The 20 best Indie albums of 1989

26 September 2025, 19:00 | Updated: 8 October 2025, 17:40

Let's cast our minds back to the year of Disintegration, Technique, Doolittle, Bleach and the debut by The Stone Roses.

By Radio X

@RadioX

• As the decade drew to a close, the seeds of the next ten years of music were being sown.
• While seasoned campaigners were still continuing to find new themes in their work - Madonna, Paul McCartney, Kate Bush and The Rolling Stones all had acclaimed albums out this year - a fresh wave of superstars were waiting in the wings.
• Nirvana issued their first, faltering album, while the Pixies showed them the way; Red Hot Chili Peppers hooked up with John Frusciante and Chad Smith and set a course for stadium domination; De La Soul and Soul II Soul reinvented what rap and R&B could be in the next decade; and The Stone Roses plotted to make Manchester the coolest city of the 90s.

1. Throwing Muses – Hunkpapa: release date 23rd January 1989

   The third album from the Rhode Island indie band fronted by Kristin Hersh included the single Dizzy.

   

2. New Order - Technique: release date 30th January 1989

   New Order release their fifth album (and their last one to be released on Factory Records), which included Fine Time, Round And Round and Run 2.

   

3. Depeche Mode - 101: release date 13th March 1989

   The Mode captured live on their 101st show of the Music For The Masses tour - this live album and film spawned a hit single in the shape of Everything Counts.

   

4. The Cult - Sonic Temple: release date 10th April 1989

   The fourth album from the British rockers included the singles Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister and Edie (Ciao Baby).

   

5. Pixies - Doolittle: release date 17th April 1989

   Pixies release their second full length album. Tracks include Monkey Gone To Heaven, Debaser and Here Comes Your Man.

   

6. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses: release date 2nd May 1989

   The Stone Roses release their self-titled debut album. Tracks include I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums and Made Of Stone.

   

7. The Cure - Disintegration: release date 2nd May 1989

   The Cure release their eighth album, which includes Lullaby. Love Song and Pictures Of You.

   

8. Pop Will Eat Itself – This Is The Day... This Is The Hour... This is This!: release date 2nd May 1989

   The second album from the Stourbridge rock-hip hop collective featured the hit singles Def Con One, Can U Dig It and Wise Up! Sucker.

   

9. Public Image Ltd - 9: release date 8th May 1989

   The seventh album from John Lydon's post-Pistols project included the singles Disappointed and Warrior.

   

10. Nirvana - Bleach: release date 15th June 1989

    The iconic grunge band's first album featured drummer Chad Channing alongside Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, and included the songs About A Girl, Love Buzz and Negative Creep.

    

11. Faith No More - The Real Thing: release date 20th June 1989

    One of the great rock-metal bands of the era, The Real Thing saw the introduction of vocalist Mike Patton, formerly of Mr Bungle. Tracks included From Out Of Nowhere and Epic.

    

12. The B52's - Cosmic Thing: release date 27th June 1989

    A commercial hit from the quirky US alternative rock band, which included the hist Love Shack and Roam.

    

13. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk: release date 16th August 1989

    Following the departure of drummer Jack Irons and the death of guitarist Hillel Slovak, Anthony Kiedis and Flea regrouped with John Frusciante and Chad Smith to conjure up one of the Chilis' biggest albums to date. Tracks included Taste The Pain, Knock Me Down and a cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground.

    

14. Primal Scream - Primal Scream: release date 4th September 1989

    The second album from Bobby Gillespie and co was the follow-up to 1987's Sonic Flower Groove and was the final outing for the garage rock sound that the band had been working with; next stop was the dance influenced Screamadelic. Tracks included the single Ivy Ivy Ivy and I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have, which was later transformed into the classic Loaded.

    

15. The Wonder Stuff - Hup: release date 2nd October 1989

    The Wonder Stuff release their second album, Hup, which includes the single Don't Let Me Down Gently.

    

16. Jesus Jones - Liquidizer: release date 2nd October 1989

    The British indie band - labelmates with Blur on the Food imprint - issued their debut album, which included the favourite Info Freako.

    

17. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Automatic: release date 9th October 1989

    William and Jim Reid's third studio album was their most commercial outing yet, which featured the singles Blues From A Gun and Head On, which was later covered by the Pixies.

    

18. The Primitives - Pure: release date 16th October 1989

    The second album from the Coventry indie act included the singles Way Behind Me and Sick Of It.

    

19. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine: release date 20th October 1989

    The debut album from Trent Reznor's industrial rock project included the hits Head Like A Hole, Sin and Down In It.

    

20. The Wedding Present – Bizarro: release date 23rd October 1989

    The second album from the Leeds indie band fronted by David Gedge featured the hit singles Brassneck and Kennedy.