How the Indie Pop Genre Became Popular
The history of indie pop is unique in that it inspired several generations of independent artists.
Indie pop is a very specific genre that combines guitar pop (and sometimes DIY ethic or folkstyle) with mainstream pop music to create a unique sound. Now, indie pop music is on the rise. Here’s a little bit of history behind the unique genre (and why it’s suddenly super popular today).
Indie pop started out a little more “punk rock” than we’re used to today. It was originally created as a specific type of genre that allowed bands to create their own albums, rather than signing onto a studio deal. And popularizing indie pop made it so that self-published bands had a genre that allowed them to shine.
Beginning in the late 70s, indie music did not originally have multiple different genres. However, indie pop appeared as a way to create mainstream-style music but produce it alone. It was used to steer away from indie rock or gritty, untraditional music, but also not use the glamor or attitude of regular pop music.
Other subtypes of indie pop arose as well — think chamber pop (orchestral tracks in indie pop), or twee pop (simplistic, harmonized pop melodies) — but indie pop stayed as a way to steer clear of record deals and produce your own music.
