Arctic Monkeys

With their nervy and literate indie rock sound, Arctic Monkeys arrived in 2005 with a blast. Assisted by rave reviews and online word of mouth, the band quickly became a sensation in the United Kingdom. Buoyed by the single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, their 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not briefly grabbed the title of fastest-selling album in British history. It landed on top of both the U.K. and U.S. rock album charts and took home the Mercury Prize. Arctic Monkeys have proven highly unpredictable, reworking classic rock traditions on 2007's Favourite Worst Nightmare and beefing up their guitars with the assistance of Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age on 2009's Humbug. Eventually, they also laced in some of the louche lounge aspects of Alex Turner's swinging side project the Last Shadow Puppets, as on 2013's AM, 2018's arty Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, and 2022's The Car, but by that point, the band were a staple throughout the world: a respected, adventurous, and successful group who could easily be called Britain's biggest band of the early 21st century.