The 25 best Indie Songs of 2004

15 March 2025, 13:00

From Take Me Out to I Predict A Riot... here are the top indie tunes of twenty years ago.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out: release date 12th January 2004

   The follow-up to Darts Of Pleasure, this was the breakthrough single for the Glasgow band, fronted by Alex Kapranos. Peaking at Number 3 on the UK chart, the track has since gone double Platinum and have over 800 million streams on Spotify.

   

   Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out (Official Video)

2. Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb: release date 19th January 2004

   The New York glam indie pop band came out of nowhere to break the UK Top 10 with this discofied cover of the 1979 Pink Floyd track. The band would play Glastonbury that summer.

   

   Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb

3. Blink-182 - I Miss You: release date 2nd February 2004

   Taken from the Californian band's 2003 self-titled debut album, the more sensitive side of the punk pop trio gave them a Top 10 hit in the UK.

   

   blink-182 - I Miss You (Official Video)

4. The Stroke - Reptilia: release date 9th February 2004

   The follow-up to 12:51 was taken from the band's second album Room On Fire, released the previous October.

   

   The Strokes - Reptilia (Official HD Video)

5. Keane - Somewhere Only We Know: release date 16th February 2004

   Taken from the Sussex band's hugely-popular debut album Hopes And Fears, which followed in May, Somewhere Only We Know made Number 3 and ties with Is It Any Wonder as Keane's biggest hit.

   

   Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (Official Music Video)

6. Modest Mouse - Float On: release date 8th March 2004

   The Washington band's fantastically-titled fourth album Good News For People Who Love Bad News spawned this classic tune.

   

   Modest Mouse - Float On (Official Music Video)

7. The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon: release date 9th March 2004

   The Detroit band hit Number 21 in the UK charts with this storming single, taken from their second album Pawn Shoppe Heart.

   

   The Von Bondies - C'mon C'mon (Video)

8. The Killers - Somebody Told Me: release date 15th March 2004

   Brandon Flowers and co issued their landmark debut single Mr Brightside in September 2003 to little fanfare, but it wasn't until the follow-up Somebody Told Me that the band broke the UK Top 40. Both this song and Mr Brightside fared better when re-released!

   

   The Killers - Somebody Told Me (Official Music Video)

9. The Zutons - You Will You Won't: release date 5th April 2004

   Taken from the Liverpool band's debut album Who Killed... The Zutons?, this live favourite peaked at Number 22 in April 2004.

   

   The Zutons - You Will You Won't

10. Wolfman featuring Pete Doherty - For Lovers: release date 12th April 2004

    Peter Wolfe aka Wolfman collaborated with the Libertines man for this single and later contributed to Doherty's Babyshambles project. For Lovers made Number 7 in the UK.

    

    Wolfman ft. Peter Doherty - For Lovers (Official Video)

11. The Walkmen - The Rat: release date 19th April 2004

    This stunning song by the New York post=punk revivalists became their most famous track.

    

    The Walkmen - "The Rat"

12. Kasabian - Club Foot: 10th May 2004

    After the low-key release od Processed Beats and Reason Is Treason, this was the first Kasabian track to break the Top 40 in May 2004. The Leicester band's self-title debut album would follow later in the year.

    

    The Walkmen - "The Rat"

13. Razorlight - Golden Touch: release date 14th June 2004

    Rip It Up and Stumble And Fall had been minor hits for Razorlight, but their fourth single went Top 10, thanks to some superb acoustic performances from Johnny Borrell on various TV shows.

    

    Razorlight - Golden Touch (Official Video)

14. Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels): release date 20th June 2004

    The song that opened the Canadian band's landmark album Funeral remains a live favourite.

    

    Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

15. Morrissey - First Of The Gang To Die: release date 12th July 2004

    2004 was the year of the big Moz revival, thanks to his successful album You Are The Quarry, which also spawned the hit Irish Blood English Heart.

    

    First of the Gang to Die

16. The Streets - Dry Your Eyes: release date 19th July 2004

    The emotional highlight of Mike Skinner's concept album A Grand Don't Come For Free and a UK Number 1 single.

    

    The Streets - Dry Your Eyes (Official Video)

17. Green Day - American Idiot: release date 6th August 2004

    The title track of the US rock trio's politcally-charged seventh album was a rant about the Iraq War. It made Number 3 in the UK charts.

    

    Green Day - American Idiot [Official Music Video]

18. The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now: release date 9th August 2004

    Taken from the band's self-titled second album, it was Pete and Carl's biggest hit in the UK, peaking at Number 2. It spelled the beginning of the end of the first phase of the Libs, however.

    

    The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now (Official Video)

19. Embrace - Gravity: release date 30th August 2004

    Written by the members of Coldplay, who donated the song to give the Yorkshire band their biggest hit since Come Back To What You Know, six years earlier.

    

    Embrace - Gravity (Official HD Video)

20. R.E.M. - Leaving New York: release date 27th August 2004

    One of the finest late-period R.E.M. singles, this was taken from their thirteenth album Around The Sun and went Top 5 in the UK.

    

    R.E.M. - Leaving New York (Video)

21. My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay (I Promise): release date 13th September 2004

    The lead single from the New Jersey emo heroes' second album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge made Number 19 when it was reissued in March 2005.

    

    I'm Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance - Official Video (4K Remastered)

22. Kings Of Leon - The Bucket: release date 25th October 2004

    The first single from the Followills' second album Aha Shake Heartbreak made Number 16 in the UK charts.

    

    Kings Of Leon - The Bucket (VIDEO)

23. Bloc Party - Helicopter: release date 25th October 2004

    The all-time favourite indie club hit was later included on the band's debut album Silent Alarm.

    

    Bloc Party - Helicopter

24. Kaiser Chief - I Predict A Riot: release date 1st November 2004

    The follow-up to the Leeds band's debut single Oh My God was more successful on its re-release in August 2005, when it smashed the Top 10.

    

    Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot (Official Video)

25. Jay-Z/Linkin Park - Numb/Encore: release date 13th December 2004

    Originally included on the rapper and rock band's Collision Course EP, Numb was later issued as a single in its own right.

    

    Numb / Encore [Live] (Official Music Video) [4K Upgrade] - Linkin Park / JAY-Z