Every now and then we get a "fluke indie hit", i.e. a mainstream hit from an indie(-sounding) band that doesn't get a second hit. 

 

 

 

 

 

and of course the biggest, most recent example:

 

What are your favourite indie fluke hits? Personally I'm partial to Shut Up And Dance.

 

 

 

These songs all kinda suck-- the best in the OP is sweater weather I guess.

season of the sticks or w/e that song is called  

I kinda love Rude 

I love love love Little Talks. Don’t really care for many of the others, though. 
 

But are we counting Dog Days Are Over here?

 

 

 

Brings me back to being 13, in my room after school and being excited about everything the future would bring. There’s still some magic in it after all these years.

14 minutes ago, Dolce Vita said:

season of the sticks or w/e that song is called  

Stick Season? He has Dial Drunk as well at least

indielena you'll be forever missed. 

 just kidding

 

8 minutes ago, Achilles. said:

I love love love Little Talks. Don’t really care for many of the others, though. 
 

But are we counting Dog Days Are Over here?

Oh my god can't believe I forgot this hit 

 

US-wise definitely, but I think F+TM have a couple other hits in the UK though

 

These songs are always very alternative radio and not really indie tho. They almost always have heavy label back up

Of Monsters and Men deserved to have so many hits, their songs are amazing 

 

But my favorite is Pumped Up Kicks. That was a classic.

 

I'd also include these ones

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, Mandalore said:

 

Came to post this one 

I feel like we need to stop using the words Indie and Alternative interchangeably

 

 

Do these count?

9 minutes ago, greento said:

 

 

Do these count?

Neither of these bands are one-hit wonders, so no. 

Feel it still is a classic but little talks was my fave as a child

Edited March 5, 20242 yr by Duanielipa

feel it still 

27 minutes ago, Digitalism said:

These songs are always very alternative radio and not really indie tho. They almost always have heavy label back up

I agree, but these days "indie" means more of the alt radio-adjacent type of music than an actual "independent release".

 

And there's always some gray area: Pumped Up Kicks was initially a self-released track before Foster The People signed to Columbia (who helped it get spam played on radio)

Sweater Weather and Snap