"AM" is the fifth studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, released on September 9, 2013, through Domino Recording Company. The album was produced by longtime collaborator James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton, with recording taking place at Sage & Sound Recording in Los Angeles and Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California.
The album was promoted by singles including "R U Mine?", "Do I Wanna Know?", "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "One for the Road", "Arabella", and "Snap Out of It". It features guest appearances from Josh Homme, Bill Ryder-Jones, and Pete Thomas.
AM is noted for its blend of various genres, including psychedelic rock, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, desert rock, R&B, funk, and soul. This album marks Arctic Monkeys' first foray into a hip hop-influenced sound, with a recording approach that emphasized creating a "studio album" according to frontman Alex Turner. New instruments, such as the piano, organ, Hohner Guitaret, and vintage drum machine, were incorporated into the album. Thematically, it explores frustration related to tainted romance, sex, and loneliness.
Commercially, AM is one of Arctic Monkeys' most successful albums, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and selling over 157,000 copies in its first week. It also became one of the UK's best-selling vinyl albums of the decade, with 73,000 units sold. In the US, it achieved significant success, with "Do I Wanna Know?" becoming the band's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100. The album topped four Billboard charts and was certified seven-times platinum in the US by the RIAA in 2023.
Critically, AM received acclaim for its darker and groovier sound compared to previous records. It won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for "Do I Wanna Know?" and the Mercury Prize. Several media outlets have ranked AM among the best albums of 2013, the 2000s, and all time. NME named it the best album of the decade and included it in its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Rolling Stone also featured it on its 2020 edition of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
