Adult Alternative

Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats.

The format has a broader, more diverse playlist than most other formats. Musical selection tends to be on the fringe of mainstream pop and rock as well as many other music genres such as indie rock, pop rock, alternative rock, alternative country, jazz, folk, world music and blues. The musical selections tend to avoid hard rock and rap music. Some Triple-A stations bill themselves under brandings/slogans such as "World Class Rock", "Quality Rock", or "Eclectic." Music selection also includes tracks from albums that are not singles, which leads to the enhanced and larger playlist. Some AAA outlets focus more on classic rock artists, folk and blues while others focus on more contemporary artists and modern/indie rock.

AAA artists take influence from post-new wave British bands such as The Smiths and The Cure, anthemic post-punk inspired sounds of U2, acoustic alternative folk rock (Indigo Girls, Jeff Buckley, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow), and alternative rock (Counting Crows, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Dave Matthews Band, Joon Wolfsberg). The music played has gained significant exposure for artists who are considered more "organic" and songwriting oriented than traditional Top 40 or pop artists.

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