How Arctic Monkeys Broke America
- Ticket Broker Center
- Jan 16, 2020
- 1 min read
Every British band since the Beatles has seen going Mainstream in America as a measure of supreme success. But rarely does that happen. Its a big place and just because something appeals to UK taste, doesn't mean it'll definitely crossover.
Some of the greatest British bands of all time haven't made a dent in US. Cliff Richard, The Kinks, The Jam, The Stone Roses, Blur, The Libertines: all household names in Britain but barely known in the US. With their wordy debut single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor", Arctic Monkeys were a band that seemed destined for this lack of US-appreciation, a Sheffield guitar band beloved in the UK, whose singer's insightful lyricism followed a British songwriting tradition passed down from Kinks' Ray Davies through Paul Weller, Morrissey and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker.
This quintessential British view on nights out, relationships and “not very good” local bands ran through their 2006 debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. References to Rotherham, the phrase “Mardy Bum” and frontman Alex Turner's thick Yorkshire accent were not going to translate internationally. But then 7 years later they beefed up their sound, slowed down and made the US Billboard top 10 with “Do I Wanna Know?” This is New British Canon and Here's the story of How the Arctic Monkeys' broke America.
Credit to Original Creator: Trash Theory
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