Top 10 Best British Indie Bands

Oasis is the pinnacle of the culmination of political and social frustration in the '70s, '80s, and '90s in the north of England (north being Yorkshire onwards).

These are, in my opinion, the finished product: a number of consistent hits and a disgustingly good set of albums, the obvious one being "Definitely Maybe." When looking at the band's two major figures, Noel and Liam Gallagher, they have said in interviews they were heavily influenced by the Madchester scene, particularly The Stone Roses. In every way, Oasis was the band that The Roses were expected to become, hence why they are the finished product.

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!

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.

Twenty-six 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 indie/alternative. Unlike many of the above, they actually sing about real things in life and not continuous rubbish. They are the true essence of British indie 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.

My favorite 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.

They are my number one but should definitely be in the top 5.

As I said about Oasis, these guys heavily inspired the Madchester culture for a number of other bands, including Oasis.

The Roses got the iconic lemon and album picture when they were inspired by French riots. Despite only making two albums in their time together, their first album is widely debated and, in my opinion, is the best debut album a band has ever produced. Usually, bands struggle to find their sound early on. However, The Roses jumped straight in with hits like "Sally Cinnamon," "Waterfall," "This Is the One," "I Wanna Be Adored," "She Bangs the Drums," "Fools Gold," "Made of Stone," and more.

In my opinion, it's safe to say that without these guys, Oasis would have struggled and might not have even come about without the inspiration of The Roses. Of course, even today, The Stone Roses are very in touch with the culture. Their rise was in sync with the football club they are synonymous with, Manchester United. United reached prominence and made history in the '90s, winning a treble in Europe and dominating English football for 15 years. If you visit United's ground, Old Trafford, you'll find Stone Roses song names scattered throughout on banners and hear their legendary song "This Is the One" playing before every match.

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 are the 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 better bands (my favorite band is Blur), no one can match the swagger and vocal prowess of Richard Ashcroft. Listen to their albums. They are absolutely incredible. The Verve is a definite #3 on this list for sure.

I don't know why they weren't on the list already. They're one of the best British bands, up there with Radiohead and Muse. They've been around for nearly 30 years and have carried on despite losing one of their members.

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.

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?

How the hell is Muse above this band? That's pure rubbish.

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.

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.

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.

Why isn't this band at the top? Seriously, you guys voted Radiohead into the top 10!? This band blows all of these other bands out of the water.

They have deep lyrics and awesome beats. Love ya, The 1975!

She Way Out - that is all I need to say. But still, I'll say more. So, why are they not higher?

These guys are the definition of British alt-pop/rock. My favorite band!

If you like Oasis, you have to love Noel. He is God, the best songwriter of a generation. His music is beautiful, and the lyrics are amazing. He is from another planet.

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.

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.

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 of electric and acoustic material. Just listen to "Naive" and "She Moves in Her Own Way" and you'll know what I mean.

They should definitely be closer to the number 1 spot.

"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 they should be at 1 and 2. They are the best British Indie/Alternative Rock bands ever!

If it weren'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.

"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.