Top 10 Best British Indie Bands
I have listened to Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Wombats, Oasis, and almost everything else on this list enough to share my opinion (so if you haven't listened to everything, don't bother to comment). I've come to the conclusion that Oasis has the most classical and rhythmic songs. The others are all very good, in fact, really good, but they just lack the harmony and experience that Oasis has.
Beautiful music, addicting lyrics, and the chord production is wonderful on every song. They really are the best indie band from the UK. They write songs with meaning, passion, and soul. Even though they broke up, what they did while they were together was absolutely genius. I love them. After all, they're my wonderwall.
Simply, no one can top the Monkeys with their unforgettable lyrics and riffs. Every single tune released has a different sound, keeping the listeners on their toes, wondering what's in store, but they are always pleased with the content released. I've been around since Humbug, and have never been displeased with any tune, and that says something special for me. I'm sure that speaks a lot for any Monkeys listener.
The Verve, the Kaiser Chiefs, and Oasis are all pretty good, but honestly, who could beat the Monkeys? They beat all the bands on this list just by having such a cool name! Rock on Monkeys! Oh, and don't sit down because I moved your chair! LEGENDS! X
Radiohead's unique sound and lyrics easily surpass any other band's. No other band on this list has achieved as much as Radiohead in music over the past years. Take, for example, the fact that Radiohead has made it to Billboard's top 100 rock songs of the 90s. Consider how long Radiohead has stayed in the music industry and how long the band has prospered. No other band has achieved this much, this fast, and during its career as a band. Many other bands only achieve this status after they have fallen apart. 26 years in the music industry - that's significant. The Beatles lasted less than half that time.
The Smiths are without a doubt the epitome of the words indie/alternative. Unlike many of the above, they actually sing about real things in life and not continuous rubbish. They are the true sense of British and influence people of all generations. Ironic, original, and beautiful creatures. Oh, Morrissey, with his therapeutic voice, heals the soul every time a person listens, and Johnny Marr with his enduring and spirit-lifting guitar playing. Honestly, anyone who has even a bit of interest in indie music would feel like they are in heaven.
The Roses should be further up because they originated and founded the Madchester sound that other bands on this list kind of adopted. They ushered in a new sound in the rock genre. They had ups and downs, but their ups were amazing. They had great lyrics, John was probably one of the best guitarists to come out of England, and their instrumentals were unbelievable. I even like the way Ian isn't the best singer. His voice has enough of that distinctive Manchester accent and character to appeal to the band's target audience, which was mainly northerners. Unreal band.
In my opinion, The Verve were and still are completely underestimated and stereotyped for their commercial hits only (e.g., The Drugs Don't Work and the one with the stolen riff). Unlike other indie bands, Ashcroft and The Verve are not afraid to go ambient in an alternative way, which is something that's been missing from Indie since Pink Floyd. They deserve to be ranked on a totally different scale.
What is Arctic Monkeys doing in the number 1 spot?
And,
Where are Elbow and the Guillemots? Don't make me go to page 2!
While Blur and Oasis are the better bands (my favorite band is Blur), no one can match the swagger and vocal prowess of Richard Ashcroft. Listen to their albums... They're absolutely incredible. The Verve is a definite #3 on this list for sure.
My favourite band of all time. A band that would fit in everywhere, they would always find a way to move with the changes in scene and culture, and always have a good solid body of work and fan base.
Listen to any two Blur albums, and each will have a different soul. Why are they so low on the list? Graham and Damon's relationship has shown how powerful music can be.
Number 20, that's nuts. They moved with the times and were always amazing. Every album, from Leisure to Think Tank, was incredible.
My number one, but should definitely be in the top 5.
Album #1 Parachutes is the truest form of Coldplay you will find up until X&Y, where Coldplay discovered and pronounced a more rock-ethic approach. Unfortunately, and it's a big unfortunate, the later pieces are getting more and more "pop", which, in turn, sends a somewhat "Erhhh" across my mouth box. It would appear that even as big and as branded as Coldplay still are, they have lost their way in my opinion. Which of these two can you lip-sync more easily to off the top of your head, "Yellow" or "Ghost Story"? See what I mean?
The Cure is number what now?! Are you kidding me? Talk about timeless! I grew up on them and STILL love their tunes!
I don't think they're indie at all. They're post-punk, alternative rock, and gothic rock.
I don't understand how they can be so low on the list.
If you like Oasis, you have to love Noel. He's God, the best songwriter of a generation. His music is beautiful, and the lyrics are amazing. He's from another planet.
They may not be as big as some of the others on this list, but they are quite arguably the most innovative and influential, so long as you exclude Radiohead. To be honest, Radiohead shouldn't even be on this list anyway, as they're not actually an Indie band.
I like a lot here on the list! But Kaiser Chiefs stand out. Their music is great!
Awesome band, very underrated. The newest album is really good. Great guitarist.
Please, someone kill me now. How can you compare Joy Division to The Kooks? What could compel someone to claim that the Kaiser Chiefs are better? They've done about 4-5 good songs in five albums. Joy Division, with 2 studio albums, produced 19 good songs, and that doesn't even include the classics. As previously said, they were insanely influential, and without them, none of the other bands on this list would exist. This is a horrendous list.
The Wombats above Joy Division? They easily deserve the top spot, with The Smiths second and The Stone Roses third. Come on, half of these bands are not British. Why are The Strokes on this list? They are from New York. The top ten should be Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order, The Stone Roses, Radiohead, The Libertines, Oasis, Bauhaus, Babyshambles, and maybe Kasabian.
A lot of these bands are not indie, and the ones who are aren't all that great (like The Libertines and The Wombats). Bloc Party is the second most innovative band on this list (behind Radiohead, who aren't indie), and with every album, they change their sound and perfect the sound they have evolved into.
Some bands maintain the same sound for years, until their own fans get kind of tired. BP evolves with every new album but still keeps their original charm. "Silent Alarm" was, indisputably, their jump to the top, but "A Weekend in the City" and "Four" had amazing songs indeed. Let's see which treasures "Hymns" will bring to BP's audience.
Jarvis is one of the greatest lyricists of the past 30 years and sums up real life like no other singer. Why are they so low? Such an underrated band.
You must be joking, top ten at the very least, Mike Luke.
"Oh Liam!" There's lots of potential with this band, but without the songwriters' skill, it's found lacking, "expectation!" It's much harder than the style of the High Flying Birds, and there lies the issue of comparison to both Noel's crew and Oasis. There was always going to be conflicting comparisons, and without good backing vocals and harmonics, you'll find Liam's vocals much too "in your face."
How are New Order at 22!? Joy Division and them should be at 1 and 2... the best British Indie/Alternative Rock bands ever!
If it wasn't for them or Joy Division, a majority of the other Indie/Alternative Rock bands on this list would not have been around.
Surely they should be in the top 10. Best British band along with The Smiths and The Cure.
Their music is uniquely awesome. They don't sound like most of the bands out there, which is why I could never get bored listening to all of their songs - be it B-sides or covers. They have the best guitar riffs, drums, Kapranos' voice, backups, etc., that make a great band.
On top of that, their live performances are splendid! Which is the reason I fell in love with them in the first place. You could never tell the difference from their recorded ones!
The most intelligent and fascinating lyrics I've ever heard. The most beautiful voice. The most energizing concerts I've ever seen. Too many "the most" for one band, but they DO deserve it. In my list, they are in first place.
The Script is an inspirational band. Their songs always have a special meaning, and many fans can relate to them in some situation of their life. You can turn to their music for support, inspiration, motivation, or when you just need to relax. But they are more than just great musicians. They're great people too. Even after 10 years, they're still down-to-earth and care about their fans.
The Script is amazing! I think they should really be up there with all the other epic bands. I'm not sure why they want me to spell everything incorrectly. Every time I put an apostrophe, they say it's better quality. I don't know what's happening there. Awkward.
Am I not right in saying Muse are truly the most talented band in the world? They may not be the best to some, but you can't get more pure talent than you can in Muse! I don't know why people don't like Muse as much with their new stuff! They're still amazing. Muse through and through! They're still amazing, yeah they have the old amazing classics: Falling Down, Muscle Museum, Blackout, but still... Explorers! That is a great song.
I agree with the other comments. It doesn't really make much sense for Muse to be this low on the list. The only reason I can think of is that Oasis, Coldplay, The Kooks, Bloc Party, and Blur, etc., are more pop indie, while Muse is a lot closer to rock indie. I personally wouldn't put Oasis and Muse in the same music category, but still... It's very weird that they're still this low.
Their ability to have some of the most cheerful and upbeat songs ever, as a facade to their deeper and darker understanding of life, is truly one of a kind.
The songs are uplifting, with lyrics that never fail to make me smile. I have only just started listening to them, and I'm happy I have found this band as they are my favourite.
I am from South Africa, heard the Wombats on a friend's phone, and now I am addicted. They are seriously awesome. It would be awesome to see them live!
Immense band! Totally underappreciated by people these days! The Fratellis have always been one of my favorite bands, and I've been listening to them for years! Real toe-tapping tunes - seriously!
Not that great and clearly struggled to follow up the album they are known for, "Costello Music". They remind me of a band that gigged for a long time until gathering enough material to go large, make some wonga, and stay home for the rest of their lives until the money runs dry and then come back with a poor album that stays in the charts for a couple of weeks before fading out so far you won't even find it on ThePirateBay. How on earth are they on page one? A band like Elbow knocks the socks off this bunch.
James are still a great band and have been producing great songs for the last 30 years! Unique sound and just amazing!
James rules. No other band can come out with albums that just get better all the time!
Songs which expose the terrible beauty of human love.
"Underdog," "Fire," "Club Foot," and "Days Are Forgotten" are simply amazing tunes. From the brilliant riffs to the rocking violins and cellos, this band has it all. Their music spans a lot of different genres, and I personally like their experimenting. The band, as said by Serge, isn't an indie rock band (and dislikes being named as such), so I think they probably shouldn't be listed here.
Kasabian is simply the best. Re-Wired is out of this world. Not to mention, every single album they have put out has been a perfect 10/10. Club Foot, Shoot the Runner, Empire, Underdog, Fire, Take Aim, Fast Fuse, Thick as Thieves, Switchblade Smiles, Days Are Forgotten... They are just the best band out there. Period.
Never recorded a bad song. Inside In/Inside Out was a brilliant start, and they only got better with Konk. Sway and See The Sun have to be two of the greatest songs of all time. The third album may not be as standout as the first two, but if you don't compare them, it's still a good album. How on Earth are bands like The Script ahead of them?
This band is the definition of indie. Perfect blend between electric and acoustic material. Just listen to "Naive" and "She Moves in Her Own Way" and you'll know what I mean. Should definitely be closer to the number 1 spot.