I will acknowledge up front that this is a total rip-off of homage to a post that I saw last week at HearYa which listed their Top 100 Indie Songs of All Time. It’s a pretty great list, and inspired me to do one of my own.
While I’m not a total indie snob — artists I totally love like Bob Dylan, The Clash, Neil Young & The Who have spent their entire careers on major labels — I find that “mostly indie rock” is the best shorthand answer to the “what kind of music do you like?” question. That’s what I like: Indie Rock.
But what is this “Indie Rock?”
Right. No way I’m going to answer that question to anybody else’s satisfaction. My take on it is that it was kickstarted by three different, but related, events:
- Musicians hearing punk rock and deciding that anybody can play it. And should! So, suddenly, loads of bands were forming everywhere.
- The major labels hearing punk rock and deciding that it will never sell, so why sign any of these bands? Suddenly loads of bands were never going to get signed to a major label.
- The economics of recording and releasing music got to the point where you didn’t absolutely need the financial backing of a major label to get it out there. So D.I.Y.!
My take on it is that these things happened at the exact moment that I started paying serious attention to music, which means that I’m either a) lucky b) wrong c) both. But this is a topic that has been endlessly discussed, so lets get to the list of my favorite Indie Rock songs.
I thought about doing a list of albums, but there is essentially a canon: start with Let It Be, and work a few years backwards, then keep moving forwards until right this second. Besides, a list of songs is much more personal, ya know?
Here are the rules:
- One song per artist. Which means that it is probably my favorite song by that artist, though not always, if they split their career between majors and indies, so, no “All Her Favorite Fruit” or “Mohammed’s Radio (Live).” And it also means that I cheated with Robert Pollard & Grant Hart.
- Generally, if the label that the song was released on was considered an indie at the time of release, it was eligible for the list. This is difficult, of course, because a lot of indies have always struck deals with majors for distribution. To be completely arbitrary (and because I don’t want to have huge fights), I’ve left Sire, Elektra & Island off — despite the fact that these labels all started as indies — but included I.R.S., Slash and (of course) Matador. Which means no to Ramones, Love, or U2, but yes to R.E.M., X and Pavement.
However, I have cheated in a different way: a lot of bands — Buzzcocks, Smiths, Pixies, etc –were signed to a major in the U.K. but an indie here, or vice versa. I counted them. So sue me.
- This list isn’t meant to be definitive, even for me. I make no claim that these are the Greatest Indie Rock Songs Of All Time. It’s just bunch of songs that I love and that I could come up, that’s all. But, it’s presented in rough, rough, rough rough order; it isn’t exact by any means. So don’t go, “how could you possibly rank ‘Spiders (Kidsmoke)’ over ‘How Soon Is Now?'” That said, I would argue that the songs near the top of the list probably do belong on any “greatest songs” list. And if you think that it leans too heavily towards scruffy boys with barely in tune guitars . . . yup.
Finally, as you can probably tell, this list got away from me. I added songs right up until I hit publish. Luckily, I’ve been obsessively documenting my musical tastes for a long time, so it was mostly about research — old journals where I recorded every song from the dozens of mix tapes I made from the late 80’s to the late 90’s; and the directories that I keep the rips of the mix CDs I made from ’98 until just a couple of years ago, where the most recent mixes now live on a server on my network.
And thanks to the Wikipedia and All Music, where I did tons of research on bands and labels, so at least I had some kind of answer to the inevitable “that’s not indie!” charges. Which is why I didn’t put the label or album or year on any of the songs. Ya wanna know more, look them up!
Now with links to my Certain Songs posts about these songs!
- The Replacements – Answering Machine
- Husker Du – Keep Hanging On
- The Dream Syndicate – Then She Remembers
- Billy Bragg – Levi Stubbs’ Tears
- 28th Day – 25 Pills
- The Jesus and Mary Chain – Something’s Wrong
- The Hold Steady – The Swish
- The Miss Alans – The Shiny Unfeeling
- X – Universal Corner
- Magnolias – One More Reason
- Rank and File – Coyote
- New Order – Ceremony
- Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)
- 54-40 – The Sound of Truth
- Close Lobsters – Knee Trembler
- The Cat Heads – Apologize
- The Chant – For You
- Superchunk – Mower
- Big Star – September Gurls
- Modern Lovers – Roadrunner
- dBs – Black and White
- Breeders – Cannonball
- Dinosaur Jr – Freak Scene
- Uncle Tupelo – Whiskey Bottle
- Guided By Voices – I Am A Scientist
- Buzzcocks – I Believe
- R.E.M. – Pilgrimage
- Grant Hart – 2541
- Drive-By Truckers – Outfit
- The Soft Boys – Underwater Moonlight
- Shoes – Not Me
- Wrens – This Boy Is Exhausted
- Rage to Live – My Heroine
- Pavement – Unfair
- Stone Roses – Waterfall
- Toots and the Maytals – Funky Kingston
- Ambulance LTD – Stay Where You Are
- Liz Phair – Divorce Song
- Bob Marley & The Wailers – Put It On
- Yo La Tengo – Pass The Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind
- Paul Westerberg – AAA
- Pop Art – The Party
- The Jazz Butcher – Girl Go
- Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism
- Udokotela Shange Namahaha – Awungilobolele
- Robert Pollard – Pop Zeus
- Rilo Kiley – Portions For Foxes
- Sedan Delivery – Untitled Blues
- Paul Kelly & The Messengers – Look So Fine, Feel So Low
- Victoria Williams – You R Loved
- Primitives – Crash
- Sugar – Changes
- The Silos – Start The Clock
- Wilco – Spiders (Kidsmoke)
- The Smiths – How Soon Is Now?
- Robyn Hitchcock – Airscape
- Low – When I Go Deaf
- SVT – Heart of Stone
- Broken Social Scene – Anthems for A Seventeen Old Girl
- Jason Falkner – In Your Eyes (alt. version)
- Archers of Loaf – Greatest of All Time
- Nirvana – Sliver
- Sonic Youth – Teenage Riot
- N.W.A. – Gangsta Gangsta
- The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Sister Surround
- Alter Boys – Dry-Out Center
- Bobby Sutliffe – Same Way Tomorrow
- Walkmen – The Rat
- Feelies – Slipping (Into Something)
- Joy Division – Dead Souls
- Sufjan Stevens – Chicago
- Violent Femmes – Add It Up
- The Neats – Pop Cliche
- Whiskeytown – The Battle and The War (Live At the Fillmore)
- Nada Surf – Blankest Year
- The Reducers – Out of Step
- Nikki Sudden & The Jacobites – Big Store
- Dogmatics – Thayer St.
- Sidewinders – Witchdoctor
- Dan Bern – Simple< /li>
- Pixies – Distance Equals Rate Times Time
- Beulah – Wipe Those Prints and Run
- Goo Goo Dolls – There You Are
- Swervedriver – Son of Mustang Ford
- XTAL – Domino’s Theory
- Mike Doughty – No Peace, Los Angeles
- My Bloody Valentine – Soon
- The La’s – There She Goes
- Brian Eno – The True Wheel
- Sparklejet – 4x60AC
- Minutemen – History Lesson Part II
- Freedy Johnston – Trying to Tell You I Don’t Know< /li>
- White Stripes – Little Room
- Chris Bell – I Am The Cosmos
- Dramarama – Anything, Anything
- Joseph Connelly – Hold On
- Magnapop – The Crush
- Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
- The Rose of Avalanche – Velveteen
- The Long Winters – Ultimatum
- Mysteries of Life – Shiver
- New Pornographers – Letter From an Occupant
- Soul Asylum – Long Way Home
- Magnetic Fields – All My Little Words
- Posies – Fall Apart With Me
- Imperial Teen – Pig Latin
- Amy Rigby – Time For Me To Come Down
- Bloc Party – So Here We Are
- Belle & Sebastian – I’m A Cuckoo
- The Stratford 4 – Telephone
- Pale Fountains – Jeans Not Happening
- ISM – Nixon Now More Than Ever
- Lloyd Cole & The Negatives – Vin Ordinaire
- Caitlin Cary – Cello Girl
- Preston School of Industry – Monkey Heart and The Horses Leg
- Steve Malkmus – Jenny and the Ess Dog
- Neko Case – The Tigers Have Spoken (Live)
- Camper Van Beethoven – Ambiguity Song
- Libertines – Can’t Stand Me Now
- Joe Strummer – Burning Streets
- Fountains of Wayne – Little Red Light
- Biff Bang Pow – She’s Got Diamonds in Her Hair
- Died Pretty – Out of the Unknown
- The Connells – Get A Gun
- Interpol – PDA
- Black Flag – Rise Above
- Dead Kennedys – Holiday in Cambodia
- Three O’Clock – I Go Wild
- James – What’s The World
- Verlaines – Joed Out
- Squirrel Bait – Kid Dynamite
- Long Ryders – I Had A Dream
- Individuals – Walk By Your House
- Icons – Trouble in Havana
- Agent Orange – Living in Darkness
- Heptones – Book of Rules
- Neon Boys – That’s All I Know (Right Now)
- Rikk Agnew – Everyday
- The Outnumbered – Sit With Me in The Dark
- Green on Red – That’s What Dreams
- Cat Burglars – Song For Julie Newmar
- Naughty Sweeties – Alice< /li>
- Tonio K – H-A-T-R-E-D
- Monsoon – You Can’t Take Me With You
- Rancid – Black Derby Jacket
- Made for TV – So Afraid of the Russians< /li>
- Godfathers – This Damn Nation
- Zeitgeist – She Digs Ornette
- Sleater-Kinney – Combat Rock
- Similar Animals – Better Than Nowhere
- Tift Merrit – Shadow in the Way
- John Holt – Ali Baba
- Blackbird Stories – 25
- Din – Rejection
- Pop O Pies – The Catholics Are Attacking
- Moving Targets – The Other Side
- Felt – Primitive Painters
- The Go! Team – Ladyflash
- Culture – Calling Rasta Far I
- Trouble Funk – Drop The Bomb
- Arctic Monkeys – The View From The Afternoon
- Jens Lekman – Black Cab
- Romeo Void – White Sweater
- Vaselines – Dying For It
- Teenage Fanclub – Broken
- Patterson Hood – Miss Me Gone
- Jenny Lewis – Rise Up (With Fists!)
- Velocity Girl – Forgotten Favorite
- Nick Drake – Pink Moon
- Sebadoh – Willing to Wait
- Western Chapter – Across The Sea
- Marshall Crenshaw – Better Back Off
- Spoon – Sister Jack
- The Undertones – It’s Gonna Happen
- Kathleen Edwards – One More Song The Radio Won’t Like
- Chris Stamey – The Plainest Thing
- Cat Power – Living Proof
- Richmond Fontaine – Polaroid
- Theolonius Monster – If I
- Warren Zevon – Keep Me in Your Heart
- Grant Lee Buffalo – Dixie Drug Store
- Kelly Willis – Not Forgotten You
- Promise Ring – Emergency! Emergency!
- UB40 – Don’t Let it Pass You By
- The Royal Guardsmen – Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
- Lucinda Williams – Something About What Happens When We Talk
- Tommy Keene – Back Again (Try)
- The Seeds – Pushing Too Hard
- Clem Snide – The Junky Jews
- Steve Earle – Transcendental Blues
- River Roses – Dark Stroll
- The Barbarians – Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl?
- Aimee Mann – Deathly
- Slobberbone – Sweetness, That’s Your Cue
- Jayhawks – Six Pack on the Dashboard
- Embrace – Someday
- Go-Go’s – We Got The Beat
- Town Cryers – Love In The Cool Part of Town
- Too Much Joy – Even The Queen
- Dag Nasty – Things That Make No Sense
- True West – Hollywood Holiday
- Steve Wynn – There Will Come a Day
- Meat Puppets – Up on The Sun
- Transplants – Tall Cans in the Air
- Funkadelic – Can You Get to That?
- Continental Drifters – Snow< /li>
- Lucia Pamela – Walking on the Moon
The Very Very Best
The Very Rest
I won’t comment as to the particulars of the list, but I do appreciate the broad definition of “indie rock.” Like the word “alternative,” I too often hear it in reference to a particular style or sound rather than the motivation or the ethos behind its creation. So, kudos!
No Galaxie 500 or Luna??
I never really liked Galaxie 500: I . . . thought . . . that . . . their . . . music . . . was . . . too . . . slow.
And I just realized that I misread Luna’s entry on Allmusic, which means that while they started on a major label, I totally coulda included “U.S. Out of My Pants!”
D’oh!! Must. Resist. Temptation. To. Change. Post.
Nice list Jim. Much better than the other one you referenced.
……but, where is The Church? 🙂
John,
As much as it pains me to admit this to someone who put a Church album as #1 on his 2006 list, I actually parted ways with The Church somewhere around Gold Afternoon Fix. I think that all of those early albums that I still love, were on majors, otherwise nothing would have kept “Dropping Names” from making the tip-top tier of my list.
Phenomenal list of tunes !!! I have totally forgotten about some of those songs. My only petty quibble would be : No Lyres, No Mission of Burma, No Minor Threat or Big Boys.
Sure. But besides “Academy Fight Song,” which I totally forgot about, I never really loved any of those bands.
But crap, I was just reminded of a Tuxedomoon song I used to love from one of those old Ralph Records comps, but can’t even remember the name of.
However, I really should have included “The Secret Seed” by The Residents.
What a fabulous list. I was about to quibble about Guadalcanal Diary till realizing they were on Elektra. That said, I’m impressed you included Zeitgeist – you’re the first person I’ve met outside of my family who even know who they were (or didn’t refer to them as the Reivers). The same goes for 28th Day, for that matter! I’m seriously contemplating forcing this onto a mixtape.
And furthermore, I can’t believe you left out The Oil Tasters. “My Girlfriend’s Ghost” was a classic.
Alicia,
Thanks! Actually, I think that the first Guadalcanal Diary album may have come out as an indie before being re-released on Elektra. But don’t quote me on that. In any event, “Watutsui Rodeo” never quite grabbed me like it probably should have. As far as the whole Zeitgeist/Reivers thing goes, alas, it just means that I’m old enough to remember the original album. That said, I really wanted to include the near-perfect “Ragamuffin Man,” but while the Zeitgeist album was indie prior to being major, the Reivers album it was from was on Capitol.
As far as a mixtape goes, there are several songs on this list that I have yet to find in any digital format, and if anybody can point me to digital versions of the following, I would be eternally grateful:
Pop Art – The Party
SVT – Heart of Stone
Pale Fountains – Jeans Not Happening
Icons – Trouble in Havana
River Roses – Dark Stroll
Din – Rejection
Moving Targets – The Other Side
Pop O Pies – The Catholics are Attacking
Kirk,
Oil Tasters? Sure. I might have, if I could even remember how that “My Girlfriend’s Ghost” song went. Amazingly enough, that album was re-released on CD just a couple of years ago. Looking at the song titles on Allmusic, I seem to remember that I liked “Get Out of The Bathroom” a bit more.
However, I am now chagrined that I forgot to add Let’s Active – “Every Word Means No” and Lords of The New Church – “New Church.” Both on IRS, and both songs that I loved.
I love Swervedriver but I’m almost positive “Son of Mustang Ford” was originally released on A&M. You could replace it with The Chills “Pink Frost” or Eastern Dark’s “I Don’t Need The Reasons”
I’m wrong !! Swervedriver first 3 Eps were on Creation than released on A&M. Sorry.
“Lou,”
Yeah, I double-checked on Swervedriver, who still sound great today. (A comp came out a couple of years ago.) It was a choice between “Son of Mustang Ford,” “Duel” and “Rave Down.”
I had the same problem with The Eastern Dark as I did with The Oil Tasters: I used to own the “Long The New Flesh” EP (at least I think that’s what it was called), but none of the songs from the listing on allmusic jumped out at me.
However, none of that is any excuse to not have included “Heavenly Pop Hit.”
And finally, I really also should have used the Creation cheat to include either “Live Forever” or “Morning Glory” by Oasis. When I do the inevitable revision of this list, I probably will.
What’s great about Jim’s list is that Kirk or I or anyone from Central Control could compile one just like it, and there would be, I don’t know, no more than a dozen songs that crossed over. Which is a good thing. I would attribute that to musical tastes, the sheer indie variety, shared radio station experiences and way too big musical collections.
I would love to compile a list like this, but I will have to leave it to my alt. universe self.
It felt good to see Swervedriver on the list … and choosing between “Son of Mustang Ford” and “Rave Down” must have been an killer internal struggle.
However, “Combat Rock” for Sleater-Kinney?! Really? What were the close seconds for them?
And while I’m at it, “Sister Jack” for Spoon? I’m surprised!
All in all, great list. Much better than I anticipated.
Sally,
Thanks!
The other Swervedriver song that was in the running was “Duel.” There’s a repeating instrumental break verse alternating power chords and fuzzy jangly guitar that just kills me.
Swervedriver might be one the most overlooked bands of the 1990s.
As far as Sleater-Kinney and Spoon go, I admire both bands more than love them. I probably could have easily gone with “You’re No Rock and Roll Fun” and “The Way We Get By.”
Jim,
Although I respect your taste in music (I too am a huge GBV and Husker Du fan) I have to say that you did not even pick the 50th best song in the Husker Du catalog to put at #2 for all-time best indie songs. What about “Celebrated Summer”? And “Answering Machine” as the #1 indie song…. c’mon…. if you had said “Bastards of Young” then maybe. Thanks for the article though!
scott
Scott,
Thanks!!
“Keep Hanging On” just barely nosed out “Celebrated Summer,” “New Day Rising” “Pink Turns To Blue” and that titanic cover of “Eight Miles High,” which still might be the best punkrock cover version ever: a perfect reinterpretation that somehow stays totally faithful and comes across as utterly new all at the same time. The only analogous thing to in all of pop culture (that I can think of right now) is the U.S. version of The Office.
As far as “Answering Machine” goes, I’ll ignore that “BOY” came out on Sire and by the rules I set, was technically ineligible. Or that I like “Left of the Dial” better. The point is that “Answering Machine” has been pretty much my favorite song by just about anybody, ever since, well, the moment it came out.
You’re missing Elliott Smith!
Lindsay,
Unlike a lot of like-minded people, I never really got Elliott Smith.
WeRRR iis nelli Fjurtado an’d kelly klarkcon
It would be nice if you include a sample of each song before I head out to buy them.
Not one Modest Mouse song? They did revitalize indie rock in the late 90s. Any song off of “The Lonesome Crowded West” is amazing. A few off of “This is a Long Drive” and “The Moon and Antarctica” are incredible too. A few of their songs that I believed should have been considered: “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine,” “Cowboy Dan,” “Lounge (Closing Time),” “Polar Opposites,” “3rd Planet,” “Gravity Rides Everything,” “Paper Thin Walls,” “Dramamine,” and finally “Custom Concern” are all amazing songs and all stand as both musically and lyrically beautiful songs. Also, no Shins songs? WTF?
Hi Jon, it’s of course a very personal list by definition. And while I’ve never really got Modest Mouse (until this last record — thanks Johnny Marr!) and the Shins (thought that first album was a snore –Natalie Portman lied about “New Slang” — though *Wincing The Night Away* was pretty good) , I don’t think that any single artist — not even my beloved Pavement or Guided by Voices — ever “revitalized” indie rock.
Part of the point of this list is that indie has been doing pretty consistently great for the past quarter-century, whether or not anybody has noticed it, thank you very much.
The other point is that someone that I think is awesome, you might think is crap — and vice versa — but its a long enough tail that we can all play.
That said, now that I’ve figured out how to listen to Isaac Brock, I will go back and check out the early stuff. But this most recent Shins album was — how you say? bo-ring!
This is a creative list, but it shouldn’t be called “207 Of The greatest Indie Rock Songs Of All Time”. N.W.A. isn’t even rock…
it should be called Jim’s Favorite Indie Songs.
Mr CCC,
Perhaps, but thousands of people wouldn’t have clicked on something with the title you propose. But my title is absolutely correct. Out of all of the greatest Indie Rock songs of all time, these are 207.
As far as N.W.A. go, they released their album on a label supposedly financed by drug money. How much more rock can you possibly be? The answer: none. None more rock.
Excellent list, Jim!
mine would include:
Meat Puppets – Our Friends [to me, that song is the birth of the Meat Puppets sound….you can hear it happening right on the record!]
Minutemen – This Ain’t No Picnic
Mudhoney – Touch Me I’m Sick
Butthole Surfers – Cherub
Wire – 12 X U [although that might be major]
hmm….strangely, most all are in “M”…..
p.s. yo Kirk and Tim!
Thanks Mike!!
sweet list.
Wow. Just stumbled across this list looking for an mp3 of Sidewinder’s Witchdoctor (to no avail) and all I want to know is: How much would it cost to buy a pre-loaded iPod from you? 😉 Best list I’ve seen in years.
I hate to say this because I really do not like the two most recent Modest Mouse Cd’s. But Modest mouse pre Good news for people who love bad news would definitely go on my list. As well as Mew, Beulah,wolf parade, andrew bird, sufjan stevens, and the decemberists but I believe everyone has their own particular taste.
I am missing songs (in this case a song) from the Infadels and Hard fi. They made some songs that are worth to be placed in this list…
I’m sure there must have been quiet a few bands you left out..and im sure people will tell you and wont let you forget it.
But, I’m just curious to know why you didn’t name Daniel Johnston? To me, as a person who likes most of the bands you named (which its true you left way too much out) as indie wouldn’t mention him.
I apologize if he is on your list and i looked over it.
peace.
Although I feel that you have left out songs …. this has brought a lot of great bands to my attention that i was to young to ever know about ……. so thank you
and very glad to see …. Grant Lee Buffalo and the long winters made the list
so, i looked over your list, and being a new fan of indie music, took the liberty of downloading a lot of it. i’d have to say, that this is a pretty fantastic list.
Thanks Carey & Morgan,
Nearly two years after initially publishing this list, I’m very grateful that people are still going to it and finding value!!
This list is pretty good but there is SOOOO much awwsome indie and alternativ rock out there. Def one of the best places to find indie and alt music (esp alot of great stuff u probably never heard of), I review, listen and download songs from IRC. They post daily new and classic indie and alt, folk, pop, rock, electronica. But the best thing is their choice of music is amazingly astute.
Errrr…no offense but this list is clearly your own personal opinion and not factual. If you put 10 critics in a room and told them to make this list I assure you they would have put How Soon Is Now by The Smiths or This Charming Man by The Smiths in the top 5 at least.
Er, no offense, but, duh.
As I wrote in the introduction:
Though I do love how you know — as a fact, not an opinion, of course — one of the song that would make a “factual” list.
Elliot – Lie Close
what about the killers and kasabian?
they’re two great bands, don’t they deserve a room in your list?
(though they probably wrote their best songs after you published this list…)
(oh, and sorry for my english, i’m
drunkfrom italy)For the past year or so my favorite indie rock blog is http://www.indierockcafe.com – they consistently publish the best playlists, new releases, bands to watch, special mix series and break new artists that few people have heard of, some who have gone on to bigger things because of being featured on IndieRockCafe. Just my two cents.
how are the strokes not on here????
@Chelsea, The Strokes were on RCA, and therefore ineligible by the rules.
It’s absolutely true that they sounded indie. But then again, so did the New York Dolls, the Stooges and The Clash.
Pretty nice list, but The Strokes should be there somewhere
No offense but why are The Smiths shoved down the ladder to #55? That is a crime against musical humanity.
207 Of The Greatest Indie Rock Songs Of All Time ??
your having a laugh…. weres the pixies. ?
Alright, how could Built to Spill be left off this list? There’s Nothing Wrong with Love is one of the best indie album’s ever made…
Pinback… seriously.
How are toots and the maytals indie? An why are they on indie rock list? They are a classic reggae and ska band.
god I swear to you Jim, I swear!!! yeaughhhhh