The 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All-Time?!?

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GirlsAloudFan

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Amazon.com has a list. "The 100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time"

1. Bee Thousand by Guided by Voices
2. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
3. Spiderland by Slint
4. Exile In Guyville by Liz Phair
5. Imperial f.f.r.r. by Unrest
6. Slanted & Enchanted by Pavement
7. If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle & Sebastian
8. Surfer Rosa by Pixies
9. Either/Or by Elliott Smith
10. Bakesale by Sebadoh
11. 69 Love Songs Volume 1 by The Magnetic Fields
12. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
13. Michigan by Sufjan Stevens
14. We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes by Death Cab For Cutie
15. I See A Darkness by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
16. No Pocky for Kitty by Superchunk
17. Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney
18. Give Up by The Postal Service
19. Kill the Moonlight by Spoon
20. I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One by Yo La Tengo
21. Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil… by Bright Eyes
22. Diary by Sunny Day Real Estate
23. Moon Pix by Cat Power
24. Funeral by Arcade Fire
25. Black Candy by Beat Happening
26. The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones
27. Yellow House by Grizzly Bear
28. Lift Your Skinny Fists… by godspeed you black emperor!
29. 24 Hour Revenge Therapy by Jawbreaker
30. Zen Arcade by HÜsker DÜ
31. Repeater + 3 Songs by Fugazi
32. Let It Be by The Replacements
33. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
34. Let's Get Out of This Country by Camera Obscura
35. Person Pitch by Panda Bear
36. Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine
37. When Your Heartstrings Break by Beulah
38. I Am A Bird Now by Antony & The Johnsons
39. You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
40. This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall
41. Gulag Orkestar by Beirut
42. Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers
43. On by Imperial Teen
44. On Fire by Galaxie 500
45. How Memory Works by Joan Of Arc
46. Advisory Committee by Mirah
47. Red House Painters I by Red House Painters
48. Agaetis Byrjun by Sigur Ros
49. Wild Love by Smog
50. And Don't The Kids Just Love It by Television Personalities
51. Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab
52. Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express by The Go Betweens
53. Sing No Evil by Half Japanese
54. Pussy-Whipped by Bikini Kill
55. The Mysterious Production of Eggs by Andrew Bird
56. The Decline And Fall Of Heavenly by Heavenly
57. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV On The Radio
58. Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu
59. Set Yourself On Fire by Stars
60. Daddy's Highway by The Bats
61. Neon Golden by The Notwist
62. TNT by Tortoise
63. Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer
64. Rejoicing in The Hands by Devendra Banhart
65. Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies… by Of Montreal
66. Milk Man by Deerhoof
67. Will You Find Me by Ida
68. Oh, Inverted World by The Shins
69. Feast of Wire by Calexico
70. The Fawn by The Sea And Cake
71. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating… by Spiritualized
72. II & III by Camper Van Beethoven
73. The R&B of Membership by The Delta 72
74. The Curtain Hits The Cast by Low
75. Furnace Room Lullaby by Neko Case
76. Jane From Occupied Europe by Swell Maps
77. The Smell Of Our Own by The Hidden Cameras
78. Nothing Feels Good by The Promise Ring
79. De Stijl by The White Stripes
80. The Ugly Organ by Cursive
81. The Sea and the Bells by Rachel's
82. The Last Match by The Aislers Set
83. Save Yourself by Make Up
84. Hearts Of Oak by Ted Leo/Pharmacists
85. Vivian Girls by Vivian Girls
86. Worn Copy by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
87. Cure For Pain by Morphine
88. The Power Out by Electrelane
89. The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
90. Louden Up Now by (!!! Chk Chik Chick)
91. Gallowsbird's Bark by The Fiery Furnaces
92. Horses In The Sky by Silver Mt. Zion
93. Alligator by The National
94. Waiter: 'You Vultures!' by Portugal The Man
95. The Discovery of a World Inside … by The Apples In Stereo
96. Trans Am by Trans Am
97. Ultimate Alternative Wavers by Built To Spill
98. To Survive by Joan As Police Woman
99. Passover by The Black Angels
100. Dangerous Magical Noise by The Dirtbombs

What do you think of this here list? I've only heard probably 10-15 of these albums, so I might not be the best judge but there's some great stuff on here. De Stijl, Dig Me Out, Repeater, Alligator, Slanted and Enchanted, etc. And apparently that lucky bastard that got to date Natalie Portman for a few years actually made a good record? Hmmm.
 
Pretty solid list, tons of great stuff on it, but I can't really say I agree with the order.

Suddenly I'm embarrassed about my Interference location too. :wink:
 
I have one thing to say to Neutral Milk Hotel: GFY. That damn album is the Nevermind of indie rock lists; the obligatory pick that no one can question but rarely agrees with.

Must say, I smiled seeing Bee Thousand at the top. Good list overall.
 
Passover made it? Awesome. I didn't known that album was recognized by anyone outside Travis County.
 
I have one thing to say to Neutral Milk Hotel: GFY. That damn album is the Nevermind of indie rock lists; the obligatory pick that no one can question but rarely agrees with.

yep. i personally hate the album.

i know it's still fresh in our minds, but i think MPP by Animal Collective is one of the best albums i've ever heard.
 
I actually really like In Aeroplane Over the Sea. It's probably one of the most popular albums everyone is always talking about in the music section of another forum I post on, so there are definitely fans out there. That said, I can completely understand why it doesn't agree with some people. I liked it but didn't love it for years and years, it finally clicked with me a year or so ago.
 
The songs are stunning, I think people just can't get past Mangum's voice. It took me a long time to do it. With a better vocalist, I still think it'd be a better album. I've come to appreciate Mangum's quirks and odd inflections, though. The songs themselves are quite beautiful. Plus it was only like $10 brand new on vinyl.
 
No Manics?

Despite the list being a bit generous on the "indie" description, Sony, BMG, and Colombia usually aren't considered independent labels. I realize the distinction of what is or isn't indie is different between the US and Europe though, so sometimes that can be confusing.
 
The songs are stunning, I think people just can't get past Mangum's voice. It took me a long time to do it. With a better vocalist, I still think it'd be a better album. I've come to appreciate Mangum's quirks and odd inflections, though. The songs themselves are quite beautiful. Plus it was only like $10 brand new on vinyl.

Agreed. That's why I say I can't really blame a lot of people for not enjoying it. Some of the lyrics can be off putting or straight up disturbing to some as well, but for the most part I think the lyrics are pretty good too.
 
i'll agree with not getting past the voice. i remember the couple times i gave the album a try, i just kept thinking that i would like it if they had a better singer.
 
I certainly don't agree that it belongs in any sort of pantheon. It's a nice B to B+ album, nothing more. But there is plenty there to be celebrated. I find myself liking it more and more every time I listen to it even five years after it popped into my life.
 
I certainly don't agree that it belongs in any sort of pantheon. It's a nice B to B+ album, nothing more. But there is plenty there to be celebrated. I find myself liking it more and more every time I listen to it even five years after it popped into my life.

I felt that way for ages as well. As I said, it only recently clicked with me. Like a lot of albums though, I think its importance has a lot to do with timing as well. At this point, there are lots of indie bands with crazy instrumentation like that in their music. In '98, probably not. Sometimes it's hard to figure out why something was so important or revered out of that context.
 
I think the album starts off extremely well, but Magnum starts to grate on me towards the midpoint, with Holland being its only saving grace. Tracks like Oh Comely just don't know when to quit.

Sigh...now I'll end up listening to it again. Probably for the best. I've only heard it 3 or 4 times.
 
I was a big Guided by Voices fan back then, but I would never place Bee Thousand over Under the bushes ... and definitely not over Alien Lanes ( :bow: )

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy should have been way higher
even though I regard There is a darkness not his best album at all

good to see Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Pixies there
even though again not my favourite albums by these bands

I applaud I am a bird now and TNT on there
:applaud:

all in all one of the better lists I've seen
which, granted, isn't saying all that much
 
Yes, but should you be allowed to sleep with Natalie Portman and be a talented musician? That doesn't seem fair. The Gods frown upon us.

Lets be honest. Its not like God blessed him with talent AND good looks

devendra-banhart-moma.jpg


(note the upper inner-leg hair which we can only assume leads to a meticulously ungroomed pubic region)

His conquest should be celebrated, as it gives us hope
 
Lifted is great and everything. Wide Awake is still better. I'm with the Red Man on this.

Wide Awake
Lifted
Digital Ash
Fevers & Mirrors
Cassadaga
Letting Off the Happiness
 
Do you still find yourself listening to his stuff much, Imperor? I really, really used to love the Desaparecidos album, and the last time I heard some of it I didn't enjoy it. :(

I liked the version of 'Lua' with Gillian Welch from the Dark Was the Night compilation though.
 
I rarely get in the mood to listen to BE anymore. "Lua" is still one of my favorite songs as far as me and the guitar goes, so I hear more Bright Eyes out of my own mouth than Conor's. I don't necessarily think I've outgrown it. I haven't. I still have a very special place in my heart for a number of those albums and songs. For instance, I still recognize what an astounding song "Lime Tree" was to me, despite it being on a poor album. I just don't find myself ever really motivated to say "you know what, I should listen to Digital Ash in a Digital Urn or Fevers and Mirrors right now." Funny how that works.

I am cautiously optimistic about the next Conor Oberst album, despite not liking last year's. But "Cape Canaveral" was my favorite song of his since Wide Awake.



And one last note on the NMH thing: if you don't think "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is one of the loveliest songs ever, you're no friend of mine.

And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be in the arms of all I'm keeping here with me
 
Only one Pavement & Sleater-Kinney album=FAIL.

How can you have an Indie Rock list and not include Crooked Rain? Come on.

GBV at #1 is pretty cool, though, and I think Bee Thousand is their best anyway.
 
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