont des invitations impossibles à refuser à une danse frénétique et cathartique. L'énergie est palpable, presque nerveuse. On sent l'urgence de ces jeunes musiciens qui, avant même d'être signés, avaient conquis leur public grâce à la diffusion virale de leurs démos sur Internet – un phénomène précurseur qui a redéfini les règles de l'industrie musicale. Cette ascension fulgurante, bâtie sur le bouche-à-oreille numérique, a insufflé à l'album une aura d'authenticité et de révolution. Les Arctic Monkeys n'étaient pas un produit marketing ; ils étaient la voix du peuple, amplifiée par la technologie. Musicalement, l'influence du post-punk revival du début des années 2000 est évidente, avec des échos de The Strokes ou The Libertines. Cependant, les "Monkeys" y injectent une saveur typiquement britannique, un héritage qui remonte aux Kinks et aux Jam. Les structures sont directes, sans fioritures superflues. La basse de Andy Nicholson et la batterie de Matt Helders forment une section rythmique implacable, un moteur surpuissant qui ne faiblit jamais. Les guitares d'Alex Turner et de Jamie Cook s'entremêlent dans un dialogue constant, tantôt agressives, tantôt mélodiques, mais toujours au service de l'efficacité redoutable des compositions. Le véritable trésor de "Whatever People Say I Am..." réside sans conteste dans les textes d'Alex Turner. Véritable chroniqueur social, il possède un don d'observation quasi littéraire. Avec un vocabulaire riche et un sens de la formule percutant, il croque les personnages et les situations avec une précision chirurgicale. Que ce soit l'hypocrisie des scènes de drague sur "Fake Tales of San Francisco" ou la tension palpable avant une bagarre dans "From the Ritz to the Rubble", Turner raconte des histoires universelles à travers le prisme de son expérience locale. Des titres plus mélancoliques comme "Mardy Bum", avec son analyse fine d'une dispute de couple, ou le poignant "A Certain Romance", qui jette un regard à la fois critique et affectueux sur sa propre culture, démontrent une maturité d'écriture sidérante pour un jeune homme d'à peine vingt ans. L'album ne brille pas par sa complexité orchestrale ou sa diversité sonore mais il mérite une note de 5/5 car c'est un excellent premier album qui se vit autant qu'il s'écoute, un uppercut d'énergie et d'intelligence dont la pertinence reste totale. Un classique moderne, un disque essentiel qui a parfaitement rempli sa mission : définir le son d'une génération avec une honnêteté et une énergie qui forcent l'admiration. Un cri du cœur et des tripes qui mérite sa place au sommet.

Hard Rock, little Punk. Best Songs: Dancing Shoes & When the Sun goes down

Classic. Still holds up. I practically time travelled back to 2006 with its songs about arsehole bouncers and trying to pull girls on the dancefloor.

Ei mikään biisi noussut pinnalle ja odotin kieltämättä että koska tämä loppuu.

I am not an Arctic Monkeys fan, I am an 'AM' fan.

6/28/2025

Frenetic pace is a nice change.

Maybe one of the best albums of the nillies for me…

One of the dirty little secrets of punk rock is that it's better when it steers clear of out-and-out nihilism in favor of pure raw desire - eros rather than thanatos. There's a reason Joey Ramone's favorite word was "wanna." And these guys wanna, whether it's ripping off Bowie's "China Girl" to end a song about people enjoying the Thin White Duke's favorite pharmaceutical or trying, over and over without much success, to get with that vain girl at the party who's bad news in a good way. All along there are great lines ("All the weekend rockstars are in the toilet /Practicing their lines," from the aforementioned coke song) to go with the tunes and the musicianship. (the closer "A Certain Romance" is downright beautiful.) The fake San Francisco call-out is telling - if you're gonna be a Northern Beat then this is the way to do it. Bonus points awarded for looking past Roxanne to see the dark satanic mill keeping her on the street at night.

I can’t be unbiased about Arctic Monkeys, I was obsessed with them all through my early-20s (like Alex Turner posters on my wall and everything, fully wanted to be Alexa Chung and/or Miles Kane) and now in my 30s I know it’s ‘uncool’ but I don’t care and I still honestly get around every song, including their much maligned new 70s space age spy soundtrack lounge vibe records. This album is banger after banger, IBYLGOTD is particularly generation-defining stuff of course, with Mardy Bum and WTSGD my main favourites.

“to all of the fellas out there who were too cool to wave their arms to the pretty visitors chorus, this one’s for your girlfriends. LADIEESSSSSSS” - alex btw the biggest green flag is being able to sing the intro to from the ritz to the rubble

pretty good 4