The Soundtrack of Our Lives

From the Ritz to The Car, Arctic Monkeys have been sitting at rock’s top table for nearly two decades, perpetually subverting expectations. Never content to sit still, after soaring to the top of the charts with a classic debut album in 2006, these four teenagers from High Green, Sheffield took a trip to the desert and came back as men, delivering a second generation-defining record in 2013. After conquering the world, they looked to space for inspiration and their latest album sits comfortably inside one of the most fearsome discographies ever assembled. The last British rock band to impact the charts, this book is a chronological journey through their extraordinary career and attempts to make sense of Alex Turner’s lyrical ideas. The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a series of books about band or artists that have shaped the culture in some way. While not exhaustive, they are focussed purely on the music and structured to chronicle the artists’ career from start to the present day. Richard Bowes is the author of Some Might Say: The Story of Oasis and writes for Clash, Louder Than War and Live4Ever. This book is part of his series, The Soundtrack of Our Lives.