Inspired by Cincinnati's own 97X Modern Rock 500, the official countdown — from No. 500 all the way to No. 1 — of the best songs according to Inhailer Radio will air Memorial Day weekend. Graphic: Provided by Inhailer Radio

Inhailer Radio has announced the lineup and details for their annual Indie 500, a weeklong celebration of independent musicians with guest DJs, beginning Monday, May 19.

Inspired by Cincinnati’s own 97X Modern Rock 500, the official countdown — from No. 500 all the way to No. 1 — of the best indie songs according to Inhailer Radio will air Memorial Day weekend. Over the course of three days, from May 24-26, Inhailer will broadcast the countdown from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special guests include current and former Inhailer radio DJs, Cincinnati 97X and WNKU alumni and several special surprise hosts — including members of Cincinnati band The National.

Unique to this year’s celebration is the inclusion of “Qualifying Laps,” which provide listeners with a “high-energy preview of the artists and anthems in contention” for the race to the final countdown. This special segment will air daily from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. May 19-23.

“We wanted to go even bigger this year,” Inhailer Music Director Nils Illokken said in a press release. “The Indie 500 isn’t about ranking the greatest songs of all time — that’s an impossible task. It’s about celebrating the music we love, the songs that have helped shape Inhailer Radio. There’s just too much great music in our daily rotation for 500 songs to ever feel like enough, and we didn’t want to be locked into the same list year after year. With the addition of Qualifying Laps, we get to showcase even more of our favorites and build real momentum heading into the big show over Memorial Day Weekend.”

Additionally, Inhailer is launching a limited-edition Indie 500 2025 commemorative t-shirt, which is available for pre-order on their website.

Listeners are able to stream the event for free on inhailer.com, on the Inhailer Radio iOS and Android apps or on the Cincinnati station WGUC 90.9 HD 3.

For updates, announcements and exclusive content, follow along on Inhailer’s TikTok, Instagram and FaceBook accounts. 

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This article appears in Apr 30 – May 13, 2025.

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