The running joke of hipsters is the “you’ve probably never heard of it” line that they take great enjoyment in things that fall far outside of the mainstream.
Where popularity is equal to being terrible and the more obscure, the better. But the great crisis of conscience every fixie-riding, manicure bearded, no-lens framed and cardigan-wearing hipster frets about is whether their particular band of choice is no longer, well, hip.
Fear not, because the folks at Priceonomics understand. After all, they too identify themselves as a “team of bike-riding, IPA-sipping, vinyl-listening, Mission-living hipsters,” and they have put together the ‘Hipster Index’ to use “data to shed light on the hipster condition” and mathematically prove the 25 most hipster bands on the planet.
Using the most scientific of hipster barometers, praise from Pitchfork, and testing it against the most mainstream litmus test known to man, Facebook, Pricenomics judged a series of bands typically accused of being ‘good’ only because of their obscurity to separate the artists that are truly worthy of hipster adoration and those that have simply crossed over to the *shudder* mainstream.
Plotting Pitchfork review scores against Facebook shares, the resulting graph basically demonstrates that artists above the line – the ‘indie’ likes of Kanye West, My Bloody Valentine, and Arcade Fire – are NOT hipster acts, while those below the line – Kurt Vile, Deafheaven, and Vampire Weekend (just) – qualify as having über-hipster appeal.
(Source: Priceonomics Data Services)
Putting aside the philosophical question of whether hipsters even really exist to begin with (it’s like McCarthyism, no-one admits to being one but accuses everyone else of being one), Pricenomics also spells out the results with a breakdown of the 25 biggest hipster acts from 2013 (which explains the absence of the seminal hipster anthem ‘Northcote’ by The Bedroom Philosopher, pictured).
In other words, those who have high critical acclaim but, you guessed it, illicit slurs of “you’ve probably never heard of them.” Topping the list is The Field, the non de plume of Swedish electronic music-maker Alex Willner, followed by contemporary US singer-songwriter Julia Holter, and fiery Danish punks, Iceage.
Lastly, there’s the list of 25 artists who are regularly lathered in critical adoration but are far too-well known to qualify to the hipster tribe.
So even though music fans found sobbing to The National or scouring for Boards of Canada vinyl are typically accused of being hipsters, the ‘Beer Me Bro’ index says otherwise.
So in conclusion, the whole study might be flawed, but it’s a damn sight more interesting way of looking at the popularity of bands versus their cultural and critical perception, as well as the impact of social and music media.
We leave you know with – if not the most accurate – certainly the funniest definition of ‘hipster’. Take it away, Sam Simmons.
