Top 5 Indie Bands (That Are No Longer "Indie")

Justin here.

This is my Top 5 list from Episode 13, the first episode of the new format. It's my list of Indie Bands that are now too mainstream to really consider "indie rock" any more. It's not that I even have a problem with that, but I do think we should call things like it is.

#5: The Decemberists

The King is Dead (2011)

As you all know, The Decemberists are my favorite band ever, due to their highly literate, poetic lyrics and their melding of pop, folk, and progressive rock sensibilities. However, their recent album The King is Dead charted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 and featured R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. They've performed on Conan O'Brien and The Colbert Report. That makes them no longer "indie."

#4: Arcade Fire

The Suburbs (2010)

Arcade Fire were indie rock darlings when they released their debut album Funeral in 2004. It was one of the best indie rock albums of all time. Since then, they've exploded in popularity, with their song "Wake Up" being used everywhere from Where the Wild Things Are to NFL Monday Night Football. Their most recent album The Suburbs won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards, prompting Rosie O'Donnell to ask "Who the hell are these guys?" and everyone else to respond "Shut the hell up Rosie, nobody likes you." The band has performed on Saturday Night Live and many other media outlets.

#3: Modest Mouse

Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)

Quick, how many Modest Mouse songs can you name? It doesn't matter, because you only need to name one. "Float On" was virtually inescapable for the better part of a year, and still continues to receive heavy radio play to this day. Good News... went Platinum and was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 for Best Alternative Album. Based on the strength of just one single, Modest Mouse went from relative obscurity to mainstream success. Not bad.

#2: Death Cab for Cutie

Front man Ben Gibbard

Whether you love them or hate them, you know who Death Cab for Cutie is. The band's music has been featured in a variety of film soundtracks and TV shows, most notably The OC. Their 2008 album Plans went Platinum and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" brought their music to legions of teen girls who were previously unaware of the band. Lead singer Ben Gibbard has become a household name, and his side project The Postal Service has become as big as Death Cab for Cutie. The man was married to Zooey Deschanel for God's sake. If that's not the definition of success, I don't know what is.

#1: The White Stripes

Jack White

The White Stripes have been around long enough and have been successful enough that it might seem strange to even think of them as an indie band. However, Jack and Meg White formed their band in 1997 and did not achieve any sort of prominence until 2002. Their last three albums, Icky Thump, Get Behind Me Satan, and Elephant were all Grammy-winning albums. They were in that annoying iPod commercial. Songwriter and guitarist Jack White has become a prolific, extremely influential figure in the music industry. Rolling Stone ranked him at #70 on "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." He's collaborated with such musicians as Alica Keys, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Beck, and formed two other bands of his own, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Check out Jack White in the fantastic 2009 documentary It Might Get Loud.

There you have it, my Top 5 Indie Bands that are no longer "indie." Comment and follow the blog!