Greatest Ever Indie Anthems Ever Ever

[Rob McCow]

This week NME and Xfm have announced the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever - as voted for by you. (NB by you they mean the 100 or so NME readers who bothered to vote)

We've counted up all the songs you suggested and now on NME.COM we're getting ready to reveal who has made the cut, and which song you have proclaimed the Number One Indie Anthem Ever.

The full list, plus exclusive interviews with the acts who've made it, features in this week's issue of NME, which hits UK newsstands today (May 2).

Having brought you the rest of the list on NME.COM this week including the likes of Pixies, The Killers, My Bloody Valentine, Franz Ferdinand, The Verve and The Gossip, we can now reveal the Top Ten.

Despite both The Smiths and The Libertines getting two songs each into the Top Ten, it's Oasis who are behind your Greatest Indie Anthem Ever', with 1994 single 'Live Forever' taking the most of your votes.

So here's Greatest Indie Anthems Ever Top Ten:

1. Oasis - 'Live Forever'
2. Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
3. Pulp - 'Common People'
4. The Smiths - 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'
5. The Libertines - 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun'
6. The Libertines - 'Time For Heroes'
7. The Smiths - 'How Soon Is Now?'
8. The Stone Roses - 'I Am The Resurrection'
9 The Strokes - 'Last Nite'
10 Arctic Monkeys - 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'

You can now see the full list on NME.COM, with numbers 30-11 and 50-31 online already.

Also a special show based on the list will feature on XFM between 2-4pm on Monday (May 7) so be sure to tune in. Go to Xfm.co.uk for more information.

I may be getting old in musical hipness terms, but that list seems exceedingly dull. Most of those tunes are over 10 years old! And there must have been a concerted effort from The Libertines fanclub to get their stuff into the list. The Kaiser Chiefs are mysteriously absent and despite the extraordinary hype, the F***ing Arctic Monkeys make it in only at no.10.

Here are 10 indie anthems that I would choose (slightly at random) that didn't make it on the list.

The Bluetones - If...
Klaxons - Golden Skans
New Order - Regret
Suede - Animal Nitrate
Super Furry Animals - The Man Don't Give A F***
R.E.M. - Imitation Of Life
Radiohead - The Bends
Supergrass - Kiss of Life
Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
Scissor Sisters - Laura

Well, they're a few anyway. Not all of them are too old, either! Hahah!

What 10 indie classics would you choose? And what do you think of the NME's list?

[Milky Tears]

'Last Nite' should be a couple of places higher.

[Matthew T]

My top 10 favourite indie tunes, off the top of my head:

Sleeper "Vegas"
Embrace "Come Back To What You Know"
Ocean Colour Scene "The Day We Caught The Train"
Jesus & Mary Chain "Sometimes Always"
Starsailor "In The Crossfire"
The Verve "The Drugs Don't Work"
Longpigs "She Said"
Blur "The Universal"
Ash "Goldfinger"
Electrasy "Morning Afterglow"
Rialto "Monday Morning 5:19"

[Matthew T]

I can't count.

[Pip Madeley]

I was reading it in Sainsburys yesterday (the NME isn't worth my money these days), and was pleased that "Common People" was up near the top (though I'd personally have said "Babies" or "Do You Remember"...?). I wouldn't have said "Live Forever" for number one, if any Oasis song should be there it should be "Whatever", that 's a legendary song here in Mancland indie nightclubs... I certainly wouldn't have put any Libertines songs in there, though.

The Bluetones - If...
Klaxons - Golden Skans
New Order - Regret
Suede - Animal Nitrate
Super Furry Animals - The Man Don't Give A F***
R.E.M. - Imitation Of Life
Radiohead - The Bends
Supergrass - Kiss of Life
Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
Scissor Sisters - Laura

I would've said Marblehead Johnson for the Bluetones, and Alright for Supergrass. But Scissor Sisters indie? I think not.

[Anthony Williams]

As usual, a list compiled by NME turns out to be utter bollocks. Ho hum...

anyway, my top 10 indie anthems would be:

1. Suede - Animal Nitrate
2. Blur - Beetlebum
3. Super Furry Animals - Demons
4. Oasis - Supersonic
5. Kula Shaker - Tattva
6. Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
7. Scissor Sisters - Laura
8. Radiohead - Street Spirit
9. Ocean Colour Scene - Hundred Mile High City
10. Semisonic - Closing Time

I'm living in the mid nineties

Ant x

[Pip Madeley]

If we're doing our own tops tens of indie anthems, I'd have (in no real order):

Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time?
Pulp - Babies
Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Blur - Parklife
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work
Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
The Killers - Mr Brightside
The La's - There She Goes

I'm allowed two Pulp songs, especially two songs as great as those.

[SiHart]

I really liked Ant's list and was pleased to see a mention of Monday Morning 5:15, which I'd quite forgotten about, from Matt.

So what would mine be? Hmmm, well, here goes:

Blur: Beetlebum
SFA: Juxtaposed With U
Suede: The Wild Ones
Franz Ferdinand: Do You Want To?
Supergrass: Alright
Blur: For Tomorrow
Manics: Design for Life
Boo Radleys: Wake up Boo!
Ash: Shining Light
Radiohead: Just

Si xx

[Paul Clement]

My personal top ten would be (in no particular order):

1. Happy Mondays - Step On
2. Oasis - Champagne Supernova
3. Manic Street Preachers - Design for Life
4. The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work
5. Oasis - Live Forever
6. The La's - There she Goes
7. Stone Roses - Fool's Gold
8. Kula Shaker - Govinda
9. Sleeper - Sale of the Century
10. Lightning Seeds - Life of Riley

[Pip Madeley]

Some good choices there Paul - particularly Sleeper

[Paul Clement]

I think my list shows that musically, I'm still very much in love with the nineties. With Sleeper, it was a tough choise going for one between Sale of the Century and Nice Guy Eddie.

[Andrew Curnow]

What exactly is 'Indie'? I notice Sky Movies now has a 'Indie' channel, but there's no Westerns on it at all?

[Carol Baynes]

I may be getting old in musical hipness terms, but that list seems exceedingly dull. Most of those tunes are over 10 years old! And there must have been a concerted effort from The Libertines fanclub to get their stuff into the list. The Kaiser Chiefs are mysteriously absent and despite the extraordinary hype, the F***ing Arctic Monkeys make it in only at no.10.

Here are 10 indie anthems that I would choose (slightly at random) that didn't make it on the list.

The Bluetones - If...
Klaxons - Golden Skans
New Order - Regret
Suede - Animal Nitrate
Super Furry Animals - The Man Don't Give A F***
R.E.M. - Imitation Of Life
Radiohead - The Bends
Supergrass - Kiss of Life
Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
Scissor Sisters - Laura

Well, they're a few anyway. Not all of them are too old, either! Hahah!

What 10 indie classics would you choose? And what do you think of the NME's list?

I do think it's quite a good list and the fact most of them are over 10 years old is surely th epoint- they've proved their worth (and are very good tunes).
I'm not sure what I'd change....I'll have a think. It's quite a good list as it stands though.

[Paul Monk]

I hated Sleeper. Really dull. Sorry. Louise Wener sang like she was gulping for air or something as well.
And most of those bands aren't technially "indie" . Moan moan. Mutter ...grrr
Kula Shaker were bobbins as well.

Rialto were great though. Their First (and possibily only) album is a masterpiece. Shame they weren' more popular.

And Slight Return is the Bluetones song you'd have surely?

[Si Hunt]

I'd choose "This Charming Man" for The Smiths, "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis and "Laid" by James.

Si.

[SiHart]

And Slight Return is the Bluetones song you'd have surely?

That's the one I'd choose, but I'm told If... is better all round!

Si xx

[Alex]

My top 10 favourite indie tunes, off the top of my head:

Sleeper "Vegas"
Embrace "Come Back To What You Know"
Ocean Colour Scene "The Day We Caught The Train"
Jesus & Mary Chain "Sometimes Always"
Starsailor "In The Crossfire"
The Verve "The Drugs Don't Work"
Longpigs "She Said"
Blur "The Universal"
Ash "Goldfinger"
Electrasy "Morning Afterglow"
Rialto "Monday Morning 5:19"

I can't believe I haven't seen this thread till now, as it's basically a list of some of my favourite songs! I love a lot of the songs from your list Matt, especially She Said by the Longpigs and Rialto's Monday Morning 5:19. I've a great fondness for Embrace too, though I'd have gone for Fireworks over Come Back To What You Know - I saw them last year at Guilfest and when they played that it was really magical. I know they come in for a lot of flack sometimes, but I really like the straightfoward honest in a lot of Danny's lyrics.

[Pip Madeley]

Let's have your list then Alex - don't let me down

[Si Hunt]

"There She Goes" by the La's and "This Is How It Feels" by the Inspiral Carpets are too more good ones from the early '90's.

Si.

[SiHart]

Altogether Now by The Farm was a bit of a favourite of mine from the early 90s.

So xx

[Si Hunt]

Oh yes, The Farm were good! If we're talking baggy, what about "International Bright Young Thing" by Jesus Jones? I never quite got into "The Stone Roses" however.

Si.

[SiHart]

Jesus Jones were cool!

Si xx

[Trudi G]

Jesus Jones were cool!

Si xx

I bought 'Info Freako', lol!

[Perry Vale]

What exactly is 'Indie'?

I was going to ask that! Nirvana's label, Geffen, is probably the furthest you could get from an indie!

Why is there no Kylie or Erasure in any of the lists?

[Carol Baynes]

What exactly is 'Indie'?

Jingly jangly guitar sounds, man!