Arctic Monkeys: From 0 to 60 in just 5 years

The Arctic Monkeys have matured a lot in 5 years.

It was only five years ago that all the U.K. music magazines declared The Arctic Monkeys the greatest rock band ever. The band's 2006 debut Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not broke the British record for fastest selling debut album ever. And, unlike a lot of English indie rock (every band not named Oasis), the record did pretty well in the states, too.

The U.K. rock press declares a new Beatles every six months or so, but Whatever... deserved the attention. Arctic Monkeys is a goofy name for a band, but there was nothing silly about the band's obvious work ethic. They blasted through catchy and powerful guitar pop songs with the precision of expert craftsmen. And frontman Alex Turner was a slick lyricist, filling the Monkey's tunes with great observational wit and humor.