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

[cdisantis83]

I would have placed "I am a Bird Now" higher than "Merriweather Post Pavilion."

I will also have to check out Neutral Milk Hotel sometime in the near future.

 

[LMP]

Am I the only one who vastly prefers Doolittle to Surfer Rosa? Is there some sort of non-Indie qualifier that the former met that took it out of competition?

 

[lazarus]

No, people that think Surfer Rosa is better are just trying to play some kind of indie cred game, like people who claim Bleach is better than Nevermind. Absolute bullshit. Doolittle is a flat-out masterpiece, and covers far more musical territory than Surfer Rosa.

 

[LMP]

I wanna grow... up to be... be a DEBASER!

 

[u2popmofo]

Am I the only one who vastly prefers Doolittle to Surfer Rosa? Is there some sort of non-Indie qualifier that the former met that took it out of competition?

You're not alone, my friend.

No, people that think Surfer Rosa is better are just trying to play some kind of indie cred game, like people who claim Bleach is better than Nevermind. Absolute bullshit. Doolittle is a flat-out masterpiece, and covers far more musical territory than Surfer Rosa.

Agreed.

I wanna grow... up to be... be a DEBASER!

Don't know about you, but I am un CHIEN

 

[LemonMelon]

No, people that think Surfer Rosa is better are just trying to play some kind of indie cred game, like people who claim Bleach is better than Nevermind.

Are people who claim In Utero is better than Nevermind playing the indie cred game, or just idiots?

 

[phillyfan26]

Doolittle > Surfer Rosa

 

[phillyfan26]

I wanna grow... up to be... be a DEBASER!

And if the devil is six, then GOD IS SEVEN!

 

[LMP]

Don't know about you, but I am un CHIEN

If man is five... then the devil is six. The devil is six.

One of the pros of seeing Eraserhead: I actually understand and enjoy their cover of "In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator)," especially the one on the Live at the BBC disc.

 

[sniggirb]

Was glad to see You Forgot It In People pretty high on the list, I would have bumped it up in the top 10 personally.

 

[Dalton]

allmusic ((( Bright Eyes > Discography > Main Albums )))

Allmusic has quite the imagination as well, apparently.

I care not for the indie kids in their skinny jeans. I've got a big dick, should I apologize for it? No. I wear my pants baggy.

 

[lazarus]

Are people who claim In Utero is better than Nevermind playing the indie cred game, or just idiots?

Well, at least the material on In Utero is more complex. I understand, it's too abrasive at times and seems like a bitter reaction to the reception of Nevermind, but I honestly think its peaks (like All Apologies, for one) are higher than those of its predecessor. But song for song, I'd still take Nevermind in a heartbeat.

 

[u2popmofo]

I care not for the indie kids in their skinny jeans.

Then why do you like Bright Eyes?

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

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.

So you're cheating on us with another forum? Not cool. I need to know what this site is so that I can create a clever user name and anonymously torture you on that message board.

 

[Salome]

I prefer Surfer Rosa to Doolittle

I'd actually say Surfer Rosa has much more of a mainstream sound to it then Doolittle so I'm not exactly sure how this equates to me playing an indie cred game
especially since my interest in indie cred is 0

 

[Dalton]

Then why do you like Bright Eyes?

I never said that I did.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Nice to see Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof on the list, and higher than I would've expected them to be. I've been on a huge Deerhoof kick for the last few weeks.

 

[powerhour24]

Ummm R.E.M. and its first five albums are the quintessential example of indie success. Yet none of them are there? Lists are dumb.

 

[impy13]

If I never heard another R.E.M. song, it wouldn't make a shit. My life wouldn't be any better or worse. So overrated.

 

[powerhour24]

I don't really care what you think about them, the statement I made still holds.

 

[impy13]

I don't care what you think of them either. I know they're seminal albums. That's great. I think they suck. I didn't expect my not liking R.E.M. to make you reevaluate your stance on the issue or anything.

A consensus on things like this is impossible when music is a distinctly subjective medium. That's where we agree: this list is stupid.

 

[LemonMelon]

R.E.M. more or less does suck now. Accelerate was a decent approximation of what the band used to be, but not a great album in its own right.

If you don't like Murmur, on the other hand, you are a douche.

 

[impy13]

Well, good thing I never claimed I'm not a douche.

 

[LemonMelon]

It's more of a veiled compliment than an insult at this stage.

In any case, I too am surprised by the lack of Murmur or Lifes Rich Pageant on the list. R.E.M. isn't exactly indietastic anymore, but they used to be, and they were damn good at that stage.

 

[Dalton]

I don't really care what you think about them, the statement I made still holds.

I don't care what you think of them either. I know they're seminal albums. That's great. I think they suck. I didn't expect my not liking R.E.M. to make you reevaluate your stance on the issue or anything.

A consensus on things like this is impossible when music is a distinctly subjective medium. That's where we agree: this list is stupid.

I think you're both fucking wrong. Fact.

 

[Dalton]

Here's the thing with you indie kids. You're like the ADHD Romantics. You're all convinced that "inspiration" and "novelty" are the life blood of art, but you've got the attention span of an epileptic fit. You're so bent on hearing/seeing/doing something diffrnt you can appreciate craft.

Well I'll play Mary to your Percy and tell you that your creation's a fuckin' abomination.

 

[lazarus]

I prefer Surfer Rosa to Doolittle

I don't find this surprising in the least.

 

[LemonMelon]

Well, at least the material on In Utero is more complex. I understand, it's too abrasive at times and seems like a bitter reaction to the reception of Nevermind, but I honestly think its peaks (like All Apologies, for one) are higher than those of its predecessor. But song for song, I'd still take Nevermind in a heartbeat.

Oh, I was being sarcastic, as always. I would take In Utero over Nevermind. I think it has aged more gracefully thanks to some highly suitable and gripping production, and yes, the peaks are dizzying. I'm not a huge Nirvana fan, but I will always love Scentless Apprentice, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Ummm R.E.M. and its first five albums are the quintessential example of indie success.

Good call. Murmur not showing up on this list is silly.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Am I the only one who vastly prefers Doolittle to Surfer Rosa? Is there some sort of non-Indie qualifier that the former met that took it out of competition?

No, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who prefers Bossanova and Trompe le Monde to both of them. I've been chased out of small towns just for thinking that.