No fundo, o que interessa é aquilo soar bem..

"Further muddying the waters of the technical definition of "indie" is the fact that independence from major labels and independence from market-driven commercialism are not always correlated. For a time in the late 1990s, three of the most successful artists in the UK indie charts were *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. All three were signed to Zomba, which was technically an independent label at the time. (Zomba has since become part of major label Sony BMG.) In contrast, there have been a small number of notable artists (Pulp, Morphine, Built to Spill and The Flaming Lips, among others) who have maintained considerable creative independence and won critical acclaim whilst signed to major labels.

Dirty Pretty Things

Given all of this, many think that the term indie rock will soon go the way of the term alternative rock. However, as has been mentioned, in the early 1990s the term alternative rock became a marketable commodity due to the success of grunge and 80s alternative groups such as U2 and R.E.M., essentially and paradoxically making alternative rock no longer alternative but mainstream. The beginnings of a similar trend have happened to indie rock in the past few years. A number of the more popular indie acts have found commercial success, leading record executives to show an interest in marketing the term. Therefore, the term indie rock oftentimes no longer refers to rock made by groups recorded by independent labels, but rather a style that can be marketed just like any other style. This is paradoxical, as the term indie was intended to refer to music produced by independent labels, not a definite style. To quote music journalist Ryan Gillespie, "But if they are indie, then what are the truly independent to be called? If indie-oriented labels are continually being sucked up into the mainstream, who will be the avant-garde? Who will push the boundaries of pop music and how will it ever be discovered amid the clamor of major and major-owned minors with deep pockets? Will you and I be able to cut through the label hype to find truly independent music to support?""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_rock