Revisiting Arctic Monkeys’ debut album - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - released on this day in 2006

Virgin Radio

23 Jan 2023, 15:07

Arctic Monkeys dropped their acclaimed debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, on 23rd January 2006.

The album features the Sheffield band’s first two singles, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor and When the Sun Goes Down, as well as other classics, such as Fake Tales of San Francisco and Mardy Bum.

Having formed four years earlier, the band had already gained an army of fans, and garnered attention from the music press, ahead of their debut LP. Whilst Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was the group’s first album, they had already recorded Beneath the Boardwalk, a collection of 18 demos which were burned onto CDs and given away for free at their gigs. These songs were shared online, causing a buzz in anticipation of their first LP.

Amid its garage-indie-alt rock sounds, the album’s lyrics dealt with nightlife culture, romance, relationships, and the everyday working-class existence, and were praised for their insightful look at life. 

For instance, Fake Tales of San Francisco - which takes a swipe at bands jumping on bandwagons rather than being true to their roots - includes zingers such as: “He talks of San Francisco, he's from Hunter's Bar, I don't quite know the distance, but I'm sure that's far,” and “I'd love to tell you all my problem, You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham, So get off the bandwagon, and put down the handbook.”

Indeed, so wise, witty and world-weary were the lyrics, that unfounded and untrue rumours circulated that the young band had help penning them. Jim Bob, lead singer of 90s indie legends Carter USM, once told NME: “A rumour went round that I’d ghostwritten Arctic Monkeys’ debut album. I enjoyed that one – but didn’t start it.”

The first single to be released in advance of the record was I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. The video is a live version of the song in a studio, performed in front of a small audience.

The album's title comes from the novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, by Alan Sillitoe, while the black and white cover photo is of Chris McClure, the brother of Reverend and The Makers lead singer Jon McClure. 

Such was the anticipation for the record, it became the fastest selling debut in British music history, shifting more than 360,000 copies in its first week. This surpassed the previous record of 306,631 units sold by Hear'Say, and it unsurprisingly went to number one in the UK charts.

And when it landed, the record definitely didn’t disappoint. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was highly praised by critics. Frontman and lyricist Alex Turner was described by NME as a "master of observation” in a 10/10 review, while The Guardian’s five-star review suggested that the band “look and sound unstoppable”. Rolling Stone said that the album delivered “succinct riffs and snarly, wordy lyrics”.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not won the Brit Award for Best British Album, the 2007 Mercury Prize, and picked up a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.

The record has lasted the test of time as well. It was ranked 19th in NME's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and 30th in Rolling Stone's 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time.

Bassist Andy Nicholson left Arctic Monkeys shortly after the release of the LP, and the band dropped an EP later in 2006. They then released their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, in April 2007. Just like their first album, it hit the top of the UK charts.

The band are still going strong all these years on, and recently announced a massive tour for 2023.