Alternative Rock Guide: The History and Bands of Alt-Rock

Alternative rock music is a subgenre of rock ‘n' roll that took root in the 1990s and has continued through the present day. At its inception, alternative rock music did not fully mesh with the biggest rock bands of the era, such as U2, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Guns N' Roses. Instead it served as a continuation of the college rock scene of the 1980s, where groups like R.E.M. and the Pixies had thrived outside the glare of the spotlight.

Despite its alternative moniker, alt-rock received considerable radio airplay. Alternative bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Beck, and Nine Inch Nails cracked pop charts early in their existence. Some were signed to major labels, making alternative rock inherently more mainstream than indie rock bands on independent record labels.

Over time, alternative music has received less media attention and radio airplay, yet alt-rock (also called modern rock) remains an active component of the pop music landscape.

Since the inception of rock 'n' roll, several bands and subgenres have thrived outside of the mainstream. So while the term "alternative rock" became popular in the 1990s, the alt-rock scene was a direct continuation of 1980s movements like college rock and new wave.

• Early alt-rock centered around local scenes. The alternative rock scene in greater Boston, for example, was home to the Pixies, The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr., Buffalo Tom, Blake Babies, and Belly. Minneapolis birthed The Replacements and Hüsker Dü; Chicago was home to The Smashing Pumpkins and Liz Phair; New York City gave rise to Pavement and Sonic Youth. Los Angeles was home to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Aimee Mann, and Weezer, while Washington, DC was home base for post-punk icons Fugazi and Shudder To Think.
• Seattle was the apex of alternative rock. There, a new music style that critics called "grunge" was taking shape. Although they often resisted the grunge moniker, Seattle-based groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, and Mudhoney enjoyed commercial success and major label contracts. These bands showed clear influence from 1970s classic rock groups like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, which were mainstream in their time.
• Nirvana became Seattle’s most celebrated band. Perhaps the most critically celebrated of the Seattle bands was Nirvana. The grunge icons released their first album in 1988 and had a big impact with their 1991 major label debut, Nevermind. Following the 1994 death of frontman Kurt Cobain, the group disbanded, and the alternative rock spotlight shifted elsewhere.
• Alternative rock expanded after the ‘90s. Eventually, alternative rock fanned out from its origins on college radio and local music scenes. The genre now includes everything from Britpop (Oasis, Blur) to proto-blues (The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys) to experimentation (Radiohead, Wilco, My Bloody Valentine). Today, some alternative bands, like Coldplay and Muse, may sound nearly indistinguishable from mainstream bands, like U2 and Maroon 5.

The alternative rock movement covers a broad array of styles and moods. While they don’t sound the same, The Cure, Violent Femmes, The Strokes, and Modest Mouse are all considered types of alternative rock. They and other acts are unified by a few key characteristics:

1. 1. Guitar-driven music: Like most rock music, the alternative subgenre tends to be driven by guitars, which are accompanied by bass and drums. Keyboards were rare in 1990s alternative, but they have found their way into many twenty-first century alternative bands.
2. 2. Strong influence from the 1970s and 1980s: Many of the early alt-rock bands were influenced by 1970s rockers like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Others reflected the sounds of 1980s icons like The Smiths and Minor Threat. Some stars of the alternative era, such as R.E.M., Bob Mould, and Sonic Youth, had robust careers in the 1980s college rock era, but continued their success into the 1990s and beyond.
3. 3. Punk rock ethos: An overwhelming number of alternative rock bands reflect both the energy and the do-it-yourself (DIY) energy of 1980s punk bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Minutemen, and Bad Brains.
4. 4. Pop sensibility: Alternative rockers frequently compose songs driven by poppy, diatonic melodies.

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