505 (song)

"505" is a song by English rock band Arctic Monkeys. Written by lead singer and frontman Alex Turner and produced by James Ford and Mike Crossey, it was released as the final track from the band's second studio album, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007).

"505"
Song by Arctic Monkeys
from the album Favourite Worst Nightmare
Released23 April 2007
GenreIndie rock[1]
Length4:13
LabelDomino
Songwriter(s)Jamie Cook, Matt Helders, Nick O'Malley, Alex Turner
Producer(s)
"505 (Live)"
Promotional single by Arctic Monkeys
from the album Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Released19 November 2020
Recorded7 June 2018
StudioRoyal Albert Hall
Length4:35
LabelDomino
Songwriter(s)Jamie Cook, Matt Helders, Nick O'Malley, Alex Turner
Producer(s)

The song was a sleeper hit, initially peaking at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart. In late 2022, it gained a resurgence in popularity due to usage on the social media platform TikTok.[2] As a result, "505" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and number 94 on the Billboard Global 200. It is currently the most streamed track from Favourite Worst Nightmare.

A live version was released on 19 November 2020 as a promotional single for the band's second live album, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2020).

Release and promotion

"505" was released on 23 April 2007 as the closing track from Arctic Monkeys' second studio album Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007). The song became a frequent closer of the band's live shows since 2008.[1] It has been performed several times with Miles Kane,[3] including during Arctic Monkeys' headline set at TRNSMT in 2018[4] and the last night of the band's three-days residency at the Emirates Stadium in London in June 2023.[5] Turner and Kane also performed the song as The Last Shadow Puppets during their 2016 headline Rockwave Festival set.[3]

On 19 November 2020, the band released a live version of "505" ahead of their second live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall.[6] It was recorded on 7 June 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. All of the proceeds from that project were donated to War Child.[7]

A fan favourite,[8] "505" became popular on TikTok in August 2022 when it was associated to a variety of videos, including some by users showcasing the soft grunge, 2014 Tumblr aesthetic.[9] Following that viral success, the song surged on Spotify where it became the band's third most popular song with an average of 1.7 million plays a month. It reached a new peak in the UK Singles Chart[10] and was number 64 on the 2022 annual chart.[11] It was also the biggest indie song in the UK in 2022.[12]

Composition

"505" is composed in the key of C major with a time signature of 4
4 (common time), and follows a tempo of 140 beats per minute.[13] The track predominantly features an organ sample of Ennio Morricone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,[14] played by Turner himself, as well as a guitar played by long-time collaborator Miles Kane.[15]

The song's lyrics prominently focus on a relationship, and the protagonist yearningly returning to a place for a certain moment or individual.[16] The track is often referred to as one of the first love songs by the band, with Turner stating in an interview with NME, "the first proper love song we've done… as in like, 'Oh, it's that one person.'"[17] In the same interview, Turner also admits the song centers around an ex-lover of his, which fans have theorized refers to Turner's then-girlfriend, Johanna Bennett.[18]

Personnel

Personnel adapted from liner notes[19]

Reception

"505" received mainly positive reviews from critics. Marc Hogan of Pitchfork referred to it as "one of Turner's first proper love songs" stating further, "the closing '505,' [sic] draped with an apparent Ennio Morricone organ sample, poignantly if none too adventurously describes Turner's longing to get back to a hotel room where his lover awaits."[20]

In an article revisiting the track, Harry Fortuna of The Edge praises Turner's maturity in the song's lyrics, commenting "lyrically, Turner is at his poetic best, as he makes his pilgrimage back to his awaiting lover in hotel room 505, he displays his tendency for the explicit as he croons over the lines 'I'm always just about to go and spoil the surprise / Take my hands off of your eyes too soon'".[16] "The song is way before its time," he further states, "evoking a romanticism and air of class that can be seen in much larger volumes in 2013's AM, contrasted with the rustic authenticity that harks back to the band's roots that are grounded in the nightclubs of Sheffield. '505' epitomises everything about the band."

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian states the track "discusses how touring plays havoc with one's love life... It's so heartfelt and riven with insecurity that it transcends the dreary genre to which it should by rights belong, that of songs in which rock stars complain about being rock stars. That stuff this mature and thoughtful was written by someone barely 21 years old genuinely gives you pause for thought."[21] In another article ranking all the band's songs, Petridis ranks "505" at number 3, stating "the belated progress of 505 from overlooked album track to one of Arctic Monkeys' biggest songs... is fascinating. TikTok clearly played a role, but so did the sheer quality of the song: over chords borrowed from Ennio Morricone, it deals in beautifully understated melancholy."

The song was voted number four on the 2023 edition of Radio X's annual "Best British Song of All Time" poll.[22]

Cover versions

American singer Nessa Barrett released a dream pop cover of "505" as part of the extended version of her debut album Young Forever.[23]

British singer Louis Tomlinson covered "505" during the opening night of his "Faith in the Future" tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut on 26 May 2023.[24][25][26]

Charts
Chart performance for "505"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)[27] 94
Greece (IFPI)[28] 19
Ireland (IRMA)[29] 55
UK Singles (OCC)[30] 73
UK Indie (OCC)[31] 2
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[32] 2
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[33] 12
Chart performance for "505 (Live)"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[34] 38
Portugal (AFP)[35] 155

Certifications
Certifications for "505"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[36] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[37] Gold 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[39] 2× Platinum 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Williams, Sophie (21 October 2022). "Arctic Monkeys: "We know more tricks now, but we're still rolling on that same instinct"". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  2. Skinner, Tom (21 October 2022). "Alex Turner tells us about Arctic Monkeys' '505' going viral on TikTok". NME. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. Trendell, Andrew (6 June 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets Perform Arctic Monkeys' "505" for the First Time". Gigwise. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  4. Thomas-Mason, Lee (2 July 2018). "Watch as Miles Kane Joins Arctic Monkeys on Stage for "505" Rendition". Far Out. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  5. Dunworth, Liberty (19 June 2023). "Watch Arctic Monkeys Reunite with Miles Kane for "505" in London". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  6. Marie, Laura (19 November 2020). "Quand les Arctic Monkeys interprétaient 505 en live à Londres en 2018". Les Inrockuptibles (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  7. David, Mathieu (23 November 2020). "Arctic Monkeys : un extrait de leur prochain album live". Oüi FM (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  8. Dodds, Emma (7 July 2023). "The Meanings Behind 18 of Arctic Monkeys' Biggest Songs". Planet Radio. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  9. Goldberg, Madison E. (13 October 2022). "10 Rock Songs from the Mid-2000s That Have Gotten TikTok Revivals". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  10. Skinner, Tom (21 October 2022). "Alex Turner Tells Us About Arctic Monkeys' "505" Going Viral on TikTok". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  11. "End of Year Singles Chart 2022". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  12. "More Growth for U.K. Indie Sector". Hits. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  13. "Key and BPM for 505 by Arctic Monkeys | Tunebat". Tunebat. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  14. Thomas-Mason, Lee (6 July 2020). "What's That Sound? When Arctic Monkeys Sampled the Great Ennio Morricone". Far Out. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  15. "Where Was "505" in the Arctic Monkeys Song". Radio X. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  16. "Rewind: Arctic Monkeys – '505'". The Edge. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  17. Haynes, Gavin (10 May 2018). "Arctic Monkeys – Who are the real life characters behind Alex Turner's early lyrics?". NME. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  18. Leatham, Thomas (5 September 2022). "The Real People Behind Some of Arctic Monkeys' Best Characters". Far Out. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  19. Favourite Worst Nightmare (booklet). Arctic Monkeys. London: Domino Recording Company. 2007. WIGCD188. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. "Arctic Monkeys". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  21. Savage, Jon (21 April 2007). "Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  22. Morton, Dennis (12 April 2023). "Radio X Best of British 2023: Oasis Dominates as Wet Leg and Arctic Monkeys Claims Top 10 Spot in New Poll". Manchester World. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  23. Lane, Lexi (18 November 2022). "Nessa Barrett Reimagines Arctic Monkeys' "505" in a Dreamy New Cover". Uproxx. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  24. Richards, Will (27 May 2023). "Watch Louis Tomlinson Cover Arctic Monkeys' "505"". NME. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  25. Russell, Calum (28 May 2023). "Louis Tomlinson Covers "505" by the Arctic Monkeys". Far Out. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  26. Ackroyd, Stephen (27 May 2023). "Watch Louis Tomlinson Kick Off His World Tour with a Cover of Arctic Monkeys Classic "505"". Dork. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  27. "Arctic Monkeys Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  28. "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  29. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Arctic Monkeys". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  31. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  32. "Arctic Monkeys Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  33. "Arctic Monkeys Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  34. "Arctic Monkeys – 505 (live)" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  35. "Arctic Monkeys – 505 (live)". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  36. "Danish single certifications – Arctic Monkeys – 505". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  37. "Italian single certifications – Arctic Monkeys – 505" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  38. "British single certifications – Arctic Monkeys – 505". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  39. "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 52/2022" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
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