thumb|The Strokes are one of the most influential bands to indie rock in the 2000s The mainstream attention which indie rock garnered in the 2000s began with the Strokes and their 2001 debut album Is This It. Playing a style indebted to '60s-70s bands like the Velvet Underground and the Ramones, the band's intention musically was to sound like "a band from the past that took a time trip into the future to make their record." The album peaked at number thirty-three in the United States, staying in the charts for two additional years and debuted at number two on the UK albums chart. When the Strokes made their commercial debut, the public perception of "rock music" was based in post-grunge, nu metal and rap rock, putting their throwback style of garage rock as a stark contrast to the mainstream. The band's immediate influence allowed fellow classic rock influenced New York bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol and TV on the Radio to gain mainstream attention. The Strokes were accompanied in this commercial breakthrough by the White Stripes, the Vines, and the Hives. These groups were christened by parts of the media as the "The" bands, and dubbed "the saviours of rock 'n' roll",C. Smith, 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), , p. 240. prompting Rolling Stone magazine to declare on its September 2002 cover, "Rock is Back!".
thumb|The Strokes are one of the most influential bands to indie rock in the 2000s The mainstream attention which indie rock garnered in the 2000s began with the Strokes and their 2001 debut album Is This It Playing a style indebted to '60s-70s bands like the Velvet Underground and the Ramones the band's intention musically was to sound like "a band from the past that took a time trip into the future to make their record" The album peaked at number thirty-three in the United States staying in the charts for two additional years and debuted at number two on the UK albums chart When the Strokes made their commercial debut the public perception of "rock music" was based in post-grunge nu metal and rap rock putting their throwback style of garage rock as a stark contrast to the mainstream The band's immediate influence allowed fellow classic rock influenced New York bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Interpol and TV on the Radio to gain mainstream attention The Strokes were accompanied in this commercial breakthrough by the White Stripes the Vines and the Hives These groups were christened by parts of the media as the "The" bands and dubbed "the saviours of rock 'n' roll"C Smith 101 Albums That Changed Popular Music (Oxford Oxford University Press 2009)  p 240 prompting Rolling Stone magazine to declare on its September 2002 cover "Rock is Back"