While we all know about successful, independent artists, did you know that some of the popular music artists we know were indie stars before they made a breakthrough in the music world?
These music artists began on TV playing music to a small audience. The musician or bands could hardly make both ends meet and cut two back then. Now they are these stars that the world sits up to notice. Some of them leave behind legacies for generations to follow.
These music artists believed in themselves, and their staggering success can prove to the world that if you have talent and pair it with hard work and resilience, you can achieve your dreams. Let’s check out some of the stars who began as Indie stars.
Prince
Prince is certainly one of the most famous musicians in pop music history. However, even he began his career by playing in small clubs before becoming this huge star. Prince is a shining example of a star who made it big despite starting as an indie. He started playing in local shows until his first album sold out. Prince continued to work for the Warner Brothers Records for several years before he released some of his best work, working on his artistry all the while. He was not just a talented musician but a savvy businessperson too.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley is hands down one of the biggest rock stars in history. But he was not born with it. He worked on his sheer talent. Soon Elvis was playing in small clubs and bars before a record producer discovered him signing to his label. Within no time, he became famous for his scintillating music.
Elton John
Elton John was an indie musician too. He started playing in small venues, trying to work on his career when fate intervened, and soon Liberty Records saw his performances and made him sign on the dotted line. From there, the talented singer-songwriter started enjoying a long career with successful albums performing for several nights, and finally reveling in solo projects.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Chili Peppers are one of the most popular rock bands on the planet. But their journey wasn’t easy like all popular bands. Anthony Kiedis and Flea were the founding members and tried to make a living in Los Angeles. They started playing in small venues before they were recognized for their talent and could earn a few dollars. The EMI Records saw them perform and offered them a contract for cutting their first album.
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are another very popular American rock band. Dave Grohl’s original name was Paperville after his hometown. While not many know about the Pennsylvania suburbia, it turns out that these guys were pretty successful in churning out some independent releases, too. And everyone came to know about this town thanks to this group. No wonder they won the WAMI Award for Best Independent Album in 1994!
Beck
Before Beck became one of the most popular singers/songwriters, most knew him as a DJ. His first album, Golden Feelings, hit the charts in 1993. But what’s interesting to note is that while his musical style may have gone through several changes, he still has several connections with various independent musicians. He even released an EP of songs on other indie artists through Record Store Day that year.
Björk
Björk began her career as a musical artist. However, her original plans were to be a visual filmmaker. And that was her reason for studying at the Goldsmiths College, London. There she went on to study history and film. At Goldsmiths, she met with Tim Simenon, who was the producer of her Debut in 1993.
The Smiths
The Smiths or The Smiths Industries Ltd. was the British indie rock formed in 1982 with Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke were on guitar and bass respectively. Their first album, The Smith’s came out on October 18th and stormed the UK charts; making its way to the top 20 in the charts.
Were you surprised to see the list, it had the name of some of the biggest musical stars ever! The indie stars had the verve and the talent to make it big in their career; they did it, which is really impressive.
