Once again Blender did what Blender does best/worst: compiled another list that will most definitely end in indie rock snobs firing a few salvos via email (snail mail if they'''re really pissed) to the mag. The December issue boasts the 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums Ever. Yes, ever.
But before we unleash the list, here'''s the mag'''s introduction, giving us a nice little stereotypical snippet of what indie rock is all about: ''"Mumbled lyrics, couldn'''t-care-less strumming, white dudes in sweaters''what'''s not to love about indie rock? Born 25-odd years ago in suburban garages and spread via college radio, it has made distortion into something hummable, boredom into something thrilling and aimlessness into a raison d'être''and these days, thanks to blogs and the fine people at Grey'''s Anatomy, it'''s more popular than ever.''"
Mmkay, then if that'''s indie rock, what'''s M.I.A.'''s Arular doing on here.? Not that there'''s anything wrong with the album; It'''s a splendid. But I doubt it was made in a suburban garage, I'''ve never seen her lazily strum a guitar and I don'''t thinks she'''s ever been a white guy in a thrift-store sweater. De La Soul (again, a wonderful group) doesn'''t exactly scream gimme indie rock either. Read on, find the albums that aren'''t here, debate in chat rooms.
100 The Shaggs - Philosophy Of The World
99 Dream Syndicate - The Days Of Wine And Roses
98 Palace Music - Viva Last Blues
97 The Mekons - Rock 'N' Roll
96 TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
95 The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
94 Half Japanese - Greatest Hits
93 Big Black - Atomizer
92 Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
91 The Chills - Kaleidoscope World
90 Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
89 Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll
88 Daniel Johnston - Yip/Jump Music
87 Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
86 Flipper - Album - Generic Flipper
85 The Clean - Anthology
84 Beat Happening - You Turn Me On
83 The Misfits - Walk Among Us
82 The Embarrassment - Heyday 1979-83
81 The Vaselines - The Way Of The Vaselines
80 Feist - The Reminder
79 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
78 The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators
77 Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
76 Le Tigre - Le Tigre
75 Galaxie 500 - Today
74 The Fall - 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong
73 Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
72 The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed
71 Stereolab - Refried Ectoplasm
70 Mudhoney - Superfruzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles
69 Nick Drake - Pink Moon
68 Descendents - Milo Goes To College
67 Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
66 Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
65 Various Artists - No New York
64 Cat Power - The Greatest
63 Nirvana - Bleach
62 The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
61 LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
60 Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
59 Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
58 Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love
57 Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped
56 Archers Of Loaf - Icky Mettle
55 Bad Brains - Bad Brains
54 Unrest - Imperial F.F.R.R.
53 Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
52 Bright Eyes - Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground
51 Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
50 Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
49 Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
48 Mission Of Burma - Vs.
47 Green Day - Kerplunk
46 Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
45 Fugazi - Repeater
44 Various Artists - Wanna Buy A Bridge?
43 Black Flag - Damaged
42 Brian Eno - Another Green World
41 Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
40 New Order - Power Corruption & Lies
39 Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
38 The Strokes - Is This It
37 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
36 Elliott Smith - Either/Or
35 Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
34 Superchunk - On The Mouth
33 The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
32 Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
31 Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
30 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
29 Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
28 The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs
27 M.I.A. - Arular
26 Belle And Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
25 Sebadoh - III
24 The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
23 Yo La Tengo - Painful
22 Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II
21 The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
20 The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
19 Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
18 Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
17 The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
16 Slint - Spiderland
15 X - Wild Gift
14 De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
13 Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
12 Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
11 Minutemen - Double Nickels On The Dime
10 The Smiths - The Smiths
09 Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers
08 My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
07 The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground
06 Arcade Fire - Funeral
05 Pixies - Surfer Rosa
04 R.E.M. - Murmur
03 The Replacements - Let It Be
02 Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
01 Pavement - Slanted And Enchanted
Blender picks the best 100 indie rock albums ever
Posted in:
INDUSTRY NEWS
62 Responses
November 14, 2007 at 8:54 p.m.
| mk |
um...funeral is better than loveless? and arular is better than 69 love songs? |
November 14, 2007 at 11:01 p.m.
| John Zeiss |
What the hell was their criteria for this list? TV on the Radio is on Interscope, which isn't exactly a struggling little indie label. Throwing in best ofs and anthologies? The Misfits, Fugazi, X and Black Flag are punk. Nine Inch Nails is industrial Stereolab is too sophisticated to be indie, and that's not the band's best album. Eno, Big Star, and the Modern Lovers are almost unclassifiable, but I don't think I'd classify them as indie. And VU and Nick Drake so predate the term "indie" as to be ridiculous. |
November 14, 2007 at 11:28 p.m.
| Dave Park |
I think the list should've been labeled "Best 100 Albums Indie Rockers Like" The list then would also be missing the Clipse, Ghostface, etc. haha.It was murky in the 90s calling certain bands "Indie Rock," but now it seems even more pointless. |
November 14, 2007 at 11:39 p.m.
| Dave Park |
As for TV on the Radio I think that the label indie rock no longer necessary means indie label. "indie rock" is more like a sound or aesthetic. so bands like tvotr, feist, bloc party, etc get thrown in there. not sure where the "rock" part comes in on an artist like MIA and De La Soul though. |
November 14, 2007 at 11:53 p.m.
| Sean Nelson |
They must've had some criteria, seeing how Radiohead isn't on there. |
November 15, 2007 at 2:25 a.m.
| mk |
and no beulah. that is just wrong. |
November 15, 2007 at 3:41 a.m.
| John Zeiss |
We definitely have a Beulah love society going on on this site, huh? Definitely count me a member. I've recently been rediscovering how great all of the band's albums are after not really listening to them that much after college. |
November 15, 2007 at 7:01 a.m.
| Vitaminic |
[...] I 100 migliori indierock album di tutti i tempi secondo Blender (non così prevedibile) [...] |
November 15, 2007 at 8:39 a.m.
| Juicy |
Arcade Fire number 6, Feist in the top 100? Huh? Guess the folks that created this list were either too lazy to discover real indie music or just stupid. |
November 15, 2007 at 9:22 a.m.
| jeezuz |
I agree with most of this with the exception of a few omisions.. Where is Sparklehorse and Sigur Ros? |
November 15, 2007 at 9:51 a.m.
| IndieJoe92 |
Funeral better than Loveless? Without a doubt... |
November 15, 2007 at 10:31 a.m.
| bradford |
Wow. Wow.So Feist lands on the list of best...ever!!, and yet there's only ONE Sonic Youth album in there? There's so much wrong with this list. But still... ONE Sonic Youth? Nuts. |
November 15, 2007 at 11:35 a.m.
| John Hoeffleur |
All these lists are always ********, and you're full of it too when you make yours or "correct" others'. Truly the mark of a philistine. |
November 15, 2007 at 11:41 a.m.
| Jeff |
Some great albums listed, but....Where are Opal, Frank Zappa, Sigur Ros???FZ, it seems, is almost always forgotten on these trendy lists.Jeffswampgasgraphics.com |
November 15, 2007 at 11:43 a.m.
| Punkrock Cowboy |
Works for me! (Or, taste is subjective, so whoever compiled this list shares my opinions.) |
November 15, 2007 at 12:21 p.m.
| bradford |
John H, of course lists are subjective and stupid... but how is it the mark of a philistine to discuss our opinions on music? I mean, this is a music site and all. |
November 15, 2007 at 12:47 p.m.
| the fuzz |
pretty crap list. Loveless was something new and influenced more musicians than anything above it except the Velvets and Sonic Youth.Looks like their criteria are albums that initially didn't come out on a major label. So... Creation Records you got the first two (go with the first) Oasis albums and Primal Scream's Screamadelica and Ride's Nowhere, etc. Where they at? Blur? JAMC's Psychocandy? Doves Lost Souls? I could spend all day listing "great" albums "better" than half on here.Art Brut? Rilo Kiley? Arcade Fire? Arctic Monkeys? Tv on the Radio? come on. Too new and too crap for a best of indie rock list. |
November 15, 2007 at 1:13 p.m.
| johnnywhassup |
And the point of this is...? |
November 15, 2007 at 1:30 p.m.
| aaron |
here's all the reasoning behind each album's placement on the list lol http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2974&src=dx15:mtd |
November 15, 2007 at 1:57 p.m.
| meh |
m.i.a. before guyville? you stupid f-cks |
November 15, 2007 at 2:41 p.m.
| Phil M. |
Perfect list from top to bottom. Best. List. Ever. |
November 15, 2007 at 3:06 p.m.
| tk001 |
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2983#4's album name typo made me laugh. (4. R.E.M., Mumu, I.R.S., 1983 for the record...go spellcheck?!?) |
November 16, 2007 at 8:05 p.m.
| SprkJonz |
I'm certain this was made by several 23 year old, misguided, short sited, wastes of space. When half of the list is laughable you know something is wrong. My issues: - Obligatory old school punk albums included - Inclusion of fringe hip hop albums to prove its not just about white boys playing in their garage - Absurd inclusions: Arcade Fire, Nick Drake, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Rilo Kiley, Feist - Absurd album choices (not bad albums but clearly the only ones by these artists that the 'critics' have heard: Cat Power, Animal Collective, Stereolab, The Clean, Brian Eno, Sebadoh, The Smiths, Superchunk, Yo La Tengo - Includes albums like Nirvana 'Bleach' even those these messy-haired-kids wearing-carefully-selected-ironic-TShirts listened to Nevermind far more. |
November 18, 2007 at 12:01 a.m.
| msubear |
I guess any album by The Skeletons, named by Rolling Stone in the 90's as "the best unsigned band in America", was omitted because Rolling Stone named The Skeletons as "the best unsigned band in America." |
November 30, 2007 at 8:28 p.m.
| sandro |
How about early Cure?! |
December 1, 2007 at 1:54 a.m.
| deer game hunting play |
Morelli hunts for big gameAnthony Morelli clears his mind by hunting deer in Pennsylvania'''s woods or fishing for bass in Pennsylvania'''s streams. The only |
December 1, 2007 at 1:34 p.m.
| jid |
No dirty three? That's a shame. |
December 6, 2007 at 11:38 a.m.
| Hathaway |
I wonder how many 13 year old girls begged for their indie rock crushes to get put on this list. Ridiculous. |
December 21, 2007 at 12:19 a.m.
| Indierocker |
Where is Flaming Lips, Jesus & Mary Chain and Radiohead!!... where are the albums nevermind, doolittle, closer, queen is dead, elephant, forever changes, and the first album of Velvet Underground!! |
January 3, 2008 at 8:23 p.m.
| GbVlifer |
Guided By Voices should have at least six albums on here!!! MIA?????? Feist??????? wtf? New Order, Brian Eno, indie rock? I dont know what this is. |
January 16, 2008 at 3:14 p.m.
| john |
elliott smith should've been a lot higher and they could've at least thrown a few more albums by him on there...ya know he was only the greatest musician throughout the 90's. and no yo la tengo?...depressing.. |
February 23, 2008 at 7:19 p.m.
| tim |
where is lonesome crowded west? |
February 24, 2008 at 4:33 p.m.
| Grantimus |
lonesome crowded west is decidedly missing, that's for sure. and where are the decemberists?? other than that, this list coud have been faaaaar worse. t least they got number 1 more or less "right". opinions may vary but it's hard to argue just how amazing that album is. |
February 27, 2008 at 6:55 p.m.
| rick |
wher the hell is oasis |
March 1, 2008 at 8:47 p.m.
| coletrain |
i like indie, but don't give me that self-righteous crap and stop taking it so seriously. it's music retard shut up and enjoy it. |
March 8, 2008 at 4:19 a.m.
| B.E. devel |
I love the fact that Pavement-Slanted and Enchanted got #1, but there's no way in hell that you can keep Firehose out of the top 20, let alone the entire list. |
March 10, 2008 at 8:39 a.m.
| Roy |
uuuhhh! The Stone Roses anyone???? Probably one of the greatest British albums of all time and directly influenced the Brit pop era! This is the most ridiculous list I’ve ever seen! |
March 31, 2008 at 4:24 p.m.
 |
de la soul are my favorite indie rock group. so glad they made the list. and i actually used to think they were a hip-hop group. stupid me. |
April 2, 2008 at 6:49 p.m.
| pc |
Cat Power is the new Norah Jones minus the label backing and with a dash of previous substance abuse sprinkled in for flavor. Don't get me wrong: she's not bad and easy on the eyes, but worthy of any best-ever list and good enough to bump Radiohead? I know these lists are meant to be taken with a pinch of salt, but a pound? How about Betty Serveert, Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips or Violent Femmes? Kinda' some glaring oversights here... |
April 22, 2008 at 4:51 p.m.
| butterface |
The Grifters "Crappin' You Negative" |
April 28, 2008 at 9:55 p.m.
| weare all scared rabbits |
This list seems to miss many great bands,Public image ltd., definatley think the group CAN should be included on this list, if i had to pick one Sonic Youth album to put on this, it owuld have to be Daydream nation. Radiohead should def be included on this list, and wuts the deal with arcade fire being in the top10? Flaming lips transmission from the sattelite heart should be on this. Apples in stereo fun trick noise maker is kick ass should be included, dont think i see new order either. screw oasis im happy there not included. and whats goin on with greenday appearing on the list........ |
May 26, 2008 at 4:32 a.m.
| ertgerg |
The Smiths! |
June 9, 2008 at 7:02 a.m.
| Echoes In Night |
The list is ok, why Interpol at 51? More like in the top 20 or 10 |
June 9, 2008 at 6:57 p.m.
| cloverarm |
I agree with so much here, however, I do agree with MK. No Beulah? WTF? I feel they should have been here along with "The Unicorns" and Imperial Teen. But good list. |
June 12, 2008 at 10:49 a.m.
| Dapper Dan |
Maybe i'm hallucinating but lonesome crowded west, violent femmes and Yo la Tengo are all on the list despite some of the above comments. Im not seeing things am i? |
July 4, 2008 at 1:27 a.m.
| Doxxman |
Those who bitch about placement, shut up please! "Loveless is so good and revolutionary..." it is still damn high, what are you complaining about?? Maybe some people think it is not the most consistent album in the world? Anyways, this is not that bad of a list, and it just represents part of the cycle of the mainstream trying to embrace alt rock once again. With the internet, REALLY obscure bands become more cool to like (Dream Syndicate, Chills, Embarrassment, etc) while overhyped stuff gets more unpopular (Radiohead, White Stripes, evidentally not pavement hmmm). The only thing bad about this list is that 1)they did not put a year limit on it, hence the endless bitching and 2)the comments made by editors are laughable, like the introduction. - Trevor e.y. |
July 9, 2008 at 1:22 p.m.
| Girshwin |
Most of these are punk albums and to put the whitestripes far far above Built to spill is BLASPHEMY!! |
August 15, 2008 at 2:28 p.m.
| w00000000 |
awesome list none of that hard rock Led Zeppelin crap that is on most lists |
September 3, 2008 at 6:03 p.m.
| Led Zeppelin Crap?! |
Wooo has zero brain cells. Woooooo, and I qoute, "None of that hard rock Led Zeppelin crap". This is an indie list. Zeppelin does not qualify as indie and if they did, they would be number one. Clearly you are no musician and if you are its the skin flute that you play... often. The coming together of those four musicians is perhaps one of the greatest formations in rock n roll and without bands such as Led Zeppelin laying the groundwork, there would not be any indie rock. I understand that you want to be an individual and that its cool to you to listen to the most underground stuff possible (regardless of what it sounds like) just for the sake of being different but don't be an idiot, we do not have time for shenanigans. And where are the Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Blood Brothers... thats indie rock. Kooks. -lg |
September 6, 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
 |
WHAT? DAMN YOU, BLENDAR! |
September 9, 2008 at 9:01 a.m.
| anesthetic |
Led Zeppelin Crap?! is absolutely right. |
September 9, 2008 at 11:42 p.m.
| Banks |
This is a very lonely list without " the Brian Jonestown massacre, |
October 7, 2008 at 3:16 p.m.
| G |
Sublime? |
October 24, 2008 at 1:36 a.m.
| Seb |
14 De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising Ahhhhhahahahahhahahahahahaa!! Hehehehehe |
November 3, 2008 at 12:24 a.m.
| Devon |
C'mon no Radiohead? And how come Elephant by The White Stripes and Doolittle by The Pixies aren't on there? Nothing by The Flaming Lips or Bjork either. |
November 7, 2008 at 12:42 a.m.
| Collin kritz |
I literally read this lsit and could not understand how in the world pixies doolittle was not on here. If they actually remembered it, im sure it would be on here |
November 12, 2008 at 5:39 p.m.
| DonnyD |
NO Brian Jonestown Massacre?!?!?! This list is suspect!!! |
November 16, 2008 at 4:36 p.m.
| adrian |
Take this list as merely a guide for the new generation to find and begin their journey into good music, not as an indictment of your personal taste. I imagine the hours I could have saved when I was 16 had I a list similar to this. But, alas I did it the old fashioned way of pestering the guy at the record store. There are several ommissions that I would present, most of them a little more aggressive than the rest of this list. At The Drive-In, The Refused, Boy Sets Fire, Minor Threat, Fugazi, to name a few. Surely 13 Songs stands up better than MIA. BUT I REPEAT THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON PERSONAL PREFERENCE! |
November 17, 2008 at 10:24 a.m.
| Chris |
De la soul is a good group but not indie rock.Shouldve been titled indie albums instead then you would need the roots or freestyle fellowships to whom it may concern classic album is a gym in the underground hip-hop scene.Mya isnt underground either blender should never comment on hip-hop again they dont know it.Im surprised blender didnt include the slim shady ep or infinite.Love eminem but mags overrate the guy hes no nas maybe a 20-10 type rapper. |
November 20, 2008 at 11:57 p.m.
| Karen |
Oh wow, No The Queen Is Dead. I love the self-titled Smiths album, but the Queen Is Dead is so much better. Wolf Parade should be further up there, too, not just stuck up somewhere so they can squeeze in their Canadian music quota. And Funeral shouldn't be so high up. It's good, but not the end-all be-all musical indie orgasm that so many people depict it as, ick. I guess that's what you get when it's Blender, though. You can't expect much from it. |
November 21, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
| James B. |
Hahah, Arcade Fire above Loveless???? AND The Velvet f*cking Underground and Nico?? Artic Monkeys above The Clean, Dead Kennedy's, Flipper, Beat Happening? Green Day above Vs by Mission Of Burma? The order is certainly screwed up here. Nice to see so many great influencial underground acts on here though I gotta say. Also wasn't Psychocandy or an indie label? And Joy Division/New Order?? (Factory Records). |
Oh for the love of Shiva will they please stop...