Twenty years ago, four working-class teenagers from Sheffield released an album that became the fastest selling debut album in British music history. That album was Arctic Monkeys’s ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ and two decades on it remains as one of the most successful British albums of all time.

From dirty nightclubs to underage drinking, the album presents an unpolished view of early 2000s Sheffield wrapped up in unruly electric guitars. The album is turbulent and energetic, perfectly paced to fit in with MASH’s Tuesday indie nights or any Cambridge cover band setlist. Introduced to me by my dad, through this album Arctic Monkeys became the first band I loved and the opening track’s music video (if you know, you know), inspired me to learn the drums, which I still play to this day, (shoutout to @string_theory_cambridge on Instagram). Before exploring the album itself, we are going to take a trip to the early 2000s to see where this album began.

“From dirty nightclubs to underage drinking, the album presents an unpolished view of early 2000s Sheffield wrapped up in unruly electric guitars”

Formed in 2002, Arctic Monkeys consisted of Alex Turner (lead singer, guitarist), Matt Helders (drummer), Jamie Cook (guitarist) and Andy Nicholson (former bassist). By 2004 the group were burning their tracks onto free CD’s to be circulated at gigs. These demos, (collectively termed ‘Beneath the Boardwalk’), were uploaded by fans to the internet, popularizing the band. Finally released in 2006 the debut album was an instant hit, winning the 2007 Mercury Prize, Time Magazine’s best album of 2006 and a 2006 Brit award. NME claimed the album covered “every touchstone of Great British Music”, referencing bands including The Stone Roses and The Kinks. In 2006, ‘Great British Music’, (think songs about ordinary British life, local references and recognisably British accents), finally found its new successor: the Arctic Monkeys.

Their debut album highlighted the power of internet promotion, revived British music and inspired numerous bands including Inhaler and Blossoms. To explain it in university terms, Arctic Monkeys are like that one academic whose idea gets referenced in every research paper of a similar topic. In my opinion, whilst there are currently excellent indie rock bands including Wunderhorse and The Guest List, no British band has since created the sort of generation defining sound that Arctic Monkeys did.

Arctic Monkeys’s sound was fresh and authentic and another factor that made their debut album stand out was the raw energy that burns through every track, a vivacity that only rowdy teenagers possess. The first track, ‘The View From The Afternoon’, sparks that raging energy with Helders’s fiercely rapid hi-hat semiquaver groove spurring on the aggressive guitars. ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ follows, and I’ve seen the dizzying intro electrify the Tuesday indie night crowd many times (have I promoted my favourite Cambridge club night enough yet?). “Dirty dancefloors” and Shakespeare are not the most common pairing, so prepare yourself English students, as Turner sharply blends literature and Sheffield nightlife: “there ain’t no love, no Montagues or Capulets,/ Just banging tunes and DJ sets”.

Slowing down in ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’ the band disperse from the dancefloor to the bathrooms where they encounter“weekend rockstars” from the monotonous local scene that they wish to break free from. Snippets of dialogue enliven the song and a girl’s adoration of her boyfriend’s terrible band earns a witty comment from Turner: “love’s not only blind but deaf”.

Helder’s rumbling tom groove in ‘Dancing Shoes’ mirrors the feeling of hurtling down dead streets at night, and the pace accelerates into the punchy ‘You Probably Couldn’t See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me’. Gritty guitars grab centre stage on ‘Still Take You Home’ whilst Turner sings of a “Topshop princess”, the album unapologetically British.

‘Riot Van’ drunkenly sways with Libertines-style strumming guitars and petty crime. Vignettes of rough town life continue in ‘Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secure’ before ‘Mardy Bum’, a haphazard love song begins with affectionate words and ends with a gorgeous mellow guitar solo.

“No British band has since created the sort of generation defining sound that Arctic Monkeys did”

Turner criticises those who doubted the band with teenage swagger in ‘Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But…’. A dynamic instrumental solo concludes the track with guitars weaving around Helder’s simple but effective snare drum fills. ‘When The Sun Goes Down’ explores prostitution with Turner describing the unspoken subtleties of sordid interactions. The song’s iconic sudden drop mimics the breakout of a fight as pounding drums and darting bass line bolt forward.

“Totalitarian” bouncers gain the spotlight in ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble’ before the final track, ‘A Certain Romance’ begins. The song opens with the line, “Well, oh they might wear reeboks or knackered converse or tracky bottoms tucked in socks”, a far cry from the cable knit sweaters and quarter zips found on Sidgwick site. Whilst disillusioned words are serenaded by melodic electric guitars, Turner’s bittersweet lyricism still shows affection for his hometown.

So that concludes my ode to one of the best debut albums of all time. Now the question is where will Arctic Monkeys head next? They are speculated to feature on the next War Child album, but what about another full album? Fans debate whether the band will develop the suave, laid-back sound of their latest album The Car, or if we will ever hear more AM-style rock’n’roll from the no longer teenage rockstars. Or perhaps whatever people say about them, that’s what they are not – we will just have to wait and see.