The Biggest Indie Genres
Understanding the significance of indie music genres within the music industry.

The indie music industry is a massive one, 43% of the entire music industry according to a study by MIDiA, and it continues to grow. As big as indie music has gotten, the term has come to even define a genre of music. You must remember, however, that there are no genres with indie music so you’re not constrained to anything. You can make any kind of music you want that’s the whole point of indie music.

The term “indie” doesn’t describe a genre, it describes a business model. Short for independent, the term can be applied to any kind of artist who wants to make music independently of the big labels. Consequently, there are indie artists in nearly every genre you can imagine. In this article, I’ll tell you about the biggest indie genres to give you an idea of just how widely indie artists are spread.

Let’s begin.

Rock

Indie rock is one of the earliest forms of indie music and consequently one of its biggest. Some young, college artists weren’t happy about what they called the “commercialization” of rock by the major labels. So they decided to go their own way. They were among the very first indie artists to do it. After several years of making underground music, indie rock blew up in the late 80s. That mainstream version of indie rock came to be known as alternative rock.

It wasn’t independent anymore, but it was different. It was an alternative. Indie rock grew so large it even branched out into several subgenres. Post-rock, post-punk, gothic rock, and several other subgenres have all since emerged. Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, The Strokes, and Pixies among other bands are the major representatives of indie rock.

One of the sub-genres of indie rock grew so big that it has found its way to this list. We’ll talk about it next.

Punk

The punk community is bonded by more than just music. It’s reflected in their fashion, literature, politics, and many other facets of life. The fundamental value or principle of this movement can be summed up in one word: rebellion. It originally began in the early 70s as young people felt the world was becoming a fake place where everyone was just doing what they were told. They refused to conform.

After growing into a massive sensation, punk rock simply faded out. It returned with a second wave in 1977 before going back underground yet again. Today, punk rock is making yet another comeback to the public space. Its back and forth with the public scene is mostly attributed to the fact that the punk community isn’t particularly an open one.

Critics say it’s gone from being a community where you can do whatever you want without any restrictive rules to being a cult-like space with so many rules it discourages outsiders from joining up.

Emo

When punk rock made its comeback, the style of music changed. There was no single style of music as with the first wave. One of these new sub-genres was called Emo. As the name suggests, Emo refers to music characterized by emotionally heavy lyrics. The artists were as raw as possible with their lyrics and their fans loved them for it.

In true punk fashion, Emo took things too far. These deeply honest young people grew into what many considered a cult. As you would expect from emotionally troubled kids who don’t get the help they need, depression and even suicide began to creep into their ranks. This resulted in a backlash from the general public.

There’s a saying that goes:

Emos hate themselves, goths hate everyone else.

Pop

Away from the world of rock, indie pop is another huge part of the larger independent music industry. Where rock is heavy and abrasive, pop is softer and more melodic. There isn’t much of a difference between indie pop and indie rock apart from that. Finneas O’Connell and Jvke are two good examples of indie pop sound.

Hip-hop

Hip-hop is one of the biggest genres in the world, and the independent side of it lives up to the hype. As a genre, hip-hop began as an underground movement. Much of it has gone global and commercial, but the underground roots remain strong. Some of hip-hop’s biggest names started as underground rappers including Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G, and Eminem.

The music style is different from the mainstream in that it mixes elements of different genres while maintaining the rap core. Underground hip-hop has been referred to as experimental hip-hop by some. Chance the Rapper, Mac Miller, Nipsey Hussle, and Tech N9ne are all big names from the indie hip-hop scene.

Indietronica

Indietronica is yet another sub-genre of indie rock that has grown into a big thing. Electronic artists were basically rock artists who took advantage of technological advancements and began to use them in their music instrumentation and production. Synthesizers, DAWs, and all sorts of computer programs play a huge part in their music process.

This means that it embraces elements of different genres and uses computers to create beautiful sounds. Dex Darson, MDK, and Teminite are good examples of what indietronica sounds like.

Indie Folk

Indie folk emerged in the 90s with artists taking old folk tunes and adding a dash of modernism to create a hybrid style of music. It was influenced early on by alternative rock artists such as Ani DiFranco and Dan Bern. In the UK, bands like Mumford and Sons led the charge. The lines between different genres have been blurred today, but indie folk remains a big part of the indie community.

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Bon Iver are some of the headline acts in the genre today.

Final Thoughts

So you’ve read about the major labels in the indie music industry. It’s easy to assume you can’t be an indie artist because you don’t sound like The 1975, but that’s a wrong assumption. Indie music is for you no matter what genre you prefer. There are no boundaries within indie music circles. You can even create your own genre.

The major point is that you retain your independence so that you can express yourself through your music as you want. There are no boxes, only possibilities.