The Best Indie Rock Singers/Bands Of All Time Ranked
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produced and was initially used interchangeably with alternative rock or “guitar pop rock”. One of the primary scenes of the movement was Dunedin, where a cultural scene based around a convergence of noise pop and jangle became popular among the city’s large student population. Independent labels such as Flying Nun began to promote the scene across New Zealand, inspiring key college rock bands in the United States such as Pavement, Pixies and R.E.M. Other notable scenes grew in Manchester and Hamburg, with many others thriving thereafter. Here are all of the best Indie Rock Singers/Bands of all time ranked.
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20. Tame Impala
“Feels like we only go backwards” is amazing, one of the best songs on this whole list so far, and I’ve been going in order of bands and really surprised I had to go this far down for such perfection. One of the few modern musical geniuses in Kevin Parker. Extremely original.”
19. Two Door Cinema Club
“They are so energetic, their songs are so vibrant and are all masterpieces. A LEGENDARY band like this that is so consistent (all rounder, where no songs are fillers in the album) Their creative use of the guitar separates them form everyone else.”
18. Of Monsters and Men
“They duo’s voices are just so emotional to listen to, and their lyrics are completely out of this world. The music takes you to places you never thought you could imagine. They have nice music and such beautiful voices, sexy voices! Their music is original and makes me travel in my head.”
17. Death Cab for Cutie
“Death Cab for Cutie has been a favorite for years. Looking at the name it might seem like a emo band, but once you listen you’ll see the beauty of it. The chilling piano intros and the in deep lyrics and imagery paired with amazing guitar work with Bens amazing voice will sure make you love the band. The topics of the songs are relatable which makes it even better. The drum beats are nice too and the bass on “I will posses your heart are amazing”.
16. Kings of Leon
“I love the Kings. They are such an amazing band because they have raw, natural talent. Caleb Followill has such a unique voice and he can sing like no other. I love how they have their own sound and they don’t have to play a ton of instruments and their sound is still full.”
15. The Smiths
“The quintessential indie rock band. By far one of the most influential British bands ever, let alone within the genre of indie rock. The perfect combination of Morrissey’s lyrical genius (yet became a bit of a rabbler in his later solo career) coupled with Johnny Marr’s smooth and effervescent guitar style, which inspired many of the artists”
14. Neutral Milk Hotel
“Their stylistic influences expand far beyond those of the bands that were previously mentioned. Jeff Mangnum’s voice in unique and is capable of striking a chord in your heart. Listen to In the Aeroplane Over the Sea if you don’t believe me. These guys are truly the definition of alternative and are unfortunately underrated. Their two albums have left an unarguable mark on the indie scene”
13. The Libertines
“I absolutely love The Libertines. Although they might not be 100% indie rock, I’d say that they’re in the genre enough to be on this list; in fact, their musical style should bring them up higher on the list. Just listen to “What Became of the Likely Lads” and “Music When the Lights Go Out” to understand how great they were. The Libertines opened up a path for so many other bands. Babyshambles was also really good.”
12. The White Stripes
“I could listen to them for the rest of my life and never get bored. you can rarely see that in music, which makes it stand out so much. they are the reason I listen to rock and learn electric guitar. they are so inspiring, I have never paid so much attention to one particular band before, but I am so inspired to play and make music at their level that daily blisters from my guitar are worth it.”
11. Vampire Weekend
“I am absolutely addicted to this band. If you’ve never listened, I’d recommend to start off with their third album. You’ll definitely feel like taking off from there. VW has a unique sound and their albums are versatile yet focused. You don’t get much better than this.”
10. Oasis
“Just listen to “Around The World” from there 1997 album “Be Here Now.” One of the most epic songs I’ve ever listened to. It is a lengthy track but that is one of the reasons it’s epic. Oasis wasn’t just a band its an era that inspired people to be different and live a little.”
9. The Black Keys
“Their music consist of insane guitar solos, beautiful lyrics and melodies. Every album is something different and their new album, in my opinion, is the best one yet. Just Listen to Weight of Love off their new album, and let Dan and Patrick blow you away”
8. Modest Mouse
“Modest Mouse is one of the most literary yet overwhelmingly deep and meaningful indie rock bands out there who use lyrics that will blow your mind. And I’ve grown to love them in such a short amount of time. Go ahead and listen to their songs. Take it from me, you will not be disappointed.”
7. Florence and The Machine
“The first song I ever became to know was “Never let me go” and always made me feel somehow freezing. One of the best decisions I had ever taken was to look for some other songs. “No light, no light”, “What the water gave me” and many others made me fall in love with this perfect group even more!”
6. Arcade Fire
“A pure masterpiece of the album “The Suburbs” how it describes his childhood and is quite emotional. “Reflektor” is much more upbeat but still touches on very important messages in the world. In any album, the words flowing from Win Butler’s lips are very poetic and meaningful”
5. Imagine Dragons
“Imagine Dragons has rose to fame and rightly so, their music easily connects to everyone listening. Take demons for example, just listen to the lyrics and watch their demons music video. Pretty sure demons was a song influenced by their lead vocalist, Dan Reynolds who went through depression before and during his musical career. This band will continue to rise and unlike other artists, they don’t objectify women, have sexual references, or use vulgar words in their music to attract fans. Imagine Dragons are one of the few bright spots in today’s music industry.”
4. Radiohead
“A band with this much potential deserves more recognition, however I applaud Radiohead for stepping out of the lime-light and into the realm of dreams, creating what is obviously hidden deep beneath what the human mind initially perceives.”
3. The Killers
“I have so much respect for them and their music inspires me more than any other thing in my life at the moment. I respect the fact that Brandon is not afraid to sing about his religious views and his beliefs although I am not a Mormon, I can relate so much to them. The Killers are my idea of perfection and when Ronnie announced they are currently writing new music my heart lifted!”
2. The Strokes
“The Strokes are brilliant. I love their music more than anything, but I also love how real they are. After falling in love with their music, I wanted to know who was behind it, so I watched one of their interviews. They said that fame wasn’t what they cared about. That it was all in the music. That’s what I just love in a band. In the interview, Julian Casablancas talked about how bands are portrayed through false articles on the internet and in magazines, and how all the bull ruins their image. It’s solely about the music to them, and I couldn’t ask for more.”
1. Arctic Monkeys
“Few bands in the history of rock can compete with Arctic Monkeys in terms of creativity and originality. They don’t just use one style of rock, they use many, which I think works very well with the chemistry between the lyrics and the beats and the general mood of the subject. They’re simply the best”
