What should a new Arctic Monkeys album sound like?

Posted On August 25, 2025August 25, 2025

It seems to be happening. Following recent changes to their website, it could be the case that Arctic Monkeys are gearing up to release new music.

Despite the rumours circling the band, ranging from “they’re breaking up” and “They’re releasing new music” to “They’ve flown in a spaceship to the moon”, it’s always interesting to see just how much they manage to capitalise on the mystery factor whenever a new album is on the horizon.

That mystery carries over into what future projects (if they happen) could sound like. The band aren’t ones for sticking to a simplistic style of music. Every album they have released seems to represent a new chapter for Arctic Monkeys, one that sees them explore a different style of music, a new sound and a new look altogether. Their mystery and versatility mean predicting what they might do next is tricky.

They first entered people’s hearts with their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. You’d never heard a night out in Sheffield described so beautifully. Everything was factual in these upbeat indie bops, from the description of nightclub queues to the people who inhabited them.

The sound of this debut was so enticing that there are still bands today trying to replicate it. Acts such as The Reytons have managed to make a name for themselves by essentially producing awful renditions of the songs on this album. Whatever People Say I Am created a moment in time that many never wanted to leave; however, the Arctic Monkeys did.

Granted, there are similarities between their debut album and their second, Favourite Worst Nightmare. Alex Turner admitted that the bar was high for the second album, and the band was keen to stick to what they knew and get it out of the way, killing the anticipation and allowing the band to move on to other things. It’s not the band’s favourite record, but there are still some pretty good songs on there.

“It’s fine, just not that considered,” said Alex Turner, “Though I’m really glad we did it – otherwise I might still be sitting around trying to write ‘Hallelujah’. After that, we all though thought we needed to move on… if only to prove that it weren’t all about those 12 songs about the chip shop.”

From that point on, Arctic Monkeys made a point to approach every album with a different perspective. If you listen to their debut, compared to their most recent offering, The Car, you would think it’s two completely different bands. It begs the question: While some people are predicting they have new music coming, if they did release another album, what would it sound like? They’ve proven they have a lot of versatility, so would they continue pushing boundaries? Or would they revert to the style of one of their older albums?

So, what should a new Arctic Monkeys album sound like?

The thing is, there isn’t a perfect answer to the question, “What’s Arctic Monkeys’ best album?” Every record’s its own beast. Some people swear by the scrappy energy of the debut, others lean into the sleaze of AM, and then you’ve got the ones defending Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino like it’s high art. The point is, there isn’t one definitive peak. And because of that, they don’t really have a trademark style they need to run back to—it’s always shifting.

Realistically, the answer to “What should a new Arctic Monkeys sound like?” is going to vary exponentially depending on who you ask and what their favourite era of the band is. 

It’s safe to assume that after donning suits and writing music laced in unnecessary metaphors, Arctic Monkeys probably won’t go back to making a sound like on their first couple of records. The band also shouldn’t mimic the sound of The Car, given it was one of their most dull, condescending and up-itself records to date. All fans can and truly hope for is that Arctic Monkeys continue to push themselves creatively as they have always done, breaking down barriers and pining for something they are yet to do. What that sounds like, who knows? 

…but what is Arctic Monkeys’ most popular album? 

Given there isn’t a specific style of music that Arctic Monkeys seem destined to create, if they were to opt for their most commercially successful sound, what would that be? While the band have plenty of well-regarded albums in their arsenal, their most successful LP was 2013’s AM.

Their early albums were a hit in the UK but didn’t travel quite as well overseas. AM was the first of their albums, which seemed to really break America, and it skyrocketed them to international fame as well as domestic. It’s unlikely the band would ever return to this rock-heavy biker style, but there are a lot of fans out there who are probably hoping that they will.

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