The Groove

The greatest lo-fi artists of all time

40 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Pavement

United States of America · 1989–2000 · indie rock

6.579

Why this number?

The full board

2 Neutral Milk Hotel

United States of America · 1989–1998 · indie rock 2.786

Beck

United States of America · 1970– · alternative rock 2.566

4 The Magnetic Fields

United States of America · 1990– · indie pop 2.480

Elliott Smith

United States of America · 1969–2003 · indie rock 2.213

Ween

United States of America · 1984–2024 · alternative rock 1.594

7 Teen Suicide

United States of America · 2009– · indie rock 1.302

Eminem

United States of America · 1972– · hip hop 1.122

9 Guided by Voices

United States of America · 1983– · indie rock 0.920

10 José González

Sweden · 1978– · folk rock 0.830

Gorillaz

United Kingdom · 1999– · electronic 0.820

12 Liz Phair

United States of America · 1967– · indie rock 0.700

Boris

Japan · 1992– · drone 0.581

Sonic Youth

United States of America · 1981–2011 · alternative rock 0.569

Bruce Springsteen

United States of America · 1949– · rock 0.548

Sia

Australia · 1975– · pop 0.548

17 C418

Germany · 1989– · ambient 0.477

18 Giles Corey

United States of America · 1980– · singer-songwriter 0.467

19 Bathory

Sweden · 1983–2004 · black metal 0.455

20 Stereolab

United Kingdom · 1990– · electronic 0.453

21 Body Count

United States of America · 1989– · metal 0.444

Nine Inch Nails

United States of America · 1988– · industrial 0.444

The White Stripes

United States of America · 1997–2011 · rock 0.390

24 Katie Melua

United Kingdom · 1984– · jazz 0.370