What is the best European non-English indie album of all time?

By YPB Team

From Iceland's ethereal soundscapes to French post-rock to Scandinavian folk, European indie outside the English-speaking world has produced masterpieces. Vote for your favorite.

  1. Ágætis byrjun — ranked #11
    Ágætis byrjun
    Sigur Rós' 1999 Icelandic album, a breathtaking post-rock/ambient masterpiece often cited as one of the most beautiful records ever made.
  2. ( ) — ranked #22
    ( )
    Sigur Rós' 2002 album, eight wordless tracks sung in 'Vonlenska,' a made-up language, creating pure emotional music.
  3. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix — ranked #33
    Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
    French band Phoenix's 2009 indie pop breakthrough, irresistible hooks and glossy production from Versailles.
  4. Moon Safari — ranked #44
    Moon Safari
    French duo Air's 1998 ambient pop masterpiece, dreamy and cinematic, a landmark of French electronic-indie.
  5. Neon Golden — ranked #55
    Neon Golden
    German band The Notwist's 2002 album blending indie rock with glitchy electronic production.
  6. Finally We Are No One — ranked #66
    Finally We Are No One
    Múm's 2002 Icelandic experimental folk-electronica album, delicate and otherworldly.
  7. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming — ranked #77
    Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
    M83's 2011 double album, French shoegaze-synth pop reaching for the sky in nostalgic cinematic grandeur.
  8. A Living Room Hush — ranked #88
    A Living Room Hush
    Norwegian jazz-influenced indie band Jaga Jazzist's 2002 album, adventurous post-rock and electronic fusion.
  9. Takk... — ranked #99
    Takk...
    Sigur Rós' 2005 Icelandic album, more melodic and accessible but equally transcendent.
  10. Melodrama — ranked #1010
    Melodrama
    Lorde's 2017 album, while New Zealand-born she's culturally adjacent to European indie pop, a modern art-pop masterpiece.
  11. Vespertine — ranked #1111
    Vespertine
    Björk's 2001 Icelandic album of intimate electronic-orchestral indie pop, intricate and beautiful.
  12. Homogenic — ranked #1212
    Homogenic
    Björk's 1997 Icelandic album, merging strings and electronic beats in a boldly experimental pop statement.
  13. Kveikur — ranked #1313
    Kveikur
    Sigur Rós' 2013 darker and more aggressive Icelandic album, showing a different side of their sound.

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