What is the best debut indie album of all time?

Some debut albums don't just introduce an artist — they arrive fully formed, instantly iconic, and impossible to ignore. These are the first statements that changed indie music forever. Which debut stands above all others? Cast your vote!

1

Is This It

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

2

Funeral

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

3

Slanted and Enchanted

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

4

Surfer Rosa

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

5

Turn on the Bright Lights

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

6

Stranger in the Alps

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

7

Exile in Guyville

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

8

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.

9

Fleet Foxes

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

10

Oh, Inverted World

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

11

Lush

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

12

Wet Leg

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

13

Vampire Weekend

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

14

Murmur

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

15

Sprained Ankle

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

16

Clean

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

17

Innerspeaker

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