Song · Arctic Monkeys
“Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?” by Arctic Monkeys
From the album AM (2013)
“Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?” by Arctic Monkeys appears on 18 radio countdowns from 14 stations between 2013 and 2026. It was first released in 2013 on the album AM. Its best result is #6 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2013. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #11 alternative song of 2014 and #135 of the '10s.
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Video from YouTube (ArcticMonkeysVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" slunk out in 2013 as the third single from AM, Arctic Monkeys' fifth album, and it's the record's most delicious bit of sleaze: a slow, swaggering strut built on a heavy, head-nodding beat, a slinky guitar line and Alex Turner's falsetto-kissed croon. Turner wrote the words, a late-night lament about the kind of calls that only come after last orders, and James Ford produced it with a dry, close-up sheen that makes every snap of the snare feel like it's in the room with you.
Nabil Elderkin shot the video, and the band kept the song in the set throughout the AM Tour. The B-side, "Stop the World I Wanna Get Off with You", surfaced as an audio track on the band's YouTube channel at the end of the month.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13 | Studio Brussel Flanders, Belgium | Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 2013 | 40 |
| 2013 | 33 | The Current Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | The Current Top 89 Songs of 2013 | 89 |
| 2013 | 6 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2013 | 100 |
| 2014 | 10 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 2014 | 91 |
| 2014 | 15 | CD101 Columbus, OH | CD101 Top 102.5 Songs of 2014 | 103 |
| 2014 | 12 | The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC | The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2014 | 99 |
| 2014 | 16 | X96 Salt Lake City, UT | X96 Top 50 Songs of 2014 | 50 |
| 2014 | 71 | Lightning 100 Nashville, TN | Lightning 100 Top 100 Songs of 2014 | 100 |
| 2014 | 32 | 88.3 The Sting Cleveland, OH | 88.3 The Sting WBWC Top 88 Songs of 2014 | 88 |
| 2014 | 19 | 94.3 WCYY Portland, ME | WCYY Top 50 CYY Songs of 2014 | 50 |
| 2014 | 13 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2014 | 103 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 101 | 103.3 The Edge | 103.3 The Edge Top 103.3 Songs of the Decade | 103 |
| 2019 | 80 | 102.7 WEQX | WEQX Top 102.7 of the 2010's Decade | 103 |
| 2020 | 50 | X96 | X96's Top 100 Songs of the Last Decade | 100 |
| 2020 | 73 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of the 2010s (2020) | 100 |
| 2025 | 700 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the 21st Century | 909 |
| 2025 | 174 | The Current | 893 Essential Songs of The Current: 2005 to Now | 893 |
| 2026 | 604 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
Also listed as: Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High; Why'd You Only Call Me When…; Why'd You Only Call When You're High?.
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