What could be more deliberately argument-provoking than a list of the top indie rock discs of all time? After all, even trying to get agreement on what "indie rock" means is to instigate among purists disputes so vehement and arcane that they would put Middle East peace talks to shame. So I won’t stoop to taking the bait proffered by Blender magazine’s new list of "The 100 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever" (the mag’s Top 10 listed after the jump). I’ll just stand back and let others squabble while I watch with bemused detachment…
Aw, heck, who am I kidding?
Let me just say that, for all the editors’ good taste in selecting many of my favorites and yours for inclusion, picking Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted for No. 1 smacks of the same reflexive laziness that routinely lands Sgt. Pepper at No. 1 whenever Rolling Stone makes its greatest-albums-ever lists. And throwing into the top 10 a ringer like the 1969 self-titled album by the Velvet Underground (pictured) really muddies the waters unfairly. Yes, it’s a massively influential album that’s surely on every indie rocker’s playlist, but to place at No. 7 an album that predates Indie As We Know It by a good 15 years is to suggest that you’re really not taking your own task (and the parameters you’ve set for yourself) at all seriously and are just picking discs you think are cool. That’s fine if you want to call the list something else, but I bet you guys could come up with an indie-er indie rock top 10 off the top of your heads. Make me proud, PopWatchers.
Blender’s 10 Greatest Indie-Rock Albums Ever
10. The Smiths, The Smiths
9. Big Star, Third/Sister Lovers
8. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
7. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground
6. Arcade Fire, Funeral
5. Pixies, Surfer Rosa
4. R.E.M., Mumu
3. The Replacements, Let It Be
2. Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
1. Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted
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Yeah, but Slanted is the best indie rock record ever. It’s actually my favorite record of all time, indie or not. My 10 indies?
10. Violent Femmes – “Violent Femmes”
9. Minutemen – “Double Nickels on the Dime”
8. Spoon – “Kill the Moonlight”
7. Rilo Kiley – “The Execution of All Things”
6. Neutral Milk Hotel – “In the Aeroplane Over The Sea”
5. They Might Be Giants – “Lincoln”
4. Dinosaur Jr – “You’re Living All Over Me”
3. Pixies – “Doolittle”
2. The Replacements – “Let It Be”
1. Pavement – “Slanted and Enchanted”
While there are a lot of albums on that list I agree with, here’s my personal top 10:
10. Galaxie 500 – On Fire
9. The New Pornographers – Twin Cinema
8. Arcade Fire – Funeral
7. Nirvana – Bleach
6. Spoon – Gimme Fiction
5. Liz Phair – Exile In Guyville
4. Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted
3. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
2. The Replacements – Let It Be
1. REM – Murmur
I’m honestly not sure what an accurate description of indie would be; but if it means what I always thought it meant, shouldn’t there be an Ani DeFranco record on there somewhere?
Wow, that’s a pretty tough one. I’d disagree with Blender’s list in saying anything released by Interscope could be considered Indie, but that’s just me. I lean alot more on the more modern stuff as you can tell…
10. Get Up Kids – Something to Write Home About
9. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – Hearts of Oak
8. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
7. Bright Eyes – Lifted, or the Story’s…
6. Sigur Ros – Aegatis Byrjun
5. Death Cab for Cutie – The Photo Album
4. Arcade Fire – Funeral
3. Yo La Tengo – Electr-o-Pura
2. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
1. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Where’s the love for the Stone Roses?
Their self-titled CD deserves a spot in the top 10…
The Stone Roses just missed the cut for me. I’ve got them at 11.
They put the winner at #11 – “Double Nickels On The Dime” by The Minutemen.
“Bemused” means “baffled,” blogger. Perhaps you’re trying to tell us something.
From Webster’s Dictionary:
Main Entry:
be·muse Listen to the pronunciation of bemuse
Pronunciation:
\bi-ˈmyüz, bē-\
Function:
transitive verb
Date:
1735
1 : to make confused : puzzle, bewilder
2 : to occupy the attention of : distract, absorb
3 : to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement or
10. Modest Mouse – Lonesome Crowded West
9. X – Wild Gift
8. Frog Eyes – The Golden River
7. Danger Mouse – Gray Album
6. Desaparecidos – Read Music/Speak Spanish
5. Elliott Smith – Elliott Smith
4. Mission of Burma – Signals, Calls and Marches
3. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
2. Pavement – Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
1. Neutral Milk Hotel – In an Aeroplane Over the Sea
It’s a bemusement park!
Another vote for “In the Aeroplane…” by N.M.H. at #1. The definition of an “indie” album. Jeff Mangum, where are you?
Obviosly I’m a little new school..Although the classics clearly influence my taste
11. Shout Out Louds- Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
10.Ringside- RingSide
9.Goldspot- Tally of the Yes Men
8.The Early November- The Rooms Too Cold
7.Jose Gonzalez- Veneer
6.Stars- Set Yourself On Fire
5.Imogen Heap- Speak for Yourself
4.Neko Case- Fox Confessor
3.The Smiths- Louder Than Bombs
2.Ryan Adams- Gold
1.Rogue Wave- Descended Like Vultures
They have the #1 album totally correct…Also up there is Liz Phair “Exile in Guyville”, Neutral Milk Hotel “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”, Sleater-Kinney “Call the Doctor”, Built to Spill “There is Nothing Wrong with Love”, Archers of Loaf “Icky Mettle”
Beck – “Mellow Gold”
Radiohead – “The Bends”
Has no one heard Television’s debut record? that should be on everyone’s list. Please, EW readers, make Santa aware of this album’s absense from your disc/record/mp3 collection.
Some of you may hate me for this, but it is just my opinion… Pavement is the most overrated band ever.
Am I the only one who thinks that Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is Pavement’s clear masterpiece? That is my #1 “indie” album of all time, and Slanted and Enchanted does not make the top 10 (but comes close).
The Damnwells — Air Stereo.
What is my mother-in-law doing in the Velvet Underground?
RE: Has no one heard Television’s debut record?
I love Marquee Moon, but as far as I know, it came out on Elekra and I was trying to stick to “indie” labels. Same reason why I didn’t drop in some Tom Waits.
1. The Smiths-The Smiths
2. Penthouse and Pavement-Heaven 17 (Though Let Me Go is their best song)
3. One Afternoon in a Hot Air Balloon-Artery
4. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn- Bright Eyes
5. Logic Will Break Your Heart- The Stills
6. The Bends-Radiohead
7. Kick Out The Jams- The MC 5 (who should be in the RRHF already!)
8. The Pretenders- The Pretenders
9. East Side Story- Squeeze
10. Black Celebration- Depeche Mode
Sorry folks, I would also have to dismiss Radiohead as an indie band for the Bends especially (they were on Capitol). If you wanted to count In Rainbows though, that would definitely make the cut.
Also, I’ve listened to Television’s album, but honestly it did nothing for me. And I also agree that Pavement ranks up there as one of the most overrated bands of all time, no question.
10. Arcade Fire – Funeral
9. Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights
8. Death Cab for Cutie – The Photo Album
7. The Wrens – Meadowlands
6. Pavement – Slanted and Enchanted
5. Pavement – Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
4. Pavement – Wowee Zowee
3. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
2. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
1. The Hold Steady – Separation Sunday
Oh yeah, and obviously I hate cay. Some for you too Scott P (even though your list rocks).
10) This Is Our Music – Galaxie 500
09) Whatever People Say.. – Arctic Monkeys
08) Flip Your Wig – Husker Du
07) Up on The Sun – Meat Puppets
06) Let It Be – Replacements
05) Anodyne – Uncle Tupelo
04) George Best – Wedding Present
03) Let’s Cut the Crap.. – Marah
02) Discover a Lovelier You – Pernice Brothers
01) Double Nickels – Minutemen
My ten might not be in that order for long, it changed while I was typing it.
Two persnickety questions:
1) They have Unknown Pleasures coming out in 1971 (sloppy)
2) How on earth is anything that Wilco releases on Nonesuch considered Indie? Nonesuch is owned by Warner Brothers…
The Blender list gets a lot of the bands right but some of the individual records wrong – the songwriting on “Wild Gift” by X is nowhere as good as it is on “Los Angeles” or “Under The Big Black Sun”, and where “The Smiths” is a good starting point for the band, “Meat Is Murder” represents the apex of their work.
And “The Modern Lovers” at #21? Sorry, but it’s not only the best indie rock record, it’s the greatest rock record ever made.
My own indie top ten:
10. Associates – Fourth Drawer Down (if two guys recording on a shoestring budget in the middle of the night isn’t indie, I don’t know what is)
9 . The Gun Club – Fire Of Love
8. The Dream Syndicate – The Days Of Wine And Roses
7. New Order – Movement
6. The Smiths – Meat Is Murder
5. X – Under The Big Black Sun
4. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
3. Magazine – Real Life
2. The Fall – Grotesque (After the Gramme)
1. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
no bloc party love??? Injustice.
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE VELVET UNDERGROUND!!!! GREATEST ROCK BAND EVER!!!!
I am in complete agreement with all those who’ve listed Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” in the top 10 – it is ubelievable. I also have to mention another of my absolute favourite’s: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s first album is pretty damn near perfect.