Every Arctic Monkeys Album Ranked, on Vinyl
Arctic Monkeys have released seven studio albums over sixteen years, and they've been one of the most consistently interesting British rock bands of the century so far. From the breakneck guitar-pop of their 2006 debut through the desert-rock detour of Humbug to the cinematic chamber-pop of The Car, the catalogue contains some of the most-purchased indie vinyl of the past two decades.
This guide ranks every studio album with notes on the pressing, what to listen for, and which records are currently in stock at Viking Records. AM remains the band's biggest seller — it's currently in the Official Charts Top 10 best-selling vinyl albums of 2026 — but plenty of fans would argue the debut, Favourite Worst Nightmare or even The Car deserves the top spot.
The ranking below reflects critical consensus and the views most long-term fans hold. Six of the seven studio albums are in stock; the seventh (Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino) is flagged in the text but not yet available.
→ Shop the full Arctic Monkeys vinyl collection at Viking Records
7. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)
The most divisive Arctic Monkeys album by some distance. Tranquility Base abandoned guitars almost entirely in favour of pianos and lounge-rock arrangements, with Alex Turner singing in character as a hotel lounge crooner across a concept album set on the moon. Long-term fans either love it as a brave artistic statement or struggle with the lack of immediate hooks; both readings are defensible.
6. Suck It and See (2011)
Suck It and See is the lighter, more melodic record sandwiched between the desert-rock heaviness of Humbug and the breakthrough commercial sheen of AM. Songs like "She's Thunderstorms" and "Black Treacle" are some of Turner's most straightforwardly romantic writing, and the album holds together better than its modest reputation suggests.
This LP pressing includes an MP3 download. Worth picking up if you're completing the catalogue — particularly if you've enjoyed Humbug and want to hear what came next.
Key track: She's Thunderstorms
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Arctic Monkeys — Suck It and See (2011, Vinyl LP + MP3) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
5. The Car (2022)
The Car continued where Tranquility Base left off — orchestral arrangements, slower tempos, Alex Turner's croon front and centre — but with more songcraft and more variation across the tracklist. "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" and "Body Paint" became the singles, but the album rewards being heard whole. The critical reception was strong, and the album has held up well in the years since.
The vinyl pressing is clean and well-presented. A reasonable starting point if you're curious about the band's contemporary direction — and a useful contrast to the more guitar-driven early albums.
Key track: Body Paint
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Arctic Monkeys — The Car (2022, Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
4. Humbug (2009)
Humbug was the album where Arctic Monkeys decamped to the Mojave Desert, recorded with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and came back with the slowest, heaviest, strangest record of their catalogue. Long-term fans who'd wanted a third Whatever People Say were unsettled at the time; in retrospect the album is one of the band's most rewarding listens, and it set up the more experimental directions they'd take later in the decade.
This 180g pressing brings out the dense, low-end-heavy production particularly well. A great record to live with on a turntable.
Key track: Crying Lightning
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Arctic Monkeys — Humbug (2009, 180g Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
3. Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
The difficult second album that ended up being anything but difficult. Recorded quickly after the debut's success, Favourite Worst Nightmare is sharper, faster and more focused than Whatever People Say, with "Brianstorm," "Fluorescent Adolescent" and "505" all becoming staples of their live set. A short album that doesn't waste a moment.
This remastered reissue is the version most fans would point to — well-mastered for vinyl, with the original artwork intact. The second pillar of the band's early catalogue.
Key track: 505
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Arctic Monkeys — Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007, Remastered Reissue LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
"AM is the biggest commercial Arctic Monkeys record — but the debut and Favourite Worst Nightmare are the ones long-term fans tend to reach for most often."
2. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
The debut album that more or less invented British indie rock for the late 2000s. Recorded when most of the band were nineteen, Whatever People Say became the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history on release — a status it held for years. "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," "Mardy Bum" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" are the songs most fans first knew, but the deeper cuts hold up just as well.
This LP pressing presents the album cleanly. Worth owning alongside AM as the two bookends of the band's commercial career.
Key track: Mardy Bum
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Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006, Vinyl LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
1. AM (2013)
AM is the band's commercial peak and the album most casual fans first heard. The sound is glossier and bigger than the earlier records — Josh Homme returns as a guest, the rhythm section sits forward, and Turner's vocals are processed with more reverb than the band had previously used. "Do I Wanna Know?," "R U Mine?" and "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" became some of the most-streamed indie rock songs of the decade.
This 180g remastered LP is the best currently-available pressing — the dynamic range that streaming compresses is fully intact on vinyl. AM is currently in the UK's Official Charts Top 10 best-selling vinyl albums for 2026, a remarkable position for a record released over a decade ago.
Key track: Do I Wanna Know?
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Arctic Monkeys — AM (2013, Remastered 180g LP) In stock at Viking Records — new, sealed, fast UK delivery. |
Where to start
If you're new to Arctic Monkeys on vinyl, AM is the obvious entry point — most listeners come to the band through it. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the natural second purchase, with Favourite Worst Nightmare as the third. After those three you'll have a clear sense of the band's arc, and Humbug or The Car will give you the more experimental side of the catalogue.
If you enjoy Arctic Monkeys, our Alternative / Indie vinyl collection and Rock vinyl collection are both worth a browse. For other British rock catalogues with a similar pedigree, our Oasis vinyl guide covers the band most often mentioned alongside Arctic Monkeys in conversations about defining 21st-century British rock, and our Fleetwood Mac guide is worth reading for anyone interested in the wider rock-canon pressings that hold their value. For broader context on Arctic Monkeys' place in the 2000s British indie movement, the Wikipedia page is a solid factual overview and Arctic Monkeys Official Website for news and tours.
→ Shop the full Arctic Monkeys vinyl collection at Viking Records
Keith runs Viking Records — a UK online vinyl shop curating new releases, deluxe pressings, and standout records across genre and era. New posts every week.
