Arctic Monkeys Shine While Playing Olympics Opening Ceremony

The reach of the Olympic Games extended even to iTunes after the band Arctic Monkeys played the opening ceremony.

The English indie rock band, which formed in 2002, took to the stage to play their 2005 hit, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” and also to cover The Beatles’s famous “Come Together” in front of the Queen, the crowd and, in essence, the whole world.

Examiner.com reported that the Arctic Monkeys, fronted by lead singer Alex Turner, looked as comfortable as if they were playing any other gig. Their rendition of “Come Together” coincided with appearance of the winged cyclists riding through the stadium — one of the more visually memorable moments of the opening ceremony.

Arctic Monkey’s inclusion in the ceremony gave international audiences a taste of contemporary English music and added to an electric environment that also featured the London Symphony Orchestra’s performance of “Chariots of Fire” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and a performance by former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney.

Digital Spy reports that the Arctic Monkeys’ performance has been a hit on iTunes. The opening ceremony was titled “Isles of Wonder” and after the show, the soundtrack — “Isles Of Wonder: Music For The Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games” — was released. A physical release of the album is planned as well.

Underworld song “Caliban’s Dream” — which played during the lighting of the Olympic cauldron featuring Alex Trimble on vocals — reached number ten on the chart.

Arctic Monkeys’ cover of “Come Together” by The Beatles was No. 16 on the charts.