Indie rock is a genre of
rock music that originated in the
United States and the
United Kingdom in the 1980s. The term is often used to describe the means of production and distribution of
independent underground music, as well as the style of music that was first associated with this means of production.
[1] Indie rock artists are known for placing a premium on maintaining complete control of their music and careers, releasing albums on independent record labels (sometimes self-owned and operated) and relying on touring, word-of-mouth, airplay on independent or college radio stations and, in recent years, the Internet for promotion. Musicians classified as indie rock are typically signed to
independent record labels, rather than
major record labels, although there are many examples of indie musicians switching to major labels mid-career. This practice blurs the lines between indie and mainstream music and is often the subject of debate amongst fans. Indeed, some bands that have spent most of their careers on major labels are still occasionally referred to by the press as indie rock because of their sound or aesthetic.
A variety of musical genres and subgenres with varying degrees of overlap are associated with indie rock. Some of these include lo-fi, post-rock, sadcore, C86, math rock, shoegaze/dream pop, indie pop, noise rock, noise pop, riot grrrl, post-hardcore, twee pop, alt-country, post-punk revival, garage rock revival, dance-punk, indie folk, baroque pop, and indietronica.
The roots of modern indie rock are often traced back to The Velvet Underground's self-titled debut album, released in 1967, which was ranked _7 on Blender's list of the 100 greatest indie rock albums.[2] Allmusic notes that every "left-of-center rock movement owes an audible debt" to this album.[3] The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds is also commonly listed as a highly influential starting point.[4] Later, the punk movement of the 1970s had a direct impact on the DIY aesthetic that later became a cornerstone of indie rock.
In the 1980s, the term alternative rock was more or less synonymous with indie rock.[5]
