2006 in British Music

The Story of 2006

Arctic Monkeys' 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' was released in January and became the fastest-selling debut album in British history. It won the Mercury Prize, the Brit Awards and every other award going. Alex Turner's observational lyrics about Sheffield nightlife – taxis, kebabs and dances – connected with a generation. The internet had proven it could break a band without traditional media. The indie scene was in full swing: Kasabian's 'Empire', Muse's 'Black Holes and Revelations' (with 'Knights of Cydonia', absurd and brilliant), The Kooks' 'Inside In/Inside Out', Razorlight's self-titled. Lily Allen's 'Alright, Still' was a breath of fresh air – 'Smile' and 'LDN' mixing ska and pop with her cheeky, London-inflected lyrics. Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black' was released in October, a masterpiece that fused Motown, soul and jazz with her confessional songwriting. 'Rehab' was the single that introduced her to the world. Mark Ronson produced it and became the most in-demand producer in Britain. Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' was the year's biggest single. The indie scene was becoming overcrowded – the 'landfill indie' criticism was starting to stick – but the best British music was as good as ever.