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- Pink Floyd. 1,992 votes. Pink Floyd, often regarded as one of the pioneers of alternative rock, captivated audiences with their transcendent blend of progressive rock, space-rock, and psychedelia in a time when music was craving a change.
- David Bowie. 2,171 votes. David Bowie, the genre-bending Starman, consistently redefined the boundaries of alternative rock with his chameleonic approach to music throughout his illustrious career.
- Nirvana. 6,734 votes. Nirvana's impact on the alternative rock scene is nothing short of revolutionary. Kurt Cobain's raw, angst-filled lyrics, coupled with the band's powerful and gritty sound, became the defining voice of the grunge movement that swept through the 1990s.
- The Cure. 3,397 votes. The Cure, led by enigmatic frontman Robert Smith, have been shaping the course of alternative music since their formation in the late 1970s with a unique blend of post-punk, new wave, and goth rock.
Apr 23, 2023 · 1. Pixies. If you ask any fan of alternative music who the best alternative band of all-time is, personal opinions aside, the answer more often than not will be The Pixies. The Boston quartet released two of the best rock albums of the 80’s Surfer Rosa and Doolittle right in a row kicking off the golden age of 90’s alternative rock.
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- Nirvana
- Sonic Youth
- Radiohead
- My Chemical Romance
- Talking Heads
- The Sugarcubes
- The Cure
- Joy Division
- Tool
- The Clash
Nirvana was formed by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic in 1987 in the suburbs of Washington. They had multiple drummers, including Chad Channing and Dave Grohl. They were the first alternative rock band to bring the subgenre “grunge” to the mainstream. Nirvana seamlessly blended pop melodies and punk aesthetics, leading the 90s into a new style and ...
After forming in New York City in 1981, Sonic Youth emerged from the experimental music scene before creating traditional alternative rock. The band formed with Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, and later Steve Shelley. Sonic Youth has been known for their unique and unorthodox use of guitar tunings and using items like screwdrivers and drum...
Radiohead is an English band formed in 1985 including Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, and Philip Selway. Through their album “OK Computer,” they created an album with unusual and complex production while writing about alienation in the modern day. The band found its way into US charts through their single “Creep,” after co...
From Newark, New Jersey, My Chemical Romance would form in 2001 with band members Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Mikey Way. The band is most known for their goth aesthetic, and their loud and quiet dynamics. They are considered one of the most influential bands in the modern punk and emo scene. Until 2019, the band was on hiatus but they hav...
At the forefront of the avant-garde and rhythm experimentation, are Talking Heads. They formed in 1975 in New York City with David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison. The short-lived band would go on to create four albums in under four years. Talking Heads created hits like “Psycho Killer,” “Burning Down The House,” and “Once In...
The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic band that was active from 1986 to 1992. The band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir, Þór Eldon, Einar, Örn Benediktsson, Margrét Örnólfsdóttir, Bragi Ólafsson, and Sigtryggur Baldursson. The band was at the forefront of the punk scene in London and in Iceland. Their single “Birthday,” received international success w...
The Cure is an English band that formed in 1978. The band included various band members, with Robert Smith being the only consistent and constant member. The Cure is known for their goth aesthetic with pop melodies and rhythms. The Cure found commercial success after their singles such as “Close to Me,” “Just Like Heaven,” and “Friday I’m in Love.”...
Though short-lived, Joy Division was an English rock band that became influential to most musicians in the modern day. The band consisted of Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris. Early recordings of the band were influenced by punk rock music but they soon developed their distinctive sound that could be heard in their hit song...
Tool is a Los Angeles band that started in 1990 with Maynard James Keenan, Adam Jones, and Danny Carey. The band originally started with Paul D’Amour on the bass but was later replaced in 1995 by Justin Chancellor. Tool’s incorporation of visual arts and very long albums would go on to influence other artists in the industry. The band incorporates ...
The Clash was an English band that formed in 1976 in London. The band started with Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Nicky Headon. They have been seen as “The Only Band That Matters,” and have contributed to the subgenres of post-punk, new wave, and punk. The Clash’s music includes tones and rhythms from reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockab...
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- The Cure. Gothic rock legends The Cure took a cerebral, arresting vision and committed to it with an awe-inspiring sense of verve. They weaved dark romanticism with occult themes and off-kilter surrealism, without an ounce of restraint nor an ounce of repentance.
- Nirvana. Nirvana had such a strength of vision and incisive maturity that its impact was akin to that of a ten-mile asteroid on the cultural and social landscape of the early 90s.
- Alice in Chains. Alice in Chains had a gloomy, mournful philosophy that was jarring in its candor, but generous in its impact. Their melodies can be excruciating in their emotive pull, pricing buried feelings and hidden sorrows and laying them bare.
- Pearl Jam. Seattle folk-grunge legends Pearl Jam owe a lot to lead Eddie Vedder’s baleful, raspy voice – a voice that lent a confronting, shimmering profundity to every word, every chord.
May 9, 2023 · The albums on this list have all stood the test of time and each have a unique legacy built around them. Although ranking these albums was no easy task (yet a very fun task), our criteria includes albums that are considered alternative rock, college-rock, new wave, post-punk, shoegaze, jangle-pop or indie.
Dec 28, 2023 · 1. Radiohead. It’s hard to argue against Radiohead as the greatest alt band in history. They have made waves critically and commercially since the 1990s, and the band has revamped its style with nearly every new album they produced.
Jan 23, 2020 · There are many sub-categories of Alternative Music including grunge, indie rock, indie pop, Britpop, shoegaze, electronica, dreampop, alt-country, alt-hip hop and college rock, to name a few. Below is my list of the top 100 alternative bands of all-time.
