The Arctic Monkeys are an English indie/rock band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. Formed in 2002, the band currently consists of Alex Turner on lead vocals and guitar, Jamie Cook on guitar, Matt Helders on drums and backing vocals and Nick O'Malley on bass guitar, a position formerly held by Andy Nicholson.
Arctic Monkeys achieved chart success with their first single, "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, released on 23 January 2006, was at the time the fastest-selling debut album in British music history, beating Oasis' Definitely Maybe. It remains the fastest-selling debut album for a group. It received critical acclaim, winning both the 2006 Mercury Prize and the 2007 Brit Award for Best British Album. The band's second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released on 23 April 2007, sold over 225,000 copies in its debut week, and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. The group also picked up the award for Best British Album and Best British Group at the Brit awards in 2008.
Arctic Monkeys are generally considered part of the indie rock scene, alongside bands such as The Libertines, Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand. Arctic Monkeys achieved their success through fan-made demo tapes and online file sharing. They were heralded as one of the first acts to come to the public attention via the Internet, with commentators suggesting they represented the possibility of a change in the way in which new bands are promoted and marketed. The band eventually signed to the independent record label Domino Records.
