country
Indonesia
From Bengawan Solo to 88rising, an archipelago in song
Listen through Indonesia
5 defining tracks in the order they were released, from 1940 to 1989, each with a line on why it matters.
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- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
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The Hitlist
The defining tracks from this region
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Bengawan Solo
GesangGesang Martohartono wrote Bengawan Solo in 1940 from his home in Solo, central Java, and gave Indonesia its most exported song. The keroncong ballad about the Solo River was recorded by Japanese soldiers during the occupation, sung across Asia in dozens of translations, and made Gesang a quietly celebrated national figure for the rest of his life. He recorded sparingly but the songs he did write became standards.
Indonesia's popular music begins with keroncong, the Portuguese-rooted folk form that Gesang's Bengawan Solo carried across Asia after the war. Dangdut codified itself in the 1970s through Rhoma Irama and became the loudest, most-argued-about national genre. Pop and rock arrived through Koes Plus and matured in the hands of Chrisye, Iwan Fals, and the arena bands of the 1990s and 2000s. The most recent wave is split between the conservatory-trained indo-pop singers around Tulus and Raisa and the 88rising generation of Rich Brian and NIKI, who have made Indonesian voices fixtures of the global Asian-pop conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular genre of music in Indonesia?+
Dangdut is Indonesia's most popular music genre by audience reach, fusing Malay orkes melayu with Hindustani film music and Arabic vocal ornament over a driving gendang beat. Codified by Rhoma Irama in the 1970s and still dominant on television and at outdoor concerts, it now coexists with a sophisticated indo-pop wave around Tulus and Raisa and a global Indo-rap scene led by Rich Brian and NIKI.
What is keroncong and where does it come from?+
Keroncong is Indonesia's oldest popular song form, born in the Tugu kampung of Jakarta in the 16th and 17th centuries from Portuguese sailor music and shaped by local Indonesian musicians over four hundred years. It uses small plucked ukulele-like instruments along with flute, cello, and guitar to support gentle, often nostalgic Indonesian-language ballads. Gesang's 1940 song Bengawan Solo is its most famous example.
Who is the king of dangdut?+
Rhoma Irama is universally called the king of dangdut. Born in 1946, he codified the modern dangdut sound in the early 1970s by adding electric guitars and rock posture to orkes melayu and writing lyrics that mixed Islamic morality with social criticism. With his band Soneta he has released hundreds of recordings, starred in nearly thirty films, and run briefly for president.
Who are Indonesia's biggest contemporary musicians?+
The current Indonesian mainstream is led by Tulus, Raisa, and Isyana Sarasvati on the indo-pop side and Slank and Dewa 19 on the legacy rock side. Internationally, Rich Brian and NIKI broke through via the 88rising platform and have made Indonesian voices fixtures of the global Asian-pop conversation. Tulus's 2022 single Hati-Hati di Jalan was the most-streamed Indonesian song of its year.
Last reviewed: 2026-05
Is gamelan Indonesian music?+
Yes. Gamelan is the great traditional orchestral tradition of Java and Bali, played on tuned bronze percussion in interlocking polyrhythmic patterns. It is older than every popular genre on this page and remains central to court ceremonies, wayang puppet performances, and religious festivals across the archipelago. Contemporary composers from Lou Harrison to Steve Reich have borrowed heavily from its structures.
Sources & References
- 1Popular Music of Vietnam: The Politics of Remembering, the Economics of Forgetting — Dale Olsen, 2008Book
- 2Dangdut Stories: A Social and Musical History of Indonesia's Most Popular Music — Andrew Weintraub, 2010Book
- 3How Indonesia's Rich Brian became the unlikely face of Asian hip-hop — The Guardian, 2018
- 4
- 5Rhoma Irama, the king of dangdut, turns 70 — BBC News, 2016
- 6Music of Indonesia — Wikipedia, 2026
Further Reading
About This Article
This page is based on documented music history, artist biographies, recording histories, and cross-referenced sources from music journalism and academic research on Indonesian music.
timeline.music editorial team
▸Read the timeline as text
The sound of Indonesia, decade by decade: 6 genres and 23 artists, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
- 1960s
- Keroncong with Gesang and Waldjinah; Pop Indonesia with Koes Plus.
- 1970s
- Keroncong with Gesang and Waldjinah; Dangdut with Rhoma Irama and Elvy Sukaesih; Pop Indonesia with Koes Plus, Ebiet G. Ade and Chrisye; Indo Rock with God Bless.
- 1980s
- Keroncong with Gesang and Waldjinah; Dangdut with Rhoma Irama and Elvy Sukaesih; Pop Indonesia with Koes Plus, Ebiet G. Ade, Chrisye, Iwan Fals and Anggun; Indo Rock with God Bless.
- 1990s
- Keroncong with Gesang and Waldjinah; Dangdut with Rhoma Irama and Elvy Sukaesih; Pop Indonesia with Koes Plus, Ebiet G. Ade, Chrisye, Iwan Fals and Anggun; Indo Rock with God Bless, Slank, Dewa 19 and Sheila on 7.
- 2000s
- Keroncong with Waldjinah; Dangdut with Rhoma Irama, Elvy Sukaesih and Inul Daratista; Pop Indonesia with Ebiet G. Ade, Chrisye, Iwan Fals, Anggun and Glenn Fredly; Indo Rock with God Bless, Slank, Dewa 19, Sheila on 7 and Noah / Peterpan; Indo Pop with Agnez Mo.
- 2010s
- Dangdut with Rhoma Irama and Inul Daratista; Pop Indonesia with Iwan Fals, Anggun and Glenn Fredly; Indo Rock with God Bless, Slank, Dewa 19, Sheila on 7 and Noah / Peterpan; Indo Pop with Agnez Mo, Raisa, Tulus and Isyana Sarasvati; Indo Hip-Hop with Rich Brian and NIKI.
- 2020s
- Dangdut with Inul Daratista; Indo Rock with Slank and Noah / Peterpan; Indo Pop with Agnez Mo, Raisa, Tulus, Isyana Sarasvati and Nadhif Basalamah; Indo Hip-Hop with Rich Brian and NIKI.