Alternative rock (also called alternative music^[1] or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. The name "alternative" was coined in the 1980s to describe punk rock-inspired bands on independent record labels that didn't fit into the mainstream genres of the time.^[2] As a specific genre of music, alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the indie music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, indie rock, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop. These genres are unified by their collective debt to the style and/or ethos of punk, which laid the groundwork for alternative music in the 1970s.^[3] Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... Hardcore punk (usually referred to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated in the United States of America in the late 1970s. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Parts of the guitar. ... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Grunge music (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ... Britpop was a British alternative rock genre and movement that was at its most popular in Great Britain in the mid 1990s. ... In the USA, college rock was a term used to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... Dream pop is a type of alternative rock that originated in the early 1980s when bands like Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began twisting New Wave melodies into sonic, echoing textures and mumbled vocals. ... Gothic rock (also called goth rock or goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. ... Grunge music (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Noise pop is a term used to loosely describe a number of alternative rock bands that fuse punk rocks attitude and anger with the atonal noise, feedback, and free song structures of noise music, presented in a decidedly pop context. ... Paisley Underground is a term used to describe a genre of rock music, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s. ... The term post-rock was coined by Simon Reynolds in issue 123 of The Wire (May 1994) to describe a sort of music using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbres and textures rather than riffs and powerchords. ... Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a style of alternative rock that emerged in southern England in the late 1980s. ... This article is about the genre of music. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of rock music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Gothabilly is a portmanteau which refers to the fusion of rockabilly music and the Goth culture. ... Industrial rock is a musical genre which is a fusion of industrial music and rock music. ... An NME Originals issue covering the Madchester movement. ... The post-punk revival is a movement in modern rock music consisting of Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Goth Rock, and Electronic bands that draw from the conventions of the original Post-Punk sound of the early 1980s, as well as the early 90s Britpop, 80s New Wave and... Riot grrrl (or riot grrl) is an indie-punk feminist movement that reached its height in the 1990s but continues to exert significant influence over alternative culture. ... New England Conservatory of Music in Boston Massachusetts is a U.S. state in New England. ... Mural Amphitheater, Seattle Center (built 1962). ... Illinois, which includes Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States, has a wide musical heritage. ... Famous musicians from Maryland include Francis Scott Key, who wrote The Star-Spangled Banner and pop punksters Good Charlotte, from Waldorf. ... For Mancunians, the popular musical heritage of the city has always been a source of great pride. ... This is a list of alternative music artists. ... Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. ... This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ... Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Rock and roll. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... An independent record label is variously described as a record label operating without the funding (or outside the organizations) of the major record labels, and/or a label that subscribes to indie philosophies such as DIY and anti-corporate art. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ... Grunge music (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Britpop was a British alternative rock genre and movement that was at its most popular in Great Britain in the mid 1990s. ... Gothic rock (also called goth rock or goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ...

Though the genre is considered to be rock, some of its subgenres are influenced by folk music, reggae, electronic music and jazz among other genres. At times alternative rock has been used as a catch-all phrase for rock music from underground artists in the 1980s, all music descended from punk rock (including punk itself, New Wave, and post-punk), and, ironically, for rock music in general in the 1990s and 2000s. Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... The term underground music has been applied to several artistic movements, notably to the early psychedelic movement of the mid 60s centred in Los Angeles. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock...

The term "alternative rock"

The music now known as alternative rock was known by a variety of terms before "alternative" came into common use. "College rock" was used in the United States to describe the music during the 1980s due to its links to the college radio circuit and the tastes of college students. In the United Kingdom the term "indie" was preferred; by 1985 the term "indie" had come to mean a particular genre, or group of subgenres, rather than a simple demarcation of status.^[4] "Indie rock"^[5] was also largely synonymous with the genre in the United States up until the genre's commercial breakthrough in the early 1990s due to the majority of the bands belonging to independent labels. In the USA, college rock was a term used to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. ...

By 1990 the music was being termed "alternative rock".^[6] The term "alternative" had originated sometime around the mid-1980s;^[7] it was an extension of the phrases "new music" and "post modern", both for the freshness of the music and its tendency to recontextualize the sounds of the past, which were commonly used by music industry of the time to denote cutting edge music.^[3][8] Thus the original use of the term was often broader than it has come to be understood, encompassing punk rock, New Wave, post-punk, and even pop music, along with the occasional "college"/"indie" rock, all music found on the American "commercial alternative" radio stations of the time such as Los Angeles' KROQ-FM.^[3] The use of the term "alternative" gained popular exposure during 1991 with the implementation of alternative music categories in the Grammy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards, as well as the success of Lollapalooza, where festival founder and Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell coined the term "Alternative Nation".^[3] For popular music (music produced commercially rather than art or folk music), see Popular music. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... KROQ-FM is a commercial modern rock music radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting on 106. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. ... Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... Janes Addiction was an American rock band featuring of Perry Farrell (vocalist), Dave Navarro (guitarist), Eric Avery (bassist}, and Stephen Perkins (percussionist). ... Perry Farrell (born Simon Bernstein in New York City on March 29, 1959) is a musician who, as the frontman of Janes Addiction, was one of the pioneers of alternative rock. ...

Overview

One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. relied on college radio airplay, constant touring, and a grassroots fanbase to break into the musical mainstream.

"Alternative rock" is essentially an umbrella term for underground music that has emerged in the wake of the punk rock movement since the mid 1980s.^[9] Throughout much of its history, alternative rock has been largely defined by its rejection of the commercialism of mainstream culture. Alternative bands during the 1980s generally played in small clubs, recorded for indie labels, and spread their popularity through word of mouth.^[10] As such, there is no set musical style for alternative rock as a whole, although common traits among many alternative bands and subgenres include distorted or jangly guitars. Sounds range from the dirty guitars of grunge and the gloomy soundscapes of gothic rock, to the guitar pop revivalism of Britpop and the shambling innocence of twee pop, to name just a few examples. Lyrics in alternative rock songs typically address topics of greater social concern, such as drug use, depression, and environmentalism,^[10] an approach that developed as a reflection of the social and economic strains in the United States and United Kingdom of the 1980s and early 1990s.^[11] Image File history File linksMetadata Padova_REM_concert_July_22_2003_blue. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Padova_REM_concert_July_22_2003_blue. ... R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in early 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. ... Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. ... The expression umbrella term means a word that provides a superset or grouping of related concepts. ... This article is about the genre of music. ...

In the early 1980s a handful of college radio stations, like Danbury, Connecticut's WXCI, and WPRB in Princeton, NJ, and Brown University's WBRU broadcast alternative rock in the United States. Most commercial stations ignored the genre. Alternative rock became more popular and spread among other college stations in the mid-1980s, which served as one of the major outlets of exposure for the music. Alternative rock was played extensively on the radio in the UK, particularly by DJs such as John Peel (who championed alternative music on BBC Radio 1), Richard Skinner, and Annie Nightingale. Artists that had cult followings in the United States received greater exposure through British national radio and the weekly press, and many alternative bands had chart success there.^[12] Finally, in the late 1980s in North America, commercial stations such as Boston, Massachusetts's WFNX and Los Angeles, California's KROQ began playing alternative rock, pioneering the modern rock radio format. Outside of North America, Double J, a government-funded radio station in Sydney, Australia and the Melbourne based independent radio station 3RRR began broadcasting alternative rock throughout the 1980s. In 1990, Double J, now known as Triple J, began broadcasting nationally, albeit with what some perceived as a watered down format. On television, MTV would occasionally show alternative videos late at night during the 1980s. In 1986 MTV in the United States began airing the late night alternative music program 120 Minutes, which would serve as a major outlet of exposure for the genre prior to its commercial breakthrough in the 1990s. Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. ... Nickname: The Hat City Located in Fairfield County, Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA Danbury Region Housatonic Valley Incorporated (town) 1702 Incorporated (city) 1889 Consolidated 1965 Government type Mayor-council Mayor Mark D. Boughton (R) Area    - City 44. ... Western Connecticut State University (Western, WestConn or WCSU) is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. ... WPRB (103. ... WBRU is a commercial radio station in Providence, Rhode Island that broadcasts at 95. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... Autobiography John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, and journalist. ... This article is about the UK radio station Radio 1. ... Annie Nightingale MBE (born in London on April 1, 1942) is a radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, Athens of America, The Hub (of the Universe)1 Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area    - City  89. ... WFNX is a New England commercial alternative music radio station. ... Modern rock or Nu-breed is term commonly used to describe a rock music format found on American commercial radio. ... This is about the city of Sydney in Australia. ... 3RRR (pronounced Three Triple R, or simply Triple R) is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. ... Triple J (JJJ) is a nationally-networked, government-funded Australian radio station (a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation), mainly aimed at youth (defined as those between 12 and 25). ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ... 120 Minutes logo 120 Minutes was a television show dedicated to alternative music on MTV and MTV2 from 1986-2003. ...

Although alternative artists of the 1980s never generated spectacular album sales, they exerted a considerable influence on the generation of musicians who came of age in the 80s and laid the groundwork for their success.^[13] The popular and commercial success of Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind took alternative rock into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability.^[14] As a result, alternative rock became the most popular form of rock music of the decade and many alternative bands garnered commercial and critical success. However, many of these artists rejected success, for it conflicted with the rebellious, DIY ethic the genre had espoused prior to mainstream exposure and their ideas of artistic authenticity.^[15] As many of the genre's key groups broke up or retreated from the limelight, alternative rock declined from mainstream prominence. Nirvana was a popular American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... Nevermind is the highly influential second studio album from the American grunge band, Nirvana. ... The DIY punk ethic refers to the idea of doing it yourself, i. ...

In the first decade of the 21st century, mainstream rock has continued to evolve beyond alternative's 80s roots and low-fidelity ethos. Today's most popular rock music acts, typified by youth-oriented modern rock groups such as Linkin Park, incorporate complex electronic beats and highly produced albums, but owe a heavy debt to their metal and grunge influences. In spite of being influenced by alternative rock, many fans of the genre do not see these bands as being alternative, but instead as part of the nu metal genre. However, in 2004 alternative rock received renewed mainstream attention with the popularity of indie rock and post-punk revival artists such as Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand, respectively.^[16] Linkin Park is a two-time Grammy-winning, nu-metal band from Los Angeles, California. ... Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that emerged as a defined musical style in the 1970s, having its roots in hard rock bands which, between 1969 and 1974,[1] mixed blues and rock music to create a hybrid with a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterised... Nu metal (also called aggro metal, or nü metal using the traditional heavy metal umlaut) is a musical genre that has origins in the mid 1990s. ... Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band. ... Franz Ferdinand are a rock band that was formed in Glasgow and was named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. ...

Alternative rock in the United States

Early American alternative bands such as R.E.M., The Feelies, and Violent Femmes combined punk influences with folk music and mainstream music influences. R.E.M. was the most immediately successful; its debut album 1983's Murmur entered the Top 40 and spawned a number of jangle pop followers.^[9] One of the many jangle pop scenes of the early 80s, Los Angeles' Paisley Underground was a revival of 60s sounds, incorporating psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and the guitar interplay of folk rock as well as punk and underground influences such as The Velvet Underground.^[9] Image File history File links REM_-_Radio_Free_Europe. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Radio Free Europe has been widely recognized as R.E.M.s first single, released on Hib-Tone Records in 1981. ... R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in early 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. ... Image File history File links Husker_Du_-_Celebrated_Summer. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Hüsker Dü was an influential rock music group from Minneapolis-St. ... Image File history File links Debaser. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Debaser is a song by the alternative rock band Pixies. ... The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. ... SmellsLikeTeenSpirit. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by American rock band Nirvana, and the first track and lead single from the bands 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind. ... Nirvana was a popular American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... Image File history File links PavementCutYourHair. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Cut Your Hair is a song by American rock band, Pavement on their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. ... Pavement was an American indie rock band in the 1990s. ... Image File history File links Last_Nite. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Last Nite is a single lifted from Is This It, the debut album of acclaimed American garage rock/post-punk band The Strokes. ... The Strokes are an American rock band formed in 1998 that rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the garage rock revival. ... R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in early 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. ... The Feelies were an alternative rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. ... This article is about the band. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... Murmur is the first full-length album released by Athens, Georgia alternative rock band R.E.M.. Released in April 1983, Murmur was preceded by the Chronic Town EP the previous year. ... Jangle pop was an American musical genre that arose in the middle of the 1960s, combining angular, chiming guitars and power pop structures. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Paisley Underground is a term used to describe a genre of rock music, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s. ... The Velvet Underground (sometimes abbreviated as The Velvets or VU) was an American rock band first active from 1965 to 1973. ...

American indie labels SST Records, Twin/Tone Records, Touch & Go Records, and Dischord Records presided over the shift from the hardcore punk that dominated the American underground scene at that point to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging.^[17] Minneapolis bands Hüsker Dü and The Replacements were indicative of this shift. Both started out as punk rock bands, but soon they expanded their sounds and became more melodic,^[9] culminating in Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade and The Replacements' Let It Be, both released in 1984. The albums, as well as the follow-up material, were critically acclaimed and drew attention to the burgeoning alternative genre. That year SST Records also released landmark alternative albums by the Minutemen and the Meat Puppets, who mixed punk with funk and country, respectively. SST Records is a Lawndale, California based independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by Black Flag founder/guitarist Greg Ginn. ... Twin/Tone Records was a record label based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota that operated from 1977 until 1994 and helped several local groups receive national attention. ... Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which began life in 1979 in East Lansing, Michigan as a magazine put out by Tesco Vee. ... Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in D.C.-area independent punk, hardcore, and post-hardcore music. ... Hardcore punk (usually referred to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated in the United States of America in the late 1970s. ... This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... Hüsker Dü was an influential rock music group from Minneapolis-St. ... The Replacements (also known as The Mats or The Mats, from the insult of a detractor who joked the bands name was The Placemats, which the band then adopted) were a seminal alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Zen Arcade is Hüsker Düs third full-length album, released in 1984 by SST Records, originally released as a double album on two vinyl LPs. ... Let It Be is the title of a 1984 album released by The Replacements. ... The Minutemen were an American rock band from San Pedro, California comprising singer/guitarist D. Boon, singer/bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley. ... The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Paradise Valley, Arizona. ...

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth

R.E.M. and Hüsker Dü set the blueprint for much of alternative rock of the 1980s, both sonically and in how they approached their careers.^[9] In the late 80s, the US underground scene and college radio were dominated by college rock bands like the Pixies, They Might Be Giants, Dinosaur Jr, and Throwing Muses as well as post-punk survivors from Britain. Another major force was the noise rock of Sonic Youth, Big Black, Butthole Surfers, and others. By the end of the decade, a number of alternative bands began to sign to major labels. While early major label signings Hüsker Dü and the Replacements had little success, late 80's major label signings R.E.M. and Jane's Addiction achieved gold and platinum records, setting the stage for alternative's later breakthrough.^[18][19] Some bands like the Pixies had massive success overseas while being ignored domestically.^[9] By the start of the 90s the music industry was abuzz about alternative rock's commercial possibilities and actively courted alternative bands including Dinosaur Jr, fIREHOSE, and Nirvana.^[18] File links The following pages link to this file: Sonic Youth ... File links The following pages link to this file: Sonic Youth ... Gordon in 2005 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953, in Rochester, New York), is a musician, vocalist, and artist. ... Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American musician best known as a singer and guitarist for Sonic Youth. ... Sonic Youth is a seminal American alternative rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. ... They Might Be Giants (commonly abbreviated to TMBG) is an American alternative rock duo consisting of John Linnell and John Flansburgh that formed in 1982. ... Dinosaur Jr are an American alternative rock band. ... An early band formation (left to right): Narcizo, Hersh, Donelly, and Langston. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sonic Youth is a seminal American alternative rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... Big Black was a rock music band founded in Chicago, Illinois and active between 1982 and 1987. ... Butthole Surfers are an American punk band, founded by lead vocalist Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas, in 1981. ... Indoor firehose A firehose is a thick, high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. ...

Grunge, an alternative subgenre created in Seattle, Washington in the 80s that synthesized heavy metal and hardcore punk, launched a large movement in mainstream music in the early 90s. The year 1991 was to become a significant year for alternative rock and in particular grunge, with the release of Nirvana's second and most successful album Nevermind, Pearl Jam's breakthrough debut Ten, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Nirvana's surprise success with Nevermind heralded a "new openess to alternative rock" among commercial radio stations and fans of more traditional rock sounds, and opened doors for more hard rock-oriented alternative bands in particular.^[20] While "alternative" was simply an umbrella term for a diverse collection of underground rock bands, Nirvana and similar groups gave it a reputation for being a distinct style of guitar based rock which combined elements of punk and metal; their creation met with considerable commercial success. Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King County Incorporated December 2 1869  - Mayor Greg Nickels Area    - City 369. ... Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that emerged as a defined musical style in the 1970s, having its roots in hard rock bands which, between 1969 and 1974,[1] mixed blues and rock music to create a hybrid with a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterised... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 other events of 1991 list of years in music 1990s in music // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, and is considered one of the most influential bands of the 1990s. ... Ten is Pearl Jams first album, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. ... Soundgarden was a seminal Seattle rock band who helped to define the sound that came to be called grunge. ... Badmotorfinger is the third album by the band Soundgarden. ... The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a multiple Grammy Award-winning [2] American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. ... Blood Sugar Sex Magik (sometimes written BloodSugarSexMagik) is the fifth album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released in September of 1991 and written and recorded at a mansion in Laurel Canyon, now owned by the albums producer Rick Rubin and known also as Damie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind, the album that popularized alternative rock.

The explosion of alternative rock was aided by MTV and Lollapalooza, a touring festival of diverse bands which helped expose and popularize alternative groups such as Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Hole. By the mid-90s, alternative was synonymous with grunge in the eyes of the mass media and the general public, and a supposed "alternative culture" was being marketed to the mainstream in much the same way as the hippie counterculture had in the 1960s (the existence of any such culture is debatable, and is often seen by some fans of the music to have been a creation of the media). During the 1990s, many artists who did not fit the "alternative" label were nonetheless given it by mainstream record labels in the hopes of capitalizing on its popularity. Some pop musicians, such as Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish were given the label on the basis of nuanced differences from other pop artists. Many pop punk bands such as Green Day and The Offspring were also labeled "alternative". The most drastic mislabeling was given to African-American artists. African-American artists whose music did not fall into the genres of R&B, hip-hop, or pop, such as folk musician Tracy Chapman and heavy metal band Living Colour, were labeled alternative by the music industry despite the fact that their music did not derive from punk or post-punk influences.^[21] Additionally, post-grunge bands such as Third Eye Blind, The Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty took the tropes of alternative rock and commercialized them. Nevertheless, alternative bands who were leery of broad commercial success and stayed underground were termed "indie rock"^[5] and developed movements such as lo-fi, a genre that espoused a return to the original ethos of alternative music. Labels such as Matador Records, Merge Records, and Dischord, and indie rockers like Pavement, Liz Phair, Superchunk, Fugazi, and Sleater-Kinney dominated the American indie scene for most of the 1990s.^[22] Cover of the Nirvana album Nevermind. ... Cover of the Nirvana album Nevermind. ... Nirvana was a popular American rock band originating from Aberdeen, Washington. ... Nevermind is the highly influential second studio album from the American grunge band, Nirvana. ... NIN redirects here. ... The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. ... Hole was an alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1989 and disbanded in 2002. ... Alternative culture is a catch-all phrase used predominately by the media and the marketing industry to refer to a variety of separate sub-cultures – (which are either loosely related or near-totally unrelated) – and are perceived by the general public as being outside or on the edge of so... Singer at contemporary Russian Rainbow gathering Hippie, usually spelled hippy in the United Kingdom, refers to a subgroup of the 1960s and early 1970s counterculture that began in the United States, becoming an established social group by 1965 before declining during the mid-1970s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alanis Nadine Morissette (born June 1, 1974) is a seven-time Grammy Award winning Canadian-American[1] singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. ... Hootie & the Blowfish is an American pop-rock band, originally formed at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Soni Sonefeld and Mark Bryan. ... Pop punk is used for two separate subgenres of punk rock music: the kind typically found on Lookout! Records, which stray very little from the three-chord formula that The Ramones pioneered, as well as a newer subgenre of melodic, more emotional punk, which includes by bands like NOFX and... Green Day is an American rock band consisting of three core members: Billie Joe Armstrong (guitar, lead vocals), Mike Dirnt (bass) and Tré Cool (drums). ... For other uses, see Offspring (disambiguation). ... Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles Fast Car, Talkin Bout a Revolution, Baby Can I Hold You, and Give Me One Reason. ... Living Colour is a hard rock group formed in New York city in 1983 by Vernon Reid. ... Post-grunge is a subgenre of American alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as an offshoot of the Seattle grunge movement. ... Third Eye Blind (frequently abbreviated 3eb) is an alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. ... The Goo Goo Dolls is an alternative rock band that formed in 1985 in Buffalo, New York by guitarist and vocalist Johnny Rzeznik. ... This February 2007 does not cite its references or sources. ... Lo-fi is a subgenre of indie rock which uses lo-fi recording practices. ... Matador Records is an influential record label, famous for a roster of highly-respected indie rock artists and bands. ... Merge Records is an indie-rock record label based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. ... Pavement was an American indie rock band in the 1990s. ... Liz Phair (born Elizabeth Clark Phair on April 17, 1967 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Superchunk (left to right): Mac McCaughan, Jim Wilbur, Jon Wurster, Laura Ballance. ... Fugazi are a rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1987. ... Sleater-Kinney are an indie rock trio from Olympia, Washington influenced by the riot grrrl movement of the 1990s. ...

Alternative's mainstream prominence declined due to a number of events, notably the death of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in 1994 and Pearl Jam's lawsuit against concert venue promoter Ticketmaster which in effect barred them from playing many major venues around the country.^[15] A signifier of alternative rock's declining popularity was the hiatus of the Lollapalooza festival after an unsuccessful attempt to find a headliner in 1998; the hiatus would continue until 2003. By the start of the 21st century many major alternative bands, including Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Rage Against the Machine, and Hole had broken up or were on hiatus. Meanwhile indie rock diversified; along with the more conventional indie rock sounds of Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, and Death Cab for Cutie, various strains of indie rock including the garage rock revival of The White Stripes and The Strokes as well as the neo post-punk sounds of Interpol and The Killers achieved mainstream success. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. ... Ticketmaster is the worlds largest seller of event tickets. ... Alice in Chains is a popular and influential rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987, and was one of the most commercially successful bands from the Seattle grunge music scene. ... Rage Against the Machine is a Grammy Award-winning American rock band noted for their blend of hip hop, hard rock and funk as well as their vocal revolutionary socialist beliefs. ... Bright Eyes is a band consisting of singer-songwriter/guitarist Conor Oberst, multi-instrumentalist/producer Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, and a rotating lineup of collaborators drawn primarily from Omahas indie music scene. ... Death Cab for Cutie is an American band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The White Stripes are a Grammy Award-winning American rock music duo from Detroit, composed of songwriter Jack White on guitar, piano, lead vocals, and Meg White on drums, percussion and vocals. ... The Strokes are an American rock band formed in 1998 that rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the garage rock revival. ... Interpol is an American indie rock band, formed in 1998. ... The Killers are a Grammy nominated and American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. ...

Alternative rock in the United Kingdom

Gothic rock developed out of late-70s British post-punk. Most of the first goth bands, including Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and The Cure, are labeled as both post-punk and gothic rock. Gothic rock began to develop into its own in the early 80s with the opening of The Batcave nightclub and the creation of the goth subculture. By the mid-80s, goth bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, and Fields of the Nephilim achieved success on the UK pop charts. Meanwhile Siouxsie & the Banshees and The Cure moved away from goth stylistically and broadened their sound to become internationally successful by the start of the 1990s. Image File history File links Cure_-_A_Forest_excerpt. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... A Forest is a song by British rock band The Cure. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links This_Charming_Man. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... This Charming Man is a song by British rock band The Smiths, released as their second single in October of 1983 on the indie label Rough Trade. ... The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. ... Image File history File links Only_Shallow. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... My Bloody Valentine were an Irish-British shoegazing band best known for their creative use of guitar distortion, tremolo, and digital reverb. ... Image File history File links OasisLiveForever. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Live Forever is a song by British rock group Oasis, written by Noel Gallagher. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Image File history File links Franz_Ferdinand_-_Take_Me_Out. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Take Me Out is the breakthrough hit and second single from Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. ... Franz Ferdinand are a rock band that was formed in Glasgow and was named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. ... Bauhaus is a British rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. ... Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band that formed in 1976. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Batcave, which was held at Gossips in Dean Street (Soho), was an early goth nightclub in London, England. ... New York City goth band The Naked and the Dead (1985) A German Goth, a so-called Gruftie, with rosary beads and alchemical symbol on forehead. ... The Sisters of Mercy are a rock band that emerged out of the British post punk scene in 1980-1981. ... The Mission (known as The Mission UK in the United States due to a naming clash with a Philadelphia R&B band) is a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly-dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...

Robert Smith of The Cure rejects genre labels like alternative, gothic rock, and college rock applied to his band. He has said, "Every time we went to America we had a different tag [. . .] I can't remember when we officially became 'alt-rock'".^[23]

British indie rock and indie pop drew from the tradition of Scottish post-punk bands such as Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, utilizing jangly, shambling guitars and clever wordplay. The most popular and influential band to emerge from this lineage was Manchester's The Smiths. The Smiths managed to score a number of hits and influence a generation of bands while signed to an independent label, Rough Trade Records. Their embrace of the guitar in an era of synthesizers is viewed to have signaled the end of the New Wave era in Britain;^[24] the band also managed to gain a sizable cult following in the United States. After The Smiths broke up in 1987, singer Morrissey embarked on a successful solo career. Indie rock bands such as The Housemartins, James, and The Wedding Present emerged in the wake of The Smiths. The Wedding Present also featured on the C86 cassette, a premium offered by the NME in 1986. Featuring an array of bands including Primal Scream, The Pastels, and the Soup Dragons, the cassette was a major influence on the development of indie pop and the British indie scene as a whole.^[25][26] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x680, 90 KB) Summary Robert Smith from the Cure. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x680, 90 KB) Summary Robert Smith from the Cure. ... For other persons named Robert Smith, see Robert Smith (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gothic rock (also called goth rock or goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. ... In the USA, college rock was a term used to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78,772 km... Orange juice is sometimes artificially colored to match the color of orange rinds. ... Aztec Camera is a Scottish New Wave music band from Glasgow. ... Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, North West England. ... The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. ... Rough Trade Records was formerly an independent record label based in London, England. ... Steven Patrick Morrissey (born May 22, 1959) is a singer and songwriter from Manchester, England. ... The Housemartins were an English indie rock/accapella band that was active in the 1980s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Wedding Present is a rock group from Leeds, the United Kingdom, that was formed in 1984 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. ... The C86 Cassette Sleeve. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... Primal Scream (temporarily abbreviated to PRML SCRM for the XTRMNTR album) are a rock group formed in Glasgow, Scotland, headed by former Jesus & Mary Chain drummer Bobby Gillespie. ... The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Their story is under-documented, but they first released music around 1983 with a series of awkward but brilliant almost-pop singles for labels like Creation, Rough Trade and Whaam!. Eventually they developed a slightly more sophisticated sound and by the... The Soup Dragons were a Scottish indie rock band of the late 80s and early 90s. ...

Other forms of alternative rock became pervasive in the UK during the 1980s. The Jesus and Mary Chain wrapped their pop melodies in walls of guitar noise, while New Order emerged from the demise of post-punk band Joy Division and experimented with techno and house music, forging the alternative dance style. The Mary Chain, along with the dream pop of Cocteau Twins and the space rock of Spacemen 3, were the influences for the shoegazing movement of the late-80s. Named for the fact that the bands often stared at their feet onstage,^[24] shoegazing bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, and Lush dominated the British music press at the end of the decade along with the drug-fueled Madchester scene. Based around The Haçienda, a nightclub in Manchester owned by New Order and Factory Records, Madchester bands such as The Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays mixed traditional guitar pop, dance music, and rave culture, achieving mainstream success. The Jesus and Mary Chain were a Scottish alternative rock band that revolved around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Joy Division were an English rock band that formed in 1976 in Macclesfield, Cheshire. ... Techno is a form of electronic dance music that became prominent in Detroit, Michigan during the mid-1980s with influences from Chicago House, electro, New Wave, Funk and futuristic fiction themes that were prevalent and relative to modern culture during the end of the Cold War in industrial America at... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Alternative dance (known primarily as indie dance in the United Kingdom) is a term used for the genre of music combining elements of dance-pop (or other forms of electronic dance music such as house or techno) and alternative rock genres such as indie pop. ... Dream pop is a type of alternative rock that originated in the early 1980s when bands like Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began twisting New Wave melodies into sonic, echoing textures and mumbled vocals. ... Cocteau Twins were an influential and prolific Scottish band. ... For space rocks, see asteroid. ... Spacemen 3 were an English space rock band who formed in 1982 and whose career spanned from the post-punk to Acid House eras. ... Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a style of alternative rock that emerged in southern England in the late 1980s. ... My Bloody Valentine were an Irish-British shoegazing band best known for their creative use of guitar distortion, tremolo, and digital reverb. ... Slowdive // Slowdive were a shoegazing band formed in 1989, lasting until 1995. ... Ride is a 1980s and 90s British shoegazing band. ... Lush were an English shoegazing band, formed in 1988. ... An NME Originals issue covering the Madchester movement. ... Fac 51 Haçienda (also known as simply The Haçienda) was one of the most well known nightclubs in Manchester during the Madchester years of the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... The Stone Roses were an influential English rock band from Manchester, active during the late 1980s through to the mid 1990s. ... Happy Mondays are an alternative rock band formed in Salford, Greater Manchester, England in 1985. ...

Oasis was at the forefront of the Britpop movement in the mid-1990s.

With the decline of the Madchester scene and the unglamorousness of shoegazing, the tide of grunge from America dominated the British alternative scene and music press in the early 90s.^[24] In contrast, only a few British alternative bands, most notably Radiohead and Bush, were able to make any sort of impression back in the States. As a reaction, a flurry of defiantly British bands emerged that wished to "get rid of grunge" and "declare war on America", taking the public and native music press by storm.^[27] Dubbed "Britpop" by the media, this movement represented by Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp was the British equivalent of the grunge explosion,^[24] for not only did it propel alternative rock to the top of the charts in its respective country, but it centered it on a revitalization of British youth culture celebrated as "Cool Britannia". In 1995 the Britpop phenomenon culminated in a rivalry between its two chief groups, Oasis and Blur, symbolized by their release of competing singles on the same day. Blur won "The Battle of Britpop", but Oasis' second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? went on to become the third best-selling album in Britain's history;^[28] Oasis also had major commercial success overseas and even charted hits in the United States. Image File history File links Oasis_early. ... Image File history File links Oasis_early. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Britpop was a British alternative rock genre and movement that was at its most popular in Great Britain in the mid 1990s. ... Radiohead are an English rock band from Oxfordshire, initially formed by school friends in 1985. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... Suede was one of the most popular and important bands from the UK in the 90s, and helped start the Britpop movement of the decade. ... Pulp are a rock band, formed in Sheffield, England in 1978, by then 15-year-old school-boy Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar). ... Cool Britannia is a media term that was used in the late 1990s to describe the contemporary culture of the United Kingdom. ... The Battle of Britpop is the unofficial title given to the chart battle of 1995 which took place between leading Britpop groups, Blur and Oasis. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Britpop faded as Oasis' third album Be Here Now received lackluster reviews and Blur began to incorporate influence from American alternative rock.^[29] At the same time Radiohead achieved critical acclaim with its 1997 album OK Computer, which was a marked contrast with the traditionalism of Britpop. Radiohead, along with post-Britpop groups like Travis and Coldplay, were major forces in British rock in the subsequent years.^[30] Recently British indie rock has experienced a resurgence, spurred in part by the success the Strokes achieved in the UK prior to their domestic breakthrough. Like modern American indie rock, many British indie bands such as Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines, Bloc Party, and Arctic Monkeys draw influence from post-punk groups such as Joy Division, Wire, and Gang of Four. For other uses, see Be Here Now (disambiguation). ... OK Computer is the third album by the British rock band Radiohead. ... Travis is an indie rock band from Glasgow, comprising Fran Healy, Dougie Payne, Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose. ... Coldplay are an English rock band from London. ... Franz Ferdinand are a rock band that was formed in Glasgow and was named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. ... For the political and social groups see Libertine The Libertines were an English rock band who rose to fame in the early 2000s, spearheading the garage rock revival movement of that time. ... Bloc Party are an English indie rock band. ... Arctic Monkeys are an English four-piece indie rock/post-punk revival band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. ... Wire are an English band formed in 1976 (and intermittently active to the present) by Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar), Colin Newman (vocals, guitar) and Robert Gotobed (né Grey) (drums). ... Gang of Four is an English post-punk group from Leeds. ...

Alternative rock in other countries

Canadian band Arcade Fire

Australia has produced a number of notable alternative bands, including Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Go-Betweens, Dead Can Dance, Silverchair, and The Vines. Much like America's Lollapalooza festival, Australia's Big Day Out festival serves as a touring showcase for domestic and foreign alternative artists. To the east, New Zealand's Dunedin Sound was based around the university city of Dunedin and the Flying Nun Records label. The genre had its heyday during the mid 80s and produced bands such as The Bats, The Clean, and The Chills. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1600, 293 KB) The Arcade Fire live at Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005-03-15. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1600, 293 KB) The Arcade Fire live at Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005-03-15. ... The Arcade Fire is an indie rock band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada comprising band members Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara. ... Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. ... The Go-Betweens during recording of Oceans Apart: l-r Robert Forster and Grant McLennan The Go-Betweens were an internationally influential indie rock band from Australia, formed by guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan in Brisbane in 1977. ... Dead Can Dance is a band comprising Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. ... For the C. S. Lewis novel, see The Silver Chair. ... The Vines are an Australian garage rock band notable for producing a raw musical hybrid of 60s rock and 90s alternative with the band being popularly promoted as The Beatles meets Nirvana. // The original version of the Vines met in suburban Sydney in the mid 1990s where Craig Nicholls, Patrick... The Big Day Out (BDO) is an annual music festival that tours Australia and New Zealand. ... Dunedin is a southern New Zealand University Town that spawned The Dunedin Sound. Similar in many ways to the traditional indie pop sound, the Dunedin Sound uses jingly jangly guitaring, minimal bass lines and loose drumming. ... Dunedin (Ōtepoti in Maori) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of Otago. ... Flying Nun Records is probably the most influential independent record label in New Zealand. ... The Bats are an influential New Zealand rock band formed in 1982 in Christchurch by Paul Kean (bass), Malcolm Grant (drums), Robert Scott (guitar, vocals) and Kaye Woodward (vocals, other instruments). ... Getting Cleaner. ... Taking a leaf out of the Beatles Help!, the Chills signal COLD in semaphore on the cover of their first studio album. ...

Mainstream alternative rock in Canada ranges from the humorous pop of Barenaked Ladies and Crash Test Dummies to the post-grunge of Our Lady Peace, Matthew Good Band and I Mother Earth. In recent years cities like Montreal and Toronto have become important centers of Canadian indie rock, home to Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Broken Social Scene, and numerous others. Barenaked Ladies (often abbreviated BNL or occasionally BnL) is a Canadian alternative rock band currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, and formerly Andy Creeggan. ... For the mannequins, see Crash test dummy. ... Our Lady Peace, abbreviated as OLP, is a Canadian alternative rock band consisting of Raine Maida (vocals), Duncan Coutts (bass), Jeremy Taggart (drums), and Steve Mazur (guitar). ... Matthew Good (born June 29, 1971, Burnaby, British Columbia) is a Canadian rock musician. ... I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadian alternative rock band consisting of Brian Byrne (vocals), Bruce Gordon (bass), Christian Tanna (drums), and Jagori Tanna (guitar). ... Nickname: City of Mary Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Québec Founded 1642 Established 1832  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1] [2]    - City 185. ... The Arcade Fire is an indie rock band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada comprising band members Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara. ... Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly punctuated Godspeed You Black Emperor!) is a Canadian post-rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. ... Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock supergroup formed in 1999 in Toronto, Ontario. ...

The Sugarcubes were one of the first internationally successful bands from Iceland. After the band's breakup, vocalist Björk embarked on a solo career that incorporated influences including trip hop, jazz, and electronica in addition to alternative rock. Icelandic indie rock bands include Múm and Sigur Rós. Continental Europe has produced numerous industrial rock bands like KMFDM. The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic rock-pop band formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. ... Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( ) (born November 21, 1965 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is a Brit Award-winning Icelandic singer/songwriter and composer (formerly the lead singer of alternative rock band The Sugarcubes). ... Trip hop (also known as the Bristol sound) is a term coined by United Kingdom dance magazine Mixmag, to describe a musical trend in the mid-1990s; trip hop is downtempo electronic music that grew out of Englands hip hop and house scenes. ... Electronica is a term that covers a wide range of electronic or electronic-influenced music. ... múm (pronounced moom; in IPA, /mu:m/) is an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional instruments. ... Sigur Rós ( ) is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical and minimalist elements. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Industrial rock is a musical genre which is a fusion of industrial music and rock music. ... KMFDM is an industrial rock band and the brainchild of founding member Sascha Konietzko. ...

Japan has an active noise rock scene characterized by groups such as Boredoms and Melt-Banana. Indie pop band Shonen Knife have been frequently cited as an influence by American alternative artists including Nirvana and Sonic Youth. Boredoms (ボアダムス) are an avant-garde rock band from Osaka, Japan formed in 1986, although some date the band to bedroom tape experiments beginning in 1982. ... Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that was founded in 1992 by friends attending Tokyo University for Foreign Language. ... The all-female band Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ, Shōnen Naifu; lit. ...

Argentina has a considerable number of Alternative bands, like El Otro Yo, Jaime sin Tierra, Bicicletas, Babasónicos, Peligrosos Gorriones and Los Brujos, for example. Most of these are still active, and all were born in the 1990's in the height of the so-called "Nuevo Rock Argentino" (New Argentine Rock). Though receiving generally good critics from the press, and some MTV rotation in the nineties, alternative bands in Argentina never were so popular. Babasónicos and El Otro Yo changed their music style so as to receive more popular attention; El Otro Yo had a growth in sales and fans, but still aren't considered "massive", while Babasónicos became one of the most popular bands in the country. However, other alternative bands are even today fighting for popularity. El Otro Yo is an Argentine alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s. ... Babasónicos is an Argentine modern rock band, formed in the early 1990s along with others such as Peligrosos Gorriones and Los Brujos. ... Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network headquartered in New York City. ...

Underground pop-influenced alternative rock went mainstream in the Philippines during the early to late 1990s. Alternative Philippine rock bands include Eraserheads, Yano, Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, Sugarfree, and the Itchyworms. Pinoy Rock, or Filipino Rock, is the brand of Rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. ... Named after the film Eraserhead, The Eraserheads were the most popular pop/rock band in the Philippines from their early start in the early 1990s to their disbanding in 2002. ... Yano was a folk/punk rock band in the Philippines. ... Parokya ni Edgar is a Filipino band that was formed in 1993 by a group of Ateneo high school students. ... Rivermaya is a Filipino pop/rock band formed in 1993. ... A sweetener is a food additive which adds the basic taste of sweetness to a food. ... Itchyworms Itchyworms is known as a humorous comical Filipino rock band. ...

Influences

• Punk rock
• Post punk
• New Wave
• Hardcore punk

Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Post-punk was a musical movement beginning at the end of the 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid 1970s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hardcore punk (usually referred to simply as hardcore) is a subgenre of punk rock which originated in the United States of America in the late 1970s. ...

Styles

Alternative dance (known primarily as indie dance in the United Kingdom) is a term used for the genre of music combining elements of dance-pop (or other forms of electronic dance music such as house or techno) and alternative rock genres such as indie pop. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of rock music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Baggy was a British music scene popular in the early 1990s. ... Britpop was a British alternative rock genre and movement that was at its most popular in Great Britain in the mid 1990s. ... The C86 Cassette Sleeve. ... Christian alternative music is a form of alternative rock music lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. ... In the USA, college rock was a term used to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... Dream pop is a type of alternative rock that originated in the early 1980s when bands like Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began twisting New Wave melodies into sonic, echoing textures and mumbled vocals. ... Dunedin is a southern New Zealand University Town that spawned The Dunedin Sound. Similar in many ways to the traditional indie pop sound, the Dunedin Sound uses jingly jangly guitaring, minimal bass lines and loose drumming. ... John Flansburgh and John Linnell, Geek Rock Icons Geek Rock (also known as nerd rock, but distinguishable from the hip hop genre Nerdcore) is a musical subgenre of alternative rock, although unlike many genres, the term is somewhat loosely applied as far as the style of music performed is concerned. ... Gothabilly is a portmanteau which refers to the fusion of rockabilly music and the Goth culture. ... Gothic rock (also called goth rock or goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. ... // Origins and development of the genre Grebo (occasionally spelled Greebo, although that has somewhat different connotations), was a minor UK subculture of the late eighties and early nineties largely based in the North. ... Grunge music (sometimes referred to as the Seattle Sound) is a genre of alternative rock inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Indietronica, also known as indie electronic, indielectronica, indietronic, indietronics and lap-pop, is a music genre that combines indie rock and shoegaze with elements of electronic music styles such as IDM and glitch. ... Industrial rock is a musical genre which is a fusion of industrial music and rock music. ... The term jam band is commonly used to describe psychedelic rock-influenced bands whose concerts largely consist of bands reinterpreting their songs as springboards into extended improvisational pieces of music. ... Jangle pop was an American musical genre that arose in the middle of the 1960s, combining angular, chiming guitars and power pop structures. ... Lo-fi is a subgenre of indie rock which uses lo-fi recording practices. ... An NME Originals issue covering the Madchester movement. ... Math rock is a style of rock music that emerged in the late 1980s. ... Noise pop is a term used to loosely describe a number of alternative rock bands that fuse punk rocks attitude and anger with the atonal noise, feedback, and free song structures of noise music, presented in a decidedly pop context. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Paisley Underground is a term used to describe a genre of rock music, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s. ... Post-grunge is a subgenre of American alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as an offshoot of the Seattle grunge movement. ... The term post-rock was coined by Simon Reynolds in issue 123 of The Wire (May 1994) to describe a sort of music using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbres and textures rather than riffs and powerchords. ... The post-punk revival is a movement in modern rock music consisting of Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Goth Rock, and Electronic bands that draw from the conventions of the original Post-Punk sound of the early 1980s, as well as the early 90s Britpop, 80s New Wave and... Psychobilly is a genre of music generally described as a mix between the punk rock of the 1970s and the American rockabilly of the 1950s. ... Riot grrrl (or riot grrl) is an indie-punk feminist movement that reached its height in the 1990s but continues to exert significant influence over alternative culture. ... Sadcore/Slowcore is a subgenre of alternative rock that developed from the downbeat melodies and slower tempos of late 1980s indie rock. ... Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a style of alternative rock that emerged in southern England in the late 1980s. ... For space rocks, see asteroid. ... This article is about the genre of music. ...

Additional music samples

Image File history File links BulletWithButterflyWings. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Bullet with Butterfly Wings is a popular song by The Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. ... Image File history File links Just. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Radiohead are an English rock band from Oxfordshire, initially formed by school friends in 1985. ... Image File history File links Sonic_Youth_Teenage_Riot. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... Sonic Youth is a seminal American alternative rock group formed in New York City in 1981. ... Image File history File links New_Order_-_Perfect_Kiss_excerpt. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ... The Perfect Kiss is a 1985 single by New Order. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ...

See also

Alternative music Portal

• Alternative hip hop
• List of alternative rock artists
• Timeline of alternative rock
• Indie (music)

Image File history File links Musical_note_nicu_bucule_01. ... Alternative hip hop is hip hop music that is artistically different from mainstream hip hop typified by pop rap and gangsta rap. ... This is a list of alternative rock artists. ... This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ...

Bibliography

• Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. Little Brown and Company, 2001. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
• Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "American Alternative Rock/Post-Punk". All Music Guide. Retrieved May 20, 2006.
• Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "British Alternative Rock". All Music Guide. Retrieved May 20, 2006.
• Harris, John. Britpop!: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock. Da Capo Press, 2004. ISBN 0-306-81367-X

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad (ISBN 0-316-78753-1). ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Footnotes and references

Diagram showing the geographical locations of selected languages and dialects of the British Isles. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... English language prevalence in the United States. ... The term underground music has been applied to several artistic movements, notably to the early psychedelic movement of the mid 60s centred in Los Angeles. ... Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 is a book by Michael Azerrad (ISBN 0-316-78753-1). ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

External links

• All Music Guide entry for alternative rock
• Alternative Rock News