I don't consider myself someone who knows a lot about Polish music, even though I'm from this country. I don't know if these are popular or not, I don't really care. This is all based on my personal taste in music, not on what's generally considered the best. If I had to talk about a genre of music I know more than just superficially, it would be industrial/experimental music (not necessarily Polish).
Maanam is an absolute classic of Polish music in general. I think every Pole has come across their music at some point. Ever since I was a little kid I've always heard Maanam playing somewhere. For example, on the radio, in a restaurant, or when my parents were listening to it. Unfortunately, whenever I hear their music these days, it's always the song 'Cykady na Cykladach' that's played, while their other songs are played much less often. I know it's the most iconic one, but I think they have many other tracks in their discography that are just as good.
During the communist era, Maanam brought a breath of fresh air and something different, despite the restrictions. Back then, the sounds they created were still unfamiliar and new. It gave people a sense of freedom and hid in its lyrics messages about topics that were controversial and dangerous to discuss openly at the time. Personally, I think one of the best things about this band are bass lines. They simply had a really good bassist.
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Paktofonika is widely considered one of the most influential and iconic groups in the history of Polish hip-hop. Although the group was active for only a few years, it had a big impact on the development of the genre in Poland. Their lyrics are mostly about emotions, identity, and everyday life. The group focused more on personal experiences than on street themes. Just eight days after the release of Kinematografia, on December 26, 2000, Magik committed suicide after jumping from the window of his apartment. Paktofonika continued performing for a short time before officially disbanding in 2003. I notice that it is widely appreciated by most people, even those who do not normally listen to hip-hop at all. Personally I do not listen to Paktofonika very often, only from time to time.
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This one is definitely my favorite polish hip-hop band. They tend to have a more experimental approach, combining classic rap with elements of jazz, funk, and alternative music. Their sound is truly unique and original because it lacks the typical street rap vibe, and their lyrics are not as straightforward as, for example, those of Paktofonika. Afro Kolektyw makes great use of complex wordplay and sometimes creates combinations of words that are so perfectly chosen that I wonder how they even came up with them. Because of this, the full experience of listening to their music can probably only be appreciated by people from Poland or by those who speak Polish and understand its nuances. In addition, translating their lyrics into English would probably not work very well because Polish is such a flexible language. Many of the wordplays and linguistic nuances simply cannot be translated without losing their original meaning and impact. Even so, I think that people who do not speak Polish can still enjoy their music a lot because the instrumental side is exceptionally well done. The instrumental arrangements are just as essential.
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If you know the band KMFDM you will definitely hear some similarities between them and Agressiva 69. That said, this comparison is purely subjective, since Agressiva isn't exactly an industrial-rock band. Rather, they've adapted certain sounds and used them in their own way. I don't really know if there are any other Polish bands that sound as close to something like industrial rock. I think that real industrial music never really developed well in Poland, so this is the only somewhat well-known band that comes close to that sound. I would argue if it's good to even add the term industrial (since it's not entirely clear what that specifically means) but it is just what wikipedia says. Another thing that Agressiva 69 reminds me of is this Czech band (also industrial-rock), Vanessa. For some reason they sound quite simillar. Agressiva 69 definitely helped popularize this type of electronic sound in Poland, although it seems to me that other bands that came after them tended to lean more towards techno and similar styles
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