This is a really difficult one to do, because "Alternative" goes back much earlier than Grunge, or 90's Brit-Pop (which is where I would lump Bush). I would classify the earliest forms of Punk to be Alternative. Glam-Rock, even. Early David Bowie, The New York Dolls, etc. When I was young, the "Alternative" music was New Wave. I would have to say that MY first Alternative album was "Wild Planet", by The B-52's.
Indie is it's own monster. From a true definition, it would be something that was released on an independent label, and produced with a DIY (do it yourself) mentality. True Indie music is stuff where the artists are more responsible for their releases than a record company. Something that the artists helps to promote, instead of a high paid record company mogul who doesn't give a hairy rat's behind about the music that he is pushing. Although Bush was a core of the mid 90's "Alternative" movement, which was more focused around Brit-Pop, Nirvana was definitely the core of the early 90's Alternative movement. Alternative simply means outside of the mainstream. There was actually a point where all those bands really became Mainstream Rock artists.
Yes, you may say that The B-52's were just a Pop band. That would be true, if you were talking about 1988-1990. They were definitely left-of-center, back in the late 70's and early 80's.
So, for me... The B-52's was my first "Alternative" album... and as far as true blue Indie music? Geez... probably a guy by the name of Fela Johnson, who wrote everything, played every instrument, had a horrible black and white album cover, and nobody had, or has ever heard of him. TRUE Indie music.
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