The Top 10 Indie Rock Songs of the Week

Looking for the best new indie rock songs? Check out our weekly roundup of the top 10 tracks, featuring artists like The 1975, Bastille, and The Paper Kites.

“Best” by Beach Bunny

Each week, Indie Rock Cafe rounds up the ten best indie rock songs for your listening pleasure. This week’s list includes new tracks from Beach Bunny, Arcade Fire, and more.

“6th Avenue Heartache” by The Wallflowers

The Wallflowers’ “6th Avenue Heartache” is a song about lost love and features one of the most memorable opening lines in rock history. The song was released as the first single from the band’s debut album, Bringing Down the Horse, in 1996. The album was a commercial and critical success, selling over three million copies in the United States and earning the band two Grammy nominations. “6th Avenue Heartache” peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remains one of the band’s best-known songs.

“Lonely Boy” by The Black Keys

The Black Keys are an American rock band formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of the most popular rock bands of the 2000s. Their breakthrough came with their fourth album, El Camino (2011), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and gave the band their first taste of mainstream success.

“Lonely Boy” is a song by The Black Keys from their album El Camino. It was released as the lead single from the album on October 26, 2011. The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Alternative Songs chart.

“Fever” by The Cramps

The Cramps were an American psychobilly band formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist and occasional bass guitarist Poison Ivy comprising the only constant members. The band was part of the early CBGB punk rock movement that had emerged in New York.

“Fever” is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, first popularized by Little Willie John in 1956. It peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the autumn of that year. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 85 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

“I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones

One of the most influential punk bands of all time, the Ramones were known for their high-energy live shows and simple, Vaudevillian song structures. “I Wanna Be Sedated” is one of their most popular songs, and its straightforward message of wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life resonates with many people.

“In the Cold, Cold Night” by The White Stripes

In the Cold, Cold Night is a song by American rock duo The White Stripes, written and produced by frontman Jack White for the band’s fourth studio album, Elephant. Released as the second single from the album in 2003, it peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and number 16 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.

The song is built around a reverb-drenched guitar riff and a drumbeat recycled from vintage rock and roll songs. Jack White’s vocals are double-tracked throughout the song. Lyrically, it is a love ballad about a couple who overcome the cold by huddling together for warmth.

The song was received positively by critics and was included on several year-end lists of the best songs of 2003. It was ranked at number 500 in NME’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and at number 36 on Pitchfork Media’s Top 200 Tracks of the 2000s decade-end list. In 2009, it was named the 84th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

“Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” by The White Stripes

“Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” is a song by American rock duo The White Stripes, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Elephant. Written and produced by Jack White, the song features a prominent bassline and is one of the band’s most popular songs. The song peaked at number 116 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003.

“The Hardest Button to Button” by The White Stripes

“The Hardest Button to Button” is a song by American rock duo The White Stripes, released as the third single from their fourth studio album, Elephant. Written and produced by frontman Jack White, the song peaked at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart and number two on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

A music video for “The Hardest Button to Button”, directed by Michel Gondry, was also released. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Editing and Best Cinematography.

“We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes

One of the most popular tracks off of The White Stripes’ self-titled debut album, “We’re Going to Be Friends” is a fun and playful song about childhood friendship. The song became even more popular after it was featured in the 2004 film “Napoleon Dynamite.”

“I Fought the Law” by The Clash

“I Fought the Law” is a song written by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets in 1959, that was popularized by a cover by The Clash. The song peaked at number seven on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1980. In 2008, it was ranked number422 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.