Industrial music is often credited to Throbbing Gristle, a pioneering British band that formed in 1975. Throbbing Gristle's music was intentionally abrasive, using unconventional instruments, tape manipulation, and noise to create a raw, experimental sound. Their label, Industrial Records, was the driving force behind the movement and is where the genre gets its name. Throbbing Gristle’s 1977 album The Second Annual Report is often considered one of the first industrial albums.

The genre found fertile ground in Germany as well, where it evolved alongside the Krautrock movement, which experimented with electronic and unconventional sounds. Einstürzende Neubauten, formed in 1980, is one of the most well-known German acts in the genre, famously using power tools, scrap metal, and other non-musical objects as instruments. Their abrasive and experimental sound became synonymous with the industrial scene.