Indie Rock
Indie Rock is the broadest and most popular genre in this section. Many major artists from The Smiths to Arctic Monkeys all lay in this category. From the 80s up until the present day it has remained a prominent form. The reason it’s included on this page is because of how many smaller bands and solo artists exist in this space. It’s a heavily mixed genre, often appearing alongside other categories. The influence this type of music has had on younger people has led to many different artists emerging in the 2010s and 2020s. Including a genre like this is essential when exploring the other ones we have listed.
Modern Indie Rock artists
The popularity of this genre can be explained as entry level Rock. A lot of people don’t appreciate the heavy chaos of outright Rock. This niche is a much more mellow approach, making it easier for listeners to adjust. It’s quite often used as a gateway genre. People start with Indie Rock and once they’re accustomed to the sound, they dive into the more traditional Rock. However. this means in the modern day, Indie Rock artists can often reach a wider audience than traditional Rock. Throughout the 2010s we’ve seen a plethora of notable artists using this sound. A brief list would include Arctic Monkeys, Fontaines D.C., Mitski, Car Seat Headrest, Phoebe Bridgers, and The 1975. There are plenty more to mention, despite Rock not being as popular in the 2020s this genre remains strong.
Indie Rock with a bit of development can turn into Shoegaze, reverbed guitars and huge choruses are common in both. If an artist has an itch you can see a transition from one sound to the other frequently. This is more common with smaller artists, being experimental is a staple of artists in these niches. This is the perfect genre to begin your journey with if you’re new to deep diving music. With easy popular artists to begin with you can work your way down easier than some of the other sub genres.
Indie Rock origin artists
One of the first independent Rock albums was the ‘Spiral Scratch’ EP by the ‘Buzzcocks‘. This was released in 1977 and was the foundation for an era that followed directly after. Throughout the 80s and 90s many bands began to emerge such as ‘The Smiths’, ‘Pixies’ and ‘R.E.M’. These artists defined an era and are still popular amongst fans to this day. ‘The Smiths’ in particular are still very culturally significant as some fans prefer the original sound rather than the current artists in the scene. What defines an artist’s sound as Indie Rock has certainly broadened since its creation. This means the artists from the 80s/90s have a certain element of authenticity which is hard to possess in the present day.
Artists on this page that use Indie Rock
Chances are that many of the artists featured on this page will include this genre whether it’s a minor influence or major. Considering this, the list below will include artists that are heavily leaning into the sound rather than just using smaller influences.