Alternative (music)

Alternative rock
Stylistic origins	Punk rock post-punk new wave hardcore punk
Cultural origins	Late 1970s to early 1980s, United Kingdom and United States
Typical instruments	Vocals guitar bass drums
Derivative forms	Alternative country alternative hip hop big beat trip hop
Subgenres
Britpop Christian alternative rock college rock dream pop emo geek rock grunge indie rock math rock neo-psychedelia noise pop nu gaze post-Britpop post-grunge post-punk revival riot grrrl shoegazing
Fusion genres
Alternative dance alternative metal alternative R&B grebo
Local scenes
Athens, Georgia New York Illinois Los Angeles Manchester, England Massachusetts Minneapolis Portland, Oregon Seattle, Washington Ireland
Other topics
Campus radio gothic rock history independent music indie music scene indie pop industrial rock Lollapalooza noise rock pop punk post-hardcore post-rock

Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word "alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream rock music. The term's original meaning was broader, referring to a generation of musicians unified by their collective debt to either the musical style or simply the independent, DIY ethos of punk rock, which in the late 1970s laid the groundwork for alternative music. At times, "alternative" has been used as a catch-all description for music from underground rock artists that receives mainstream recognition, or for any music, whether rock or not, that is seen to be descended from punk rock (including some examples of punk itself, as well as new wave, and post-punk).

Alternative rock is a broad umbrella term consisting of music that differs greatly in terms of its sound, social context and regional roots. By the end of the 1980s, magazines and zines, college radio airplay, and word of mouth had increased the prominence and highlighted the diversity of alternative rock, helping to define a number of distinct styles (and music scenes) such as noise pop, indie rock, grunge, and shoegaze. Most of these subgenres had achieved minor mainstream notice and a few bands representing them, such as Hüsker Dü and R.E.M., had even signed to major labels. But most alternative bands' commercial success was limited in comparison to other genres of rock and pop music at the time, and most acts remained signed to independent labels and received relatively little attention from mainstream radio, television, or newspapers. With the breakthrough of Nirvana and the popularity of the grunge and Britpop movements in the 1990s, alternative rock entered the musical mainstream and many alternative bands became successful.

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