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May 1, 2024 · Most divisive: Coldplay. Over 20.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 200+ Best Alternative Rock Bands & Artists, Ranked. 1. Pink Floyd. 2,052 votes.
- The Top Alt Rock Artists
- 10 Best Alternative Rock Bands
- What Is Alternative Rock?
- #11—20
- Usage of The Term "Alternative" in Music
- #21—30
- Characteristics of Alternative Genres
- #31—40
- Alternative Music in The ‘80s
- #41—50
The alternative rock scene emerged through the independent underground music movement of the ‘70s. The genre gained popularity in the ‘80s and since has become one of the most popular music forms encompassing DIY ethos. A number of bands and artists with eclectic music styles have emerged through the ranks of alternative culture. Although alternate...
R.E.M.NirvanaRadioheadRed Hot Chili PeppersA category of rock music, alternative rock is a musical style that incorporates distinctly different styles and cultural norms in terms of sound, regional roots, and social context. Over the years, the term "alternative" has been used as an umbrella term to describe artists and bands from the independent, underground, or non-commercial music scene....
11. Pixies 12. Foo Fighters 13. The Sugarcubes 14. Mudhoney 15. Dinosaur Jr. 16. Husker Du 17. Muse 18. Pavement 19. Jane’s Addiction 20. Siouxsie and the Banshees
The term "alternative rock" started being used commonly in the '90s. However, in the '80s, alternative music forms were identified with different sorts of music that included new wave, jangle pop, post-punk, and college rock. Alternative music became hugely popular with the college radio circuit and depended heavily on college students for music pr...
21. The Replacements 22. Blur 23. 10,000 Maniacs 24. They Might Be Giants 25. Superchunk 26. The Dream Syndicate 27. Skunk Anansie 28. Keane 29. The Smiths 30. My Bloody Valentine
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, dru...
31. Violent Femmes 32. The Cure 33. Soundgarden 34. Thirty Seconds to Mars 35. Jimmy Eat World 36. The Killers 37. Collective Soul 38. No Doubt 39. Linkin Park 40. Fugazi
Although alternative rock emerged big in the ‘80s, it remained an underground phenomenon. 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 altern...
41. The Stone Roses 42. Suede 43. Green Day 44. The White Stripes 45. Rage Against the Machine 46. Incubus 47. Dashboard Confessional 48. My Chemical Romance 49. The Strokes 50. Camper Van Beethoven
People also ask
What are the most popular alternative rock bands?
What is alternative rock music?
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How did alternative music become popular?
- Nirvana. The first band on our list is perhaps the most influential alt-rock band of all time, Nirvana. The year 1987 witnessed the birth of this band.
- R.E.M. Our next alt-rock band is R.E.M., one of the flagship groups of the alternative rock movement. Founded in 1980 and remaining active for 31 years, R.E.M.
- U2. The next group on our list, U2, might come as a surprise. After all, it was founded in the ’70s and might be considered a more mainstream rock band.
- Cage The Elephant. With Cage the Elephant, we take a jump into the alt-rock history of the twenty-first century. The band was formed in 2006 and found enormous success with their self-titled debut album.
- Arctic Monkeys. Trip hop, Dance-punk, Garage rock. 162 votes. Arctic Monkeys, an English rock band, was formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group initially consisted of four members: Alex Turner (lead vocals and guitar), Jamie Cook (guitar), Andy Nicholson (bass), and Matt Helders (drums).
- Cage the Elephant. Punk blues, Garage rock, Garage punk. 166 votes. Cage the Elephant is an American rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky, that formed in 2006.
- Muse. Alternative Rock, Electronica. 133 votes. Muse, a renowned alternative rock band, hails from Teignmouth, Devon in the United Kingdom. Consisting of Matthew Bellamy as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter, Christopher Wolstenholme on bass and backing vocals, and Dominic Howard on drums, Muse was formed in 1994.
- Foo Fighters. Alternative rock, Post-grunge, Hard rock. 113 votes. Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. The band was founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of Nirvana after the suicide of Kurt Cobain.
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge , shoegaze , and Britpop subgenres in the United States and United Kingdom ...
Ranking is based on an artist's chart performance on the Hot Alternative Songs, Top Alternative Albums and Boxscore touring revenue.
