What is the best debut indie album of all time?

Every legendary band started somewhere — debut albums that arrived fully-formed and changed what was possible in independent music. Vote for the greatest first statement.

Is This It

The Strokes' 2001 debut that reinvigorated rock music with a razor-tight, New York cool aesthetic.

1/17

Funeral

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut, a sprawling orchestral indie rock album about loss that launched an era of epic indie.

2/17

Slanted and Enchanted

Pavement's 1992 debut that defined lo-fi indie rock with detuned guitars and sardonic wit.

3/17

Surfer Rosa

Pixies' 1988 debut album on 4AD, a raw and noisy breakthrough that forged the template for alternative rock.

4/17

Turn on the Bright Lights

Interpol's 2002 brooding post-punk debut, one of the defining records of the early 2000s NYC indie scene.

5/17

Stranger in the Alps

Phoebe Bridgers' 2017 debut, an emotionally transparent folk-rock album that announced a new generational voice.

6/17

Exile in Guyville

Liz Phair's 1993 debut, a raw and frank indie rock statement that reshaped alternative music's gender dynamics.

7/17

For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver's 2007 debut, recorded alone in a Wisconsin cabin, that spawned a folk revival and made Justin Vernon a star.

8/17

Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes' 2008 pastoral folk debut, with layered harmonies and baroque arrangements that felt immediately classic.

9/17

Oh, Inverted World

The Shins' 2001 debut, beloved for its gentle jangle-pop hooks and the famous Garden State moment.

10/17

Lush

Snail Mail's 2018 debut, a remarkably assured confessional indie rock album from teenage Lindsey Jordan.

11/17

Wet Leg

Wet Leg's 2022 self-titled debut, witty and infectious indie rock from the Isle of Wight duo.

12/17

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend's 2008 self-titled debut, blending Afropop rhythms with Ivy League indie pop.

13/17

Murmur

R.E.M.'s 1983 debut, a jangly and mysterious college rock record that helped define indie rock.

14/17

Sprained Ankle

Julien Baker's 2015 debut, spare guitar-and-voice indie folk of devastating emotional honesty.

15/17

Clean

Soccer Mommy's 2018 debut full-length, a breezy and melancholic indie pop record that earned widespread critical praise.

16/17

Innerspeaker

Tame Impala's 2010 debut, a sun-drenched psychedelic rock album that launched Kevin Parker's studio odyssey.

17/17