What is the best indie album of all time?

From the distorted dream-pop of My Bloody Valentine to the lo-fi intimacy of Elliott Smith, indie has quietly changed how we think about songwriting. Which album moved you most?

1

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine's 1991 sonic cathedral of distortion and melody changed guitar music forever.

2

Is This It

The Strokes' 2001 debut revived guitar rock with effortless cool, launching the indie rock renaissance of the 2000s.

3

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 lo-fi masterpiece is a surreal, emotionally devastating album unlike anything else in indie.

4

Funeral

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut is a grandiose, grief-soaked indie epic that announced a major new voice in rock.

5

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco's 2002 avant-pop landmark survived label rejection to become one of the most acclaimed rock albums of its era.

6

Either/Or

Elliott Smith's 1997 acoustic masterpiece blends confessional lyricism with melodies of quiet, heartbreaking beauty.

7

Slanted & Enchanted

Pavement's 1992 lo-fi debut defined the slacker-rock aesthetic of the '90s with its fractured melodies and wit.

8

Doolittle

The Pixies' 1989 quiet-loud classic inspired a generation of alt-rock bands, including Nirvana's approach to dynamics.

9

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths' 1986 guitar-pop peak captures Morrissey's wit and Marr's jangly brilliance at their very finest.

10

Murmur

R.E.M.'s 1983 debut helped define college rock with its cryptic lyrics, chiming guitars, and mysterious atmosphere.

11

The Velvet Underground & Nico

Lou Reed and Nico's 1967 debut may not have sold well initially, but it inspired everyone who heard it to start a band.

12

You Forgot It in People

Broken Social Scene's 2002 album is a sprawling, communal indie-rock celebration with ten musicians firing on all cylinders.

13

Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes' 2008 self-titled debut blends rich vocal harmonies with folk imagery into a breathtaking debut.

14

For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver's 2008 debut, recorded alone in a Wisconsin cabin, is one of the most intimate and affecting albums in folk-indie.

15

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Pavement's 1994 sophomore album is a warmer, more accessible indie-rock triumph that remains one of the decade's best.