This is a list of Swedish indie pop artists who have either been important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such as in the case of one that has been on a major label). This list does not include little-known local bands. Bands are listed by the first letter in their name (not including the words "a", "an", or "the"), and individuals are listed by last name.
ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982, and again from 2016 to 2022 following their reunion.
Göran BrorBennyAndersson is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia! For the 2008 film version of Mamma Mia! and its 2018 sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, he worked also as an executive producer. Since 2001, he has been active with his own band Benny Anderssons orkester.
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. The members regrouped after the disbandment of their previous band Joy Division due to the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. They were joined by Gillian Gilbert on keyboards later that year. New Order's integration of post-punk with electronic and dance music made them one of the most acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. They were the flagship band for Manchester-based independent record label Factory Records and its nightclub The Haçienda, and they worked in long-term collaboration with graphic designer Peter Saville.
Rolf Peter Ingvar Stormare, better known as Peter Stormare, is a Swedish actor. He played Gaear Grimsrud in the film Fargo (1996) and John Abruzzi in the television series Prison Break (2005–2007). He has appeared in films including The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Playing God (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Armageddon (1998), 8mm (1999), Dancer in the Dark (2000), Windtalkers (2002), Minority Report (2002), Bad Boys II (2003), Constantine (2005), and 22 Jump Street (2014), and the video games Destiny (2014), Until Dawn (2015), and Destiny 2 (2017).
The Cardigans are a Swedish pop rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows since 2012 have been with Oskar Humlebo on guitar instead of Svensson.
The music of Sweden shares roots with its neighbouring countries in Scandinavia, as well as Eastern Europe, including polka, schottische, waltz, polska and mazurka. The Swedish fiddle and nyckelharpa are among the most common Swedish folk instruments. The instrumental genre is the biggest one in Sweden. In the 1960s, Swedish youth sparked a roots revival in Swedish folk culture. Many joined Spelmanslag and performed on mainstream radio and TV. They focused on instrumental polska music, with vocals and influences from other traditional genres becoming more prominent since the 1990s. By 1970, the "dansband" culture also began. Music in Sweden is a vital part of Swedish culture, as evidenced by the national success of musical shows like Allsång på Skansen and Melodifestivalen.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. The group originally consisted of Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been, and Nick Jago (drums). Jago departed the band in 2008 and was replaced by Leah Shapiro.
The Haunted is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996. The original members were Anders and Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen. Both of the Björler brothers and Erlandsson were members of the seminal melodic death metal band At the Gates, a pioneering force in the Swedish death metal scene.
Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group, formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg.
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The team currently plays in Sweden's first-tier league SHL after having won promotion from HockeyAllsvenskan following the 2022/23 season. The club was founded in 1921 and has won two SHL championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena since 2006 is the Hägglunds Arena. Before then, the team played at Kempehallen, beginning in 1964.
Färjestad Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 21 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning ten times since the Swedish Hockey League was started in 1975, making them the most successful SHL club in history. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965. Following Brynäs IF's relegation to HockeyAllsvenskan in 2023, Färjestad is the only team to have constantly played in the current top tier of Swedish hockey, the SHL, since it was started in 1975. They reached the SHL championship finals six years in a row between 2001–2006, winning the championship two times. They are featured rivals with Djurgårdens IF, Frölunda HC, and HV71.
Skellefteå is a city in Västerbotten County, Sweden. It is the seat of Skellefteå Municipality, which had 74,402 inhabitants in 2022.
Hudiksvall is a city and the seat of Hudiksvall Municipality, in Hälsingland, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 15,015 inhabitants in 2010. Hudiksvall is also known as Glada Hudik, a term that originated in the 19th century as word spread of its friendly hospitality and its lively social life. The city is located along the E4, on the east coast of Sweden deep inside the bay Hudiksvallsfjärden, about 80 km south of Sundsvall and about 130 km north of Gävle. Hudiksvall is Sweden's 76th largest urban area and also the largest urban area in Hälsingland. Around Hudiksvall within the municipality lay the communities of Delsbo, Iggesund, Enånger, Njutånger, Näsviken and Sörforsa.
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for men's association football clubs. It was founded in 1924 and is the top tier of the Swedish football league system, operating on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan. Seasons run from late March or early April to the beginning of November, with the 16 clubs all meeting each other twice, resulting in a 30-match season, for a total of 240 matches league-wide.
Örgryte Idrottssällskap, commonly referred to as Örgryte IS, Örgryte or ÖIS or Öis, is a Swedish sports club based in Gothenburg. It consists of four departments, namely bowling, football, athletics and wrestling. However, the club is best known for its football department. The club was founded in 1887 which makes it the oldest active sports club in the country.
Kalmar Fotbollförening, more commonly known as Kalmar FF, is a Swedish professional football club based in Kalmar. The club is affiliated to Smålands Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Guldfågeln Arena. Formed on 15 June 1910, the club have won one national championship title (2008) and three national cup titles.
Djurgårdens IF Fotbollsförening – commonly known as Djurgårdens IF, Djurgården Fotboll, Djurgården, and Djurgår'n, Dif or DIF – is the professional men's association football department of its parent association Djurgårdens IF. Founded 1891 on the island of Djurgården, the club's home ground is Tele2 Arena, situated in the Johanneshov district of Stockholm.
A Split-Second is a Belgian new beat and electronic body music (EBM) band established in 1985. The band is seen as one of the pioneers of EBM and their music influenced the creation of the new beat genre.
The English rock band Led Zeppelin staged a concert tour of Denmark, Sweden and Norway in September 1968. The shows marked the band's first concert tour, though they were billed under the name "the Yardbirds".