Unlike the Pop music of Top 40 radio, Top Of The Pops, and MTV, indie pop is rarely issued by major labels and it isn't oriented toward success on the charts. Rooted in the catchy tunes of The Beatles and other Pop/Rock 60s groups, as well as Vocal Pop from all eras, indie pop is the up-beat sounding cousin of Indie Rock.
With a stronger emphasis on melody and songcrafting, indie pop generally avoids the noise of heavily distorted guitars. While the music tends toward major-keyed optimism, many of the genre's lyricist's write sarcastic portraits of society and love, using this juxtaposition of words and music to emphasize their message. indie pop began in the early 80s. The style flourished in the 90s and is alive and well in the 00s.
The indie pop of today descended from the major label pop of yesteryear. In its most standard form, Indie Pop carries forth the sound The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Byrds and many of the more wholesome-seeming bands from the 60s and early 70s, such as The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Archies, The Turtles, and even The Partridge Family. But earlier forms of Pop also inform the genre, such as Tin Pan Alley, Brill Building Pop, and the Girl Groups of the late '50s and early '60s.
In the early 80s in Glasgow, the band Orange Juice shed its early Post-Punk beginnings in favor of catchy, intelligent guitar pop. Their early singles for the Postcard label and their debut album, You Can't Hide Your Love Forever (1982), established the indie pop sound by mixing sunny, jangly guitars and catchy melodies with intelligent lyrics and a DIY production value.
Beginning in 1983, fellow Glaswegians The Pastels continued to build the indie pop sound on their early singles. They were one of the bands to appear on NME's legendary C86 compilation, which introduced the world at large to many obscure Indie bands, including indie pop acts like Close Lobsters and The Shop Assistants.
Along with Alternative music in general, the 90s saw the transformation of indie pop from obscure cult status to an important genre. Throughout the decade, Magnetic Fields were among the more highly regarded indie pop bands. Songwriter Stephin Merritt pushed the boundaries of the style to incorporate everything from synth pop to show tunes to country.
By mid-decade, a collection of like-minded acts on Elephant 6 records emerged, including Denver's Apples In Stereo, who put a modern spin on British invasion era pop. Label-mates Beulah and The Minders soon followed suit. Meanwhile, a next generation Glasgow act, Belle And Sebastian, won over fans and critics with 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister.
In the 2000s, indie pop is still going strong. Though never the dominant genre of an era, it maintains many fans. In early 2007, Portland, Oregon's doleful indie pop band The Shins peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Album charts with their third full-length, Wincing The Night Away, proving the commercial viability of indie pop. Other contemporary bands, like Vancouver's power pop-leaning New Pornographers and New York's chamber pop-influenced The Essex Green, draw high marks from critics and fans. By maintaining the diversity of indie pop, they help keep the genre alive and ready for the future.
- Orange Juice
- The Pastels
- Close Lobsters
- Sneaky Feelings
- Pooh Sticks
- The Primitives
- Magnetic Fields
- Belle And Sebastian
- Beulah
- The Minders
- Ladybug Transistor
- Dressy Bessy
- East River Pipe
- The Shins
- New Pornographers
- The Essex Green
- Beachwood Sparks
- Aislers Set
- Casiotone For The Painfully Alone