"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: energetic, nostalgic, rebellious. Visual style: 2000s digital editorial aesthetic. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Fake Tales of San Francisco
Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
AI-analyzed — check another song
Balanced energy, right in the middle of 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
168
BPM
Fake Tales of San Francisco by Arctic Monkeys is 168 BPM — Vivace (lively).
Half-time 84 BPM · Double-time 336 BPM · released 2006
Fan image for "Fake Tales of San Francisco"
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Song DNA
Notes: Energetic indie rock with driving guitar riffs and punchy drums creates a raw, garage-rock texture that's engaging but not overwhelming. Alex Turner's witty, sneering delivery adds rhythmic intensity without harsh distortion.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: energy movement study
Indie rock track satirizing pretentious local bands and fake personas at Sheffield gigs, featuring sharp lyrics and a gritty post-punk sound.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: energetic, nostalgic, rebellious
Traditions: indie rock, post-punk revival
Pacing Guide
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" runs at 168 BPM — fast run territory.
For runners: match cadence to BPM and the song does half the work. Texture stays layered; vocals sit dynamic. Nothing in the arrangement asks for your attention mid-stride. Good as a steady-state track; less useful for interval work where you want explicit tempo shifts.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Arctic Monkeys's catalog
We have 48 songs from Arctic Monkeys in the library. Of those, 5 are rated Safe, 37 Moderate, and 6 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits below the artist average of 6.3, making it the #26 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
We have 9 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor — intense DR 8
- When the Sun Goes Down — moderate DR 6
- Mardy Bum — moderate DR 6
- A Certain Romance — moderate DR 7
- The View from the Afternoon — intense DR 8
- Still Take You Home — moderate DR 6
- Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured — moderate DR 6
- From the Ritz to the Rubble — moderate DR 7
2006 context
Released in 2006. We have 252 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2000s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
Why Video Game Soundtracks Are Perfect for Focus and Study
Why Video Game Soundtracks Are Perfect for Focus and Study — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners…
Music for Focus That Keeps Slipping: What Actually Works
What music properties actually hold a wandering attention? A guide to tempo, texture and sensory rat…
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on m…
How fast is "Fake Tales of San Francisco"?
168 BPM — Very fast (intense cardio / drum and bass)
For running
Fast-pace running. Great for tempo runs and speed work.
For workouts
HIIT, Spin class, dance, intense intervals.
For daily life
Active tasks, getting pumped up, party, anything high-energy.
Browse more songs at 168 BPM.
When "Fake Tales of San Francisco" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
~
Focus / studying
Maybe — fine for routine work, but the mid-song changes may pull attention during deep focus.
✓
Running / workout
Yes — 168 BPM sits squarely in the running / cardio band. Matches natural stride cadence.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
~
Emotional release / catharsis
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Why Post-Rock Works for Focus — The Logic of Slow Builds
Why post-rock holds attention that slides off everything else: long builds, few sudden changes, and enough happening to occupy the part of y…
Post-rock is 40 years old and it still makes grown adults cry on the highway
Post-rock gave up on lyrics and found something more honest. Here’s what the genre actually does to you, who built it, and where to start.
What your brain does when there are no words — why instrumental music hits different
Words are a hijack. The reason post-rock builds make you cry and ambient gives your nervous system bandwidth back — what changes when langua…
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
53/100 intensity
See how “Fake Tales of San Francisco” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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For focused listening
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-13. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 69% of songs, calmer than the other 31%. Its intensity reading of 53/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 97% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
When the Sun Goes Down — Arctic Monkeys · 99%Muskrat Ramble — Louis Armstrong · 99%OUT WEST — Travis Scott featuring Young Thug · 99%Somebody Save Me — Eminem (feat. Jelly Roll) · 99%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2006 in context
The 252 songs we’ve measured from 2006 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
When the Sun Goes Down — Arctic MonkeysSomebody Save Me — Eminem (feat. Jelly Roll)Muskrat Ramble — Louis Armstrong
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity53
Dynamics56
Tempo71
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load13
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Fake Tales of San Francisco"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys has a tempo of 168 BPM (Vivace (lively)). At half-time that is 84 BPM, and at double-time 336 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" by Arctic Monkeys rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 6/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Fake Tales of San Francisco" — what is its dynamic range?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" has a dynamic range of 6/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Fake Tales of San Francisco" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Fake Tales of San Francisco" best for?
In our library "Fake Tales of San Francisco" is recommended for: energy, movement, study. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Fake Tales of San Francisco" released?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" is from 2006, on the album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not". It appears in our 2000s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Fake Tales of San Francisco"?
We tag "Fake Tales of San Francisco" as energetic, nostalgic, rebellious. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Fake Tales of San Francisco"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Fake Tales of San Francisco" good for running?
Yes — at 168 BPM it sits in the running-cadence band (120-180 BPM). Match your stride to the beat and it keeps pace with most recreational runners.
Is "Fake Tales of San Francisco" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (6/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Fake Tales of San Francisco" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Fake Tales of San Francisco"?
"Fake Tales of San Francisco" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.