Indie music originated in the UK in the 1980s, describing bands on independent labels that drew from genres like alternative rock, new wave, and post-punk. Subgenres include dream pop, emo, and noise rock. Important indie labels emerged in the 1980s like Dischord and Sub Pop. In the 1990s, grunge bands like Nirvana broke mainstream but indie rock remained dedicated to independence. Key UK indie bands in the 1980s included The Smiths and The Stone Roses, both influential on the Madchester scene which saw success of bands like Happy Mondays blending indie with acid house dance music.

1. INDIE MUSIC
Matthew Shellaker

2. Origins
• Originated in the UK in 1980’s
• Was used to describe the label (independent label) but
attached itself to the genre itself
• Derived from, Alternative rock, new wave, post-punk, folk
rock, garage rock
• Indie is away for an act do create music which sounds
good to them, not what the record label likes, giving them
the opportunity to explore sounds

3. Subgenres
• C86 – Dream pop – Emo - Indie pop – Jangle pop – Lo-
fi – Math rock – Noise pop – Noise rock – Paisley
Underground - Post-punk revival – Post-rock – Sadcore
Fusion genres
• Grindie – Indie dance – Indie folk –
Indietronica – New rave

4. Important features
• Experimental sounds with the main features of pop and
rock music
• Unconventional lyrics
• Not politically correct
• Tense sounds
• Mostly upbeat

5. 80’s indie
• In the mid-1980s, the term "indie" began to be used to describe the
music produced on post-punk labels. The indie rock scene dominated
college radio playlists, which included key bands like R.E.M. from the
US and The Smiths from the UK.
• These bands rejected the dominant ‘synthpop’ of the early 1980s, and
helped inspire guitar-based jangle pop; other important bands in the
genre included The Housemartins and The La's.
• In the United States, the term was particularly associated with the
abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of the Pixies, Hüsker Dü,
Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr. and The Replacements.
• The most rough outgrowth of punk was noise rock, which emphasised
loud distorted electric guitars and powerful drums, and was pioneered
by bands including Sonic Youth, Swans, Big Black and Butthole
Surfers.

6. • A number of prominent indie rock record labels were
founded during the 1980s. These include Washington,
DC's Dischord Records in 1980, Seattle's Sub Pop
Records in 1986 and New York City's Matador Records
and Durham, North Carolina's Merge Records in 1989.
Chicago's Touch and Go Records was founded as a
fanzine in 1979 and began to release records during the
1980s.

7. 90’s indie
• The 1990s brought major changes to the alternative rock
scene. Grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam,
Soundgarden, Hole, and Alice in Chains all broke into the
mainstream, achieving commercial chart success and
widespread exposure.
• Punk revival bands like Green Day and The Offspring also
became popular and were grouped under the "alternative"
term. Similarly, in the United Kingdom Britpop saw bands like
Blur and Oasis emerge into the ‘mainstream’.
• As a result of alternative rock bands moving into the
mainstream, the term "alternative" lost its original meaning and
began to refer to the new, lighter form of music that was now
mainstream.
• The term "indie rock" became associated with the bands and
genres that remained dedicated to their independent status.

8. Political problems
• Around during the time of indie music in the uk there has
been the beginning of the afghan war
• And economically problems due to the labour party in the
uk.
• Which for a genre of music which is not always politically
correct, there is a lot to write music about.

9. labels
• A number of prominent indie rock record labels were
founded during the 1980s. These include Washington,
DC's Dischord Records in 1980, Seattle's Sub Pop
Records in 1986 and New York City's Matador Records
and Durham, North Carolina's Merge Records in 1989.
Chicago's Touch and Go Records was founded as a
fanzine in 1979.

10. Blur
• Where a collage rock band, who progressed into the indie
scene
• Most known song- park life
• They were rejected from their indie label with their second
album as they didn’t have a hit song, and spent a year
producing their own music and came up with park life
album

11. Smiths
• The key Influence in Madchester scene, where lots of indie
music developed
• The main Madchester bands dominated the UK Indie Charts
during late 1989 and much of 1990.
• Critics have called them the most important alternative rock
band to emerge from the British indie music scene of the
1980s.
• And they were the first indie musicians to achieve mainstream
success on their own terms
• In February 1984, the group released their debut album ‘The
Smiths’, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart
• Marr's (lead guitarist) guitar-playing influenced later
Madchester bands, including The Stone Roses and Oasis.

12. The stone roses
• Resultant of the Madchester scene
• The Stone Roses were formed in 1984 by singer Ian Brown
and guitarist John Squire.
• In November, the Stone Roses performed at Alexandra Palace
and BBC2's high-brow Late Show.
• On 23 November 1989, the Stone Roses appeared on Top of
the Pops. The "Fools Gold" single made number 8 in the UK
singles chart, becoming the biggest-selling indie single of the
year.
• Made it to the US album charts
• The band went on to influence many artists, most notably
Oasis
• The band gained widespread notoriety when, one minute into a
live 1989 TV performance on the BBC's The Late Show

13. Happy Mondays
• There was success in the UK Singles and Albums charts
of a number of indie acts "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" by
the Happy Mondays both made number 5 in the singles
charts
• Resultant of the Madchester scene
• The Happy Mondays toured the US in 1990 and were the
only Madchester band to have a single enter the Billboard
Hot 100 when "Step On" reached No. 57 in 1990.
• They also reached No. 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart, with "Kinky Afro" in 1990.

14. • In the late 1990s, a Manchester musical walk of fame was
made for Oldham Street in Northern Manchester. The
walk includes a triangular slab for each music group and
pays homage to bands such as the Stone Roses, the
Happy Mondays, the Inspiral Carpets, 808 State, James.