The greatest indie albums of all time

Dizzee Rascal, 'Boy In Da Corner' (2003). Before he was 'Bonkers', he was the freshest voice British hip-hop had produced in years. NME has launched a poll to determine the ultimate indie record - and the result is down to you. Choose from well over 100 albums at NME.COM/greatestindiealbum. Pic: Andy Fallon

Elliott Smith, 'Either/Or' (1997). Named after a philosophical treatise by Søren Kierkegaard, Smith's third album is the archetypal quiet-man-with-turbulent-emotions record. Six years after this, he plunged a knife into his heart. Pic: PA Photos

Primal Scream, 'Screamadelica' (1991). Aided by DJ/producer Andy Weatherall, with this ecstatic masterpiece Primal Scream - previously unremarkable guitar-janglers - redefined the limits of what an 'indie' band could achieve. Vote for 'Screamadelica' at NME.COM/greatestindiealbum. Pic: PA Photos

Spiritualized, 'Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space' (1997). Released the same year as Radiohead's 'OK Computer', many critics rated this the better album. A gospel-shoegaze epic, it united Jason Pierce's three obsessions - heartbreak, opiates and God. Pic: PA Photos

Blur, 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' (1993). Recorded when the band were £60,000 in debt and in danger of being dropped, this was Blur's salvation. Swapping shoegaze/baggy for sharply-observed mod pop was the smartest move they ever made. Pic: PA Photos

Pixies, 'Doolittle' (1989). The fact that 'Debaser' and 'Here Comes Your Man' have become beer-flinging indie-disco staples does a disservice to the sheer, scabrous weirdness of Black Francis' lyrics. To to vote for 'Debaser', head to NME.COM/greatestindiealbum.

Massive Attack, 'Blue Lines' (1991). A genuinely unclassifiable work of genius, veering from languid dub ('Safe From Harm') to symphonic elegance ('Unfinished Sympathy'). Perhaps the most widescreen and authentic vision of 'Britishness' ever created.

Animal Collective, 'Merriweather Post Pavilion' (2009). Few bands peak with their ninth album, but that's precisely what the Baltimore genre-hoppers did with this expansive, brain-engulfing masterwork. Pic: PA Photos

Interpol, 'Turn On The Bright Lights' (2002). Returning US alt.rock to the pit of gloom where it spent much of the late-'80s, Interpol represented the new rock revolution's blackened underbelly. Pic: PA Photos

Arcade Fire, 'Funeral' (2004). The first major fruits of their genius, including the almost unbearably euphoric 'Rebellion (Lies)'. Pic: Phil Wallis

Mogwai, 'Young Team' (1997). Taking the 'quiet-loud' template to heart-rending/ear-bleeding extremes, Mogwai's debut album provided a counterblast to Britpop's chest-puffing pomp. Pic: PA Photos

Ryan Adams, 'Gold' (2001). Released back when his quicksilver talent was matched by a fully-functioning quality control gauge, this is still the alt.country renegade's best-selling album to date. Pic: David Ellis

Klaxons, 'Myths Of The Near Future' (2007). Cynics dismissed Klaxons as a day-glo hipster in-joke - until the trio released this startlingly accomplished and unique debut album. Pic: Andy Willsher

Iron And Wine, 'Our Endless Numbered Days' (2004). Like a modern-day, bearded Nick Drake, only without the suicidal depression, Sam Beam's hypnotic folk lullabies summon a timeless, placeless, pastoral idyll. Choose between well over 100 albums at NME.COM/greatestindiealbum - and suggest your own additions to the list at NME.COM/blogs.

Pavement, 'Slanted And Enchanted' (1991). Released the same year as Richard Linklater's film 'Slacker', Pavement's debut gave voice to a generation of smart-yet-directionless college kids.

Vampire Weekend, 'Vampire Weekend' (2008). The initial pitch - indie meets afro-beat - was misleading: Vampire Weekend's debut proved they were really just a smart guitar band with a bristling armoury of perfect songs. Pic: Danny North