"Alternative" rock, eh?

[Guest NoCalMike]

I saw a documentary about the "alternative rock" movement, and to me I just had a good laugh, and bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, STP, etc......(which I happen to like, don't get me wrong)

 

If those bands are the "alternative" than what in the hell is mainstream?  It seems that the bands have the right intentions by saying they want to bring forth new, different music to the fans, but they are multi-million record selling bands, so I don't know exactly how they represent an alternative.  It seems they just wanted to label themselves something different to dupe teenagers into thinking they were special or something.   What about Death/Black/Grindcore/Power/Punk....I think those genres among others are the actual alternative "rock"

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

It's not the bands who labelled themselves "alternative", it was the media.  I can't recall any of the bands stating "We're alternative rock" in anything other than a sarcastic tone.

[Guest]

The "alternative" label was first applied due to when the aforementioned bands were becoming popular, they were truly an alternative to what had been, up until that point, mainstream music.

 

Of course, like all media-invented labels, it overstayed its welcome, and what was once "alternative" is now mainstream. I wasn't aware that anyone outside of the most narrow-minded idiots still used the term to describe certain types of music, though. After all, most record stores no longer have an alternative section.

[Guest swan]

I consider bands like Creed, Linkin Park, and others alternative. An alternative to good music that is.

[Guest LooseCannon]

Dude, not trying to be a dick here, but people were pointing out the irony all the way back in 1996.  You know, back when those bands were still mega-popular.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

I use "alternative" only to describe a band whose sound uses too many genres/sub-genres of styles. Example: Korn.

 

I can easily call Korn alternative, because it's easier than calling them "whiny rap/grunge influenced nu-metal hard rock," which is what they are.

 

Yeah, it started as a way for bands to describe themselves (read: record execs to describe newly signed bands) as something "cool" and "hep": a different choice. But, hey...they became arena rock stars.

[Guest swan]

Dude, not trying to be a dick here, but people were pointing out the irony all the way back in 1996.  You know, back when those bands were still mega-popular.

Well dude (haven't heard that since 96 myself) I was just giving a little description on what 'alternative" means to me. Shitty music.

[Guest LooseCannon]

Duuuuuuude.  I wasn't really specifically talking to you, but point taken.

[Guest redbaron51]

Dude just chill out m'kay.

 

*flashback to Dude Where's My Car*

[Guest Madmartigan21]

It's not the bands who labelled themselves "alternative", it was the media.  I can't recall any of the bands stating "We're alternative rock" in anything other than a sarcastic tone.

Billy Corrigan often refers to it as "Alt Rock" and alternative rock in a totally serious manner.  But then again, he's a totally pretentious tool.

[Guest mesepher]

Axl Rose was rambling on about "alternative rock" on the Rock in Rio concert... all I remember is that he said "alternative rock? is that anything like an alternative lifestyle?"

 

haha

[Guest Invader3k]

"alternative rock" was really just a convenient term that is still used today, mostly in college radio to describe stuff that doesn't get played on mainstream radio.

[Guest DrainYou42]

In simple term's, "Altenative" was given to bands who didn't fit the current trends of music in the 80's (hairspary,spandex,metal-pop songs) and everything else that came out of the hair metal scene. The first alternative bands were groups like Husker Du and Jane's Addiction, the term was later used as an expansion on the "Grunge" explosion in the early nineties, and alternative music pretty much died off my 1996.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

Alternative rock was alternative to mainstream at one time! Back in the day, some bands were piddling around under the alternative label who actually were alternative (Nirvana) but when Nirvana gt big Alternaive got popular so a bunch of non-alternative bands just jumped on the bandwagon and alternative turned into mainstream with all the good bands under the label. Hell, how could a genre boasting Nirvana, AIC, RHCP, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and STP not go mainstream?