Best Indie Bands

The greatest of the indie bands, double check record labels before adding.
The Top Ten
1 Arctic Monkeys The Arctic Monkeys, otherwise known as the Death Ramps, are a British indie rock band formed in 2002 in Sheffield, England. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocalist, songwriter, electric and rhythm guitarist), Jamie Cook (electric and rhythm guitarist, songwriter), Matt Helders (percussionist, backing vocalist) and Nick O'Malley (bassist, backing vocalist). A former member, Andy Nicholson (also a bassist and backing vocalist) left the band shortly after the release of the band's debut album and before Nick took his position to patch the line-up. ...read more.

I almost threw up when I seen this. How did they make it past the Top 20?

a rely skillful band with a good drummer

fantastic band in the world..

2 The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band formed in New York City in 1998. They consists of Julian Casablancas (lead vocalist), Nick Valensi (guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist), Albert Hammond, Jr. (rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist), Nikolai Fraiture (bassist) and Fabrizio Moretti ...read more.

You Only Live Once is a great song and Julian Casablancas sounds (and looks) perfect in the song and the video. Some songs just sound perfect and this one is it! I LOVE THE STROKES! BOTTOM LINE.

only strokes!

This band literally saved rock n' roll with Is This It album, which is the best indie album of all time.

The best band with best songs...
couldn't find any song to compare to theirs...

3 MGMT MGMT is an American rock band formed in 2002 by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio.

To those who haven't heard MGMT before, I suggest starting out with Electric Feel, Flash Delirium, Kids, and Time to Pretend... That will get you hooked on enough to properly fall in love with songs like Siberian Breaks, Of Moons Birds and Monsters, and Congratulations.

By the time you've through with these songs, you'll return to this page and vote for them! And these are just some of the popular choices... I encourage even casual MGMT fans to go through their entire albums- you'd be surprised just how one of the songs you've heard little of catches your fancy!

I wish there were more bands like MGMT out there right now. There songs have a unique sound to them which you will find irresistible. You won't be able to stop humming their songs!

I LOVE MGMT! I just about died when I bought their album Oracular Spectacular. That was the best money I ever spent! They really mean the world to me!

I think they should be #1, in my opinion they're one of the best bands out there today and highly underrated.

I fell in the love with MGMT the moment I heard Kids. MGMT is definitely my favorite band every.

4 The Killers The Killers is an American pop rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2001, by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning.

Best indie maker of all time! The vocalist and drummer r the best!

5 Oasis Oasis were an English britpop band formed in Manchester in 1991. Developed from an earlier group, the Rain, the band originally consisted of Liam Gallagher (vocals and tambourine), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll. Noel Gallagher (Liam's Brother) served as the primary ...read more.

Is the best band in the world

6 Two Door Cinema Club

Great band, summer vibe and catchy guitar riffs. Best example of an indie band.

7 Arcade Fire Arcade Fire are a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Win's younger brother Will Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara.
8 Sufjan Stevens
9 Of Monsters And Men Of Monsters and Men is a five-member, English-language, indie folk-pop band from Reykjavík, Iceland, formed in 2010.

The only non-rock band that really caught my attention. OMAM introduced me to Indie Folk, and thanks to them, I'm happy having another genre on my playlist.

I was surprised not to find them on the list... Nanna has an incredible voice and the band is AMAZING!
Their song 'Little Talks' is a major hit... I love them!

10 Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. It currently consists of lead vocalist Mark Foster, lead guitarist Sean Cimino, keyboardist Isom Innis, and drummer Mark Pontius.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better run better run out run my gun

The Contenders
11 Bright Eyes

His lyrics and music are beyond many of his peers. He doesn't try to dazzle you with a voice he pulls you in with actual meaning to the words he says.

definitely a great band, but this is a horrible list, sorry.

12 Bunkface

The top song of this Malaysian band is situasi, prom queen, soldier, sily lily, bunk anthem and through Malaysia window... This can be top of the world with great performance on stage and have fun with people

Bunkface is the best indie band ever in my life. Their songs were the best of the best. Their music was awesome, fantastic, and cool... I hope that bunkface will do their own best to save malaysian's music industry of music. Maruah malaysia tidak akan kami cemari... Music malaysia lagi bagus daripada music luar.. GOMO BUNKFACE GOMO!

13 The 1975 The 1975 are an English pop-rock band originating from Manchester. The group consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matthew "Matty" Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer George Daniel.

...Needs to go back to 1975 where it belongs, in the dark shadow of what music is today. Perfected.

Are. You. Kidding. Me. The 1975 is original AF, unlike what music has become

14 The Arcana The Arcana are a British rock band formed in 2016 in London, England. The band consists of Peter Lennodo (vocals, guitars and keyboards), Jack Aquiziac (vocals, bass guitar and keyboards) and Joey Silverheel (drums and percussion).

They have released four studio albums: Pastel Painted People In Candy Coloured Crowds (2023), Mesmer Theatre (2020), Lemon Freddy Phantom Of The Sky (2017) and Tomorrow Is Yesterday (2016). They have released three singles: Ghostwriter (2016), Lemon Freddy (2018) and Wishes Last Forever (2019). ...read more.
15 Alt-J Alt-J is an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds, by Joe Newman, Thom Sonny Green, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Gwil Sainsbury.

So different and such a unique style. Can listen to their album over and over again. Geek-rock.

16 Iron and Wine

Iron and Wine rocks and he is my favorite singer. He kind of looks like Jesus Christ with the beard but he is still a good singer/songwriter. You rock Iron and Wine.

Iron and Wine is the BEST! Its all I've been listening to at the moment. after hearing just one song I was hooked!

17 Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Provo, Utah, and are now based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Imagine Dragons' lineup consists of lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their single "It's Time", followed by their award-winning debut studio album Night Visions (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "Radioactive" and "Demons". Rolling Stone named "Radioactive", which holds the record for most weeks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the "biggest rock hit of the year".

Imagine the world w/o imagine dragons... in the words of sam Cooke

18 Red House Painters
19 Broken Social Scene
20 The Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood is my all time favorite band. You really can't put them into a genre, they can range from sleepy indie R & B to hard hip-hop rap. These are my personal favorites: Female Robbery, $ting, Greetings From Califournia, Daddy Issues, Baby Came Home (1 and 2), The Beach, Warm, and Jealousy.

Dude, they are simply amazing, their music makes me feel something unexplainable.

21 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records.
22 Death Cab for Cutie Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band, formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is composed of Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr.

If you havnt heard death cab, you havnt heard music. Not really indie but they're amazing so defiantly check them out.

23 Stars
24 Feist

Who doesn't love that 1-2-3 video... Lucky gal you

25 Modest Mouse Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon.
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