What type of bands are alternative rock

On television, MTV would occasionally show alternative videos late at night during the s. In MTV in the United States began airing the late night alternative music program Minutes , which would serve as a major outlet of exposure for the genre prior to its commercial breakthrough in the s.

Although alternative artists of the s 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. The popular and commercial success of Nirvana 's album Nevermind took alternative rock into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability. 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. As many of the genre's key groups broke up or retreated from the limelight, alternative rock declined from mainstream prominence. 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 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.

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.

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. By the end of the decade, a number of alternative bands began to sign to major labels. Some bands like the Pixies had massive success overseas while being ignored domestically. 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.

This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia with only minor checks and changes see www. See also our Disclaimer. Guitar - Bass - Drums. Limited prior to the success of grunge and Britpop in the s. Bands - College radio - History - Indie music - Lollapalooza.

Alternative music became hugely popular with the college radio circuit and depended heavily on college students for music promotion on college radio. Alternative charts first made their presence in magazines and fanzines in the early '80s.

By , Billboard introduced "Alternative Songs," a charting system that featured purely alternative artists. Usage of the term alternative broadened considerably with the dawn of the '90s. Although, at first, the term "alternative" was intentionally used to refer to non-mainstream rock bands, over the years, it's paradoxically become a commercially marketable entity in mainstream. The music and lyrics in alternative genres are diverse.

Typically, the music comprises chiming riffs, power chords, fuzz tone buzz, drums, sequenced sounds, and the sound of feedback. Lyrically, songs in this genre stem from varied concepts. Some of the commonly addressed topics through lyrical themes include social concerns such as depression, drug use, environmentalism, addiction, and suicide.

The socio-economic strains people deal with in their everyday lives are reflected thoughtfully in the lyrics of certain songs. Different aspects associated with love, hate, breakup, anger, betrayal, and conflict have been brought to life through confessional lyrics by alternative bands. A number of bands in this decade were featured on independent record labels. While alternative rock bands built a cult following in the underground music movement, many bands failed to land recording contracts with major record labels.

While a number of alternative bands in this decade remained unsigned, these bands came up with innovative ways to promote their music. A number of alternative bands would fund their own albums from money they would make from touring and playing underground gigs. Many alternative rock bands earned an epic status from word-of-mouth publicity, airplay at college radio stations, and reviews in fanzines. The majority of bands sold their low-budget albums at small music concerts and underground gigs at clubs.

The commercial viability of the genre grew significantly with the popularity of grunge. A number of alternative rock bands had breakthrough success in this decade. Music television channels, MTV, in particular, showcased alternative bands in a new light. Furthermore, commercial radio stations started playing singles of alternative rock bands, thereby helping this form of music reach a wider audience. Many alternative bands signed recording contracts with major record labels. The Britpop scene, emo scene, and indie rock scene that flourished through stylistic origins of alternative rock evolved significantly in the later decades.

Since the year , a number of bands in the alternative rock genre have evolved with diverse post-punk and new wave influences. Many new alternative rock bands with distinctive pop-rock and indie sensibilities have had mainstream success with their albums.

Post, a number of alternative bands are fusing diverse styles of indie, punk, hip-hop, emo, hard rock, and electronic in their music. A number of emerging alternative acts are promoting their music in a big way on video streaming channels. YouTube, in particular, has paved new beginnings for unsigned alternative bands. While there has been severe criticism of stylistic origins and formats of alternative rock changing their relevance in favor of mainstream success, the core elements that define the movement remain true to its roots.

Learning to Play.