Top 10 Best Indie Albums Of All Time

 

Written by Aiden Breau 

NUMBER 10

Talon of The Hawk: TFB

This album doesn’t have one bad song on it, and I can say that with confidence. Every song is so jam-packed with passion and emotion. And for it being one of the first popular albums, I definitely think they earned a spot on the list. The vocals are so strong and interesting and pull you right in, alongside the heavy, but well-placed guitar and drums. This album will put you in a mood. Whether that mood is happy or sad, you honestly won’t care because of how enthralled you are in the music itself.




NUMBER 9

Kill The Moonlight: SPOON

Now, this album is something else. It definitely fits the SPOON vibe they are always giving off, and I can safely say this is one of, if not the best of their albums. The lyrics are so beautifully intricate and complex. Placed alongside some astounding melody, it just blends into this truly epic album. I honestly really missed Spoon. “Girls” was alright, but it honestly was just overproduced and it made me long for the "just swung by the studio to drop off some tunes" genius of “Sneaks.”




NUMBER 8

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I’m Not (WPSIMTWIN): Arctic Monkeys

Ah, the Arctic Monkeys.

5 young kids who started out making Garage Rock and in two weeks were headlining Glastonbury. This band is truly legendary and is one of the best indie/alternative/rock bands out there. They have an abundance of good albums and it seems as though they can't, not make a hit at this point.

“AM” was a great album and it's what truly brought them into the mainstream but you can't argue with me when I say that WPSIMTWIN is there best album.

It was the fastest selling album in the UK for years, lots of people said they were gonna be the next Oasis, and popularity wise I would say they are pretty close, if not already there.




NUMBER 7

Pillow Talk: WildChild

Now, Wild Child doesn’t have the biggest following and honestly is probably the smallest band on this list as far as popularity goes. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that they make amazing music. Their album Pillow Talk is home to some of their best songs like “Cocaine Hurricane” and “Pillow Talk”.

Their small band and soulful vocalists really add to the home-like vibe they are sending out. Most of their music reminds me of sitting out in the woods around a fire with a cold drink in my hand, and that's something that is really special. When an album can mentally take you to another place, it honestly wins a spot in my book as a quality collection of music.




NUMBER 6
In the Aeroplane Over The Sea: Neutral Milk Hotel (NMH)

When was the last time you heard an album that used a washboard and a warble saw as an instrument and thought “Wow, this is really good.” Ha! That's what I thought. It doesn’t happen very often where an album with instruments as obscure as this become very popular, but with Neutral Milk Hotels, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, they really bring it home.

The hard-hitting vocals mixed with the assortment of different instruments and the tear jerkin' lyricism, really cause for an astounding album that is a cult classic in the Indie/Alternative music scene. If you haven’t listened to NMH before go give this album a listen. It's one of his best and really deserves as much attention as it can get.




NUMBER 5

Oracular Spectacular: MGMT

Either people will get mad at me for this choice, or people will praise me for it. I don’t think there will be much of an in-between. Oracular Spectacular is MGMT’s most popular album. With songs like “Kids” and “Electric Feel,” you will always be wanting to get up and dance. 

Since then, MGMT has made an assortment of albums, the two most popular being "Congratulations" and "Little Dark Age". These two albums are the best as far as expressing their actual sound goes. But for popularity and danceability, I do have to give it to Oracular Spectacular.

I apologize to all the other Little Dark Age fans out there.




NUMBER 4
For Emma, Forever Ago: Bon Iver

This album right here is a tear jerker. Bon Iver, otherwise known as Justin Vernon, locked himself in a cabin in the woods while he suffered from illness and break up, to write this album. This album was one of the most reviewed albums of 2008 and it's known as one of the best breakup albums of all time. Justin Vernon would later go on to collaborate with Kanye West and a slew of other artists in the near future.




NUMBER 3
Hot Fuss: The Killers

Hot Fuss is one of, if not the best, Killers album out there. With a solid blend of semi-hard alternative rock, and pop hits, this album brought songs to the world such as “Mr.Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” and it's amazing because you literally can't go to a high school prom, a wedding, or even a party without hearing one of these songs. They earned number three on this list for the amazing vocals and lyricism.

(If you couldn’t tell I'm a sucker for good lyricism)




NUMBER 2

How to Friend, Love, Freefall: Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Now, the name of this band may turn people away before they even get a chance to listen to some of the incredibly intricate harmonies and strong lyricism. This band is truly one for the books. With songs like “Fever Pitch” and “Its called: Freefall”, they really show off what they can do in this interesting genre they have created for themselves.

How to Friend, Love, Freefall is one of the best indie albums I have heard in a hot minute; and I listen to a lot of Indie music.




NUMBER 1
The Hazards of Love: The Decemberists

This album conveys such a dark meaning and tells a truly incredible story. The Decemberist have always had a special place in my heart and always will. This shanty-like album will have you on the edge of your seat with their breathtaking lyricism and incredible instrumentation.






Didn’t like my list? Think I'm missing something? Lemme know :)

I'm only one guy, there's plenty of music I haven’t heard.

These are just my personal favorites.



I hope you enjoyed!