GENERIC RESEARCH - History of Indie Rock Music

History of Indie Rock Music

Indie Rock is a genre of music that was first formed in the 1980s. It initially derived from the term 'independent' which was when bands had a do it yourself attitude and they produced much of their own music and recorded it without being signed to a major record label who controlled when albums and singles should be released. In the 1980s The Smiths were one of the first indie bands to get some form of attention. They signed to Rough Trade which is a famous indie record label.

The Smiths

By the end of the 90s indie rock had developed multiple subgenres as indie rock bands were those who stuck to their independent status. During the 90s alternative music started to slip into the mainstream with the rise of grunge in the USA with bands such as Pearl Jam and Nirvana achieving commercial chart success. In the UK the same was happening with the break through of Britpop with bands like Blur and Oasis who abandoned the regional, small-scale and political elements that were present with indie music in the 1980s.

Blur

In the 2000s music was completely changing and the rise in music technology meant that bands could release their own music withouth being signed to record labels. An example of a band who took advantage of this was the Arctic Monkeys. Commentators have suggested that they "represented the possibility of a change in the way in which new bands are promoted and marketed". This can be seen to be true as many bands and artists now are promoted and marketed through the internet rather than actual live performances.

Arctic Monkeys circa 2006