Indie pop is a type of music and group of people who use a do-it-yourself approach. It is different from mainstream pop music. It started from British post-punk in the late 1970s. Later, it had active fanzines, record labels, and club events. Compared to indie rock, indie pop has more melody and is less harsh. Over time, the term also included bands from other do-it-yourself groups that like pop music. Some types of indie pop are chamber pop and twee pop.

Characteristics

Indie pop is known for its do-it-yourself approach, cheerful melodies, and a strong focus on being genuine. It draws inspiration from post-punk, jangle pop, and indie rock. While similar to indie rock, indie pop is usually more melodic, simple, and easy to enjoy. It avoids the rough and traditional elements often found in indie rock. Music journalist Nitsuh Abebe wrote in Pitchfork:

Music critic Simon Reynolds explains that indie pop contrasts with "charting pop," which refers to music that frequently appears on popular charts. Abebe adds:

Indie pop was a new kind of sound compared to the rough and serious styles of earlier underground rock, as well as different from the shiny image of mainstream pop. Unlike indie rock, which often has anger and harshness, indie pop usually takes ideas from the simple style of punk and the sweet, catchy parts of popular music.

Indie pop and twee music scenes have often spoken out against unfair treatment based on gender, sexual orientation, or race in both mainstream and underground music. While indie pop has been more welcoming than other independent music styles in terms of gender and sexual orientation, critics have pointed out that it lacks enough variety in race.

History

Indie pop music is based on the sounds of bands like the Velvet Underground and artists such as Jonathan Richman. Abebe describes most indie music as focused on a 1960s-style guitar sound, similar to bands like the Byrds. Other influences include the Beach Boys’ album Smiley Smile, Paul McCartney’s Ram, and power pop bands like the dB’s and Big Star, which are called the "power pop group to which all good indie melodicists pray."

The Television Personalities, though not widely known commercially, are respected by critics and influenced many musicians, including Alan McGee, who started the record label Creation Records. Reynolds claims that indie music was invented in Scotland, referencing the Postcard Records label from 1979. Pitchfork also mentions Scottish post-punk bands like Orange Juice, the Vaselines, and Josef K, as well as female-led bands like the Raincoats and Young Marble Giants, as important to indie pop. Some experts say the idea of indie music became clear only in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Go-Betweens, a band from Brisbane, were an early influence in indie pop, releasing their first single "Lee Remick" in 1978. Other influences include the Deep Freeze Mice and the Monochrome Set, whose early work inspired the Smiths, a highly successful indie pop band. The Cure’s early songs, including "Friday I'm in Love," are considered a major influence on indie pop by NME.

New Zealand’s Dunedin sound, featuring bands like the Chills, the Clean, and Straitjacket Fits, played a key role in shaping indie pop. During the late 1970s, "indie" and "indie pop" referred to the same idea, short for "independent" and "popular." Inspired by punk rock’s do-it-yourself approach, many guitar bands began recording and releasing music without major record labels.

Nicky Wire, bassist of Manic Street Preachers, said the independence of indie bands helped unite the scene. Fans of indie pop often call themselves "popkids" or "popgeeks" and refer to the music as "p!o!p," "twee," "anorak," or "C86." Abebe notes that the Scottish band the Pastels represented the "hip end of 'anorak'" with their simple, casual style.

Quinn Moreland of Pitchfork says the 1986 album Forever Breathes the Lonely Word by the English band Felt influenced later groups. The American band Beat Happening’s 1985 debut album helped shape the indie pop sound in North America.

The modern idea of indie music comes from NME’s 1986 compilation C86, which collected bands inspired by 1960s garage rock. Though some critics, like Everett True, said C86 was not a specific sound or style, they agreed it helped create the indie pop scene. Bands like the Pastels, Talulah Gosh, and the Shop Assistants were part of the C86 scene.

In the 1990s, British indie pop influenced many styles. In the U.S., indie pop grew in popularity by the mid-1990s. The UK label Sarah Records, based in Bristol, became a key indie pop label, releasing music by bands with feminist and left-wing themes. In 1990, Rough Trade Records released Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, the debut album by The Sundays.

Scotland’s Belle and Sebastian began releasing music in 1996, using richer sounds like trumpets and violins. In the U.S., K Records, founded by Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening, helped spread indie pop. Labels like Slumberland and Harriet also promoted the genre.

In Canada, the band Cub led a subgenre called "cuddlecore." In Australia, Melbourne’s Candle Records released music with wistful lyrics by bands like the Lucksmiths. Slumberland Records continued to support indie pop bands into the 2000s, influencing New York bands like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Vivian Girls.

In Wales, Los Campesinos! and The School formed in the 2000s. The School released music on the Spanish label Elefant Records. In the UK, Fortuna Pop! became prominent in the 2010s, releasing music by bands like Allo Darlin’ and Joanna Gruesome. Fortuna Pop! and Slumberland Records have worked together since the early 2000s.

Related genres

Twee pop is a type of indie pop music that began with C86. It is known for being simple and seen as innocent. Key features include boy-girl harmonies, easy-to-remember melodies, and songs about love. For many years, most bands in this style were sold by Sarah Records in the UK and K Records in the US.

Shibuya-kei is a Japanese music style from the 1990s that was liked by fans of indie pop. This was partly because many of its bands were sold in the United States by major indie labels like Matador and Grand Royal. Among Japanese groups in this scene, Pizzicato Five came closest to becoming popular with a large audience in the US.

Chamber pop is a type of indie pop that uses rich orchestral music. It was greatly influenced by Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach. Most of Louis Phillipe's music for él Records showed the complex use of orchestras and voices that defined this style. The Divine Comedy were the most popular chamber pop group during the Britpop era.