History of Indie Music – 1960’s

Tracing the roots of independent artists is difficult, because there have been artists who have long bucked the trends put upon them by monied powers in order to do what they feel right. Minstrels in medieval Europe and poets in the Islamic empire risked more than their livelihoods if they did not kowtow to the demands of the tyrants in charge (the ancient equivalent of modern big labels); they stood a good chance of being killed and mutilated as well.
Modern indie artists do not exactly take their lives in their hands when they sit down at a piano and record a genuine version of a heart felt song, but they do embody the spirit of the rebellious minstrel, refusing to compromise for the sake of a bag of gold.
In fact, some of the musicians and composers known to us today were what could be considered indie artists. Mozart was laughed at for his style in many different countries; it was not until his death that his work began to be played first in Germany and then around the world.
When it comes to modern indie music, the scene began when the big labels started to monopolize everything that they believed could make money. Elvis’ generation got a bit of a free ride; the music was so new, and the energy so unexpectedly unbridled, that those in power had no idea how to tame it. The latter half of the 1960s would see that change, however. Bands played on the radio and the records sold in stores all had a common theme, if not a duplicate sound. In fact, the history of indie music, however much fans want to deny it, is shaped by popular music as much as the shape of popular music is changed by indie artists. Typically, there have been three music “formats” that you can find on the radio; although the formats may change, there will always only be three kinds of music. In the 1960s, the big format was pop, a little bit of R&B, and rock ala the Rolling Stones. Peace, love, and anti-war ruled the day, even among the “rebels.”
And into that scene stepped the band known as the Velvet Underground. This is one of the most obvious examples of a band that was way ahead of its time. The main members of the band, in fact, are still regarded as some of the most influential artists by musicians today (think Lou Reed). The music of the Velvet Underground was markedly different in message and in structure than that being produced by studios at the time; their songs varied from fast to slow, pulsating to melodic. Their messages switched from songs about drug use to individual takes on law enforcement. In short, they sang about everything everyone else did not. The band sold very few records, but a movement was under way. If you listen to a Velvet Underground song, you might be surprised that it was created in the era of the Beatles instead of the era of Cobain, and that is what indie music is all about; the pioneers.
It is important to note that independent labels have always been present whenever records have been sold, and perhaps now more than ever to recognize that there are artists in all genres of music that choose to turn their backs on the big business and focus instead on their music.