Best Alternative / Indie Rock Bands of the 21st Century

Depends what kind of mood I am in but it's a toss up between radiohead and these guys. And the Monkeys do seem to have more momentum behind them these days...

Best band the British Indie scene has brought forward. Intelligent lyrics combined with solid music.

This band writes such deep music and you can just feel what they are trying to tell you.

The best indie rock band ever! Their music is great and their style and everything!

Honestly should be right up at the top. The most beautiful, creative, mind-blowing music. Every album is a gift to the world. Thom is an absolute lyrical genius. Should be number 1 for sure. Radiohead has changed the way I perceive the world, myself and others. If you have never listened to them before, do yourself a favour and go listen to them. I've got to say, it's almost impossible to pick a favourite, but mine would have to be Videotape, Lotus Flower, Glassy Eyed and Street Spirit (Fade Out). And Just. And You and Whose Army. I could really go on forever listing all these wonderful songs.

None of these indie bands would be around without Radiohead. There would be no Muse, Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, Death cab, Coldplay, Killers, and many more. They are so inventive with their sound too...

Have one of the best fan bases and album art adding to what is already a prolific alt. band. Still trying to figure out who like Linkin Park enough to vote for them over any of these bands.

Should easily top this list and be considered in best bands overall. Can you say dynamic? And more than that, just plain beautiful.

I was struggling to find a modern band I could like, since I hated most modern music. Then, my friend performed radioactive at a talent show. I asked him who it was by, and he told me it was imagine dragons. When I got home, I googled radioactive. Then, another friend played Demons. I loved both of those songs, so I started listening to more music by them. Now they're my favorite modern band

I love Imagine Dragons. They are really great and the lyrics are very emotional. For me number 1 with Linkin Park!

I have loved imagine dragons since It's time. If you like them try American Authors, why aren't they on top?

Love this band...
Also Snow patrol, muse, the killers and Coldplay are the best bands ever!

My Favorite band!
They should be on first
They are the best of all
There songs are really awesome
Can't tell in words... Just there music is AmAzInG

Linkin Park is beyond doubt the best band ever! You guys ROCK!

I like some Of Linkin Parks songs but I dislike just as many.

They have created their own Genre. Enough said

Best band in the world. Every song they do is different, every album they make is unique, and their talent shines through in everything. Each new album tries out something new and interesting that is able to keep people listening to them even after 18 years. A rush of blood to the head may perhaps be one of the best albums ever made! They have always made beautiful music and they don't need to sing about sex, drugs, alcohol, partying, and suicide to get the attention. They make songs with a wide variety of emotions that never ever fail to show their creative genius. In 2015 they recieved the NME award for Godlike Genius and I couldn't agree more. All the songs are made by the band, and are filled with the band's emotions. The lyrics are all chris martin and the lyrics of almost all of their songs are very meaningful and very full of life. Each member of the band is extremely talented and very humble. They have stuck together for almost 19 years because their chemistry and their ...more

Comfortably the biggest and most influential band since 2000 no one makes music as comfortably as them, and no band sells as many records. Love them or hate them, they're undeniably the biggest in the world at the moment and have been for almost 10 years now.

I don't think they're the best indie rock band, I don't think they're alternative rock band, but they are the best Indie/Alternative rock band.

Best band! They make amazing, meaningful songs, that invoke so much emotion and power. They have been going strong since 2000!

Are they like a real band that makes music or are we all just hallucinating them? anyway in my opinion they are one of the best bands of the last 15-20 years and may I add the strokes and radiohead

Muse is the best band ever. Say what you want about Linkin Park but they didn't get radio AirPlay of 30+ songs. Muse did

Muse is the best band ever! I haven't heard a single song by them that I didn't like.

Firstly, Linkin Park are not indie. Secondly, Muse are musical geniuses.

Top 8 bands of all time. Also take every other band of but R.H.C.P., Foo Fighters, P.J., and maybe Radiohead.

The funk is awesome, the lyrics are great and flea is the best bassist of any rock band

An incredible band that is able to consistently pump out solid albums each of them with their own list of anthemic sing along singles, but even then the rest of their songs all sound fantastic and more importantly written from the heart. Brandon Flowers impressive vocal ability coupled with his lyrical skill really shine and fit together beautifully with the rest of the bands amazing musical skill.

The Killers have amazing lyrics and tunes I mean seriously they are so underrated for an alt rock band. They have so much good music that are not even played on radio they should be #1.

They are awesome!, Hot Fuss and Sam's Town are a very good discs and Wonderful Wonderful is good too (Day & Age is regular and Battle Born sucks)

The killers are amazing and they're a mix of old school and 21st century which I really likw- they're pretty unique and their music is awesome!

I'm in love with their music. They have such contrast and don't use the same boring melodies over and over. And I love how they exaggerate stuff and make their live shows a big dramatic production! It's definitely a job well done!

Favorite band of all time! Haven't found a song I didn't like! From I Write Sins Not Tragedies to Nine in the Afternoon to Nicotine, Build God Then We'll Talk, Girls/Girls/Boys and The Ballad of Mona Lisa they're music is the best!

Incredible music incredible band. Brandon Urie is the most talented musician out there in my opinion, he plays ALL instruments and his voice and vocal range are just as amazing live

Brendon Urie is a brilliant songwriter and producer. We wouldn't know how to love Panic! At the Disco if we didn't know how to love the face of it

They were the ones that started it in 2001 with Is This It.

This is the most original of all bands.

Badass band... Enough said.

Best band ever

This shouldn't be number 10. It started alternative rock. It got me interested in the genre of rock in the first place when I heard Seven nation army. Like honestly wow, their guitar skills are better than any band at this time, THEY shouldn't BE 10 THEY STARTED IT. And I can gurantee that 90% percent of people over the age of 13 have heard at least one of their songs.

These guys are literally the reason I love music. With two people they managed to make a bigger and better sound than bands that have three times their number. Also, Jack White is probably the best guitarist and raw musician of his generation, or any generation for that matter.

Despite what some people say here, alt rock existed many years before the White Stripes. However, they are still a great garage rock/punkish band. Jack White is one of the best guitarists of the past 10 years as well.

Why are they so low? This band is the band that started it all. If it weren't for The White Stripes, all these other bands on the list wouldn't be as famous.

Why? Should be in top 10

They are amazing

Green Day have had a huge influence on the 21st century and unlike some bands on this list they make statements with their music. Just listen to, "Holiday," "American Idiot," "Wake Me up When September Ends," "21st Century Breakdown," or "21 Guns." In addition they are the only band on this list that I have seen that had a rock opera turned into a successful musical about 7 years after its original release date.

I like some of Green Days songs but I again still dislike just as many.

Best band ever

These guys are just amazing an for me they deserve top 5 at least

Undoubtedly the greatest band of the 21st century. Every single song has such a profound meaning and story. Funeral, Neon Bible, The Suburbs, Reflektor; works of geniuses. How is it so low. Probably just cause its lesser known than the others being canadian and all._. Has won two Grammy album of the years. They will not disappoint <3 arcade fire

Because they ARE the best band of our time!

Alongside RHCP and Coldplay, these guys of all contemporary bands do magic through their music. Eventhough they are a 21st century band, I dare to say they might be my favorite band of all time, and that's tough since I've been into older stuff like Pink Floyd my entire life.

This is Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, Hendix and Floyd all combined in one mothering fright fest.

They should at least be in the top 10. This band is great and they don't have a single bad song.

They are amazing especially their new album!

Incredible! Obsessed with their music!

This is my favourite band!

Also very awesome

Absolutely beautiful. They change their sound for each album. One of the only bands where every single song on the album is a real banger.

This band is Amazing! They are fantastic live and their lead vocalist is fantastic! They have great songs and they aren't boring.

Pure awesomeness to my ears!

The arctic monkeys suck cage the elephant totally deserves number one