RESEARCH: Timeline of key events in indie rock history

KEY EVENTS:

• 1979: Postcard Records founded in Glasgow. Played a part in the birth of British indie rock music, particularly the C81 and C86 indie pop movements.
• 1980: Dischord Records established by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson. Record label specialized in indie punk rock music scene based in Washington D.C.
• 1981: American experimental/post-punk/indie rock band Sonic Youth founded by Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) followed by a wave of short-term drummers in 1985, the most prominent being Steve Shelley (drums).
• 1986: Sub Pop Records founded in Seattle by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Signs bands Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sleater-Kinney and more.
• 1990: Riot Grrrl band Bikini Kill formed. Members: Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail, Billy Karren.
• 1991: VERY MAJOR DATE FOR INDIE ROCK MUSIC: Nirvana signs deal with major label Geffen Records. Second album Nevermind reaches US #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where they break out into the mainstream. Their success allows Pearl Jam with Ten, Stone Temple Pilots with Core, and Soundgarden with Superunknown to also enter the mainstream alternative rock trend.

A final note:

Because more bands found solace in the mainstream now, the term "indie rock" is blankly applied to any new, emerging artist or band with a jangly guitar sound and catchy rhythms. This ignores any artist's affiliations with record labels or their ethos.

OTHER COMMENTS:

• Britpop was first influenced by the likes of American grunge music, especially the opularity of Nirvana.
• The Madchester scene developed in Manchester in the early 1990s. A root of Britpop, this scene included artists such as the iconic Stone Roses, James, The Charlatans and the Inspiral Carpets. It blended alternative rock, psychedelic rock and electronic dance music. Yet Madchester was driven by drugs, particularly MDMA.