Alternative rock is a type of genre of rock music that was introduced in the 1980’s. In the 1990s it became more popular. Its name was devised to describe punk-rock bands on record labels that didn’t fit in into the popular genres that were happening during the 1980’s. Alternative rock consists of different subgenres that came from the indie music scene during that time. For example grunge, indie rock, gothic rock, and indie pop. These genres are connected by their collective debt to the style of punk, which laid the work for alternative music in the 1970’s. Even though is it consider to be rock, many of its subgenres are influenced by reggae, folk music, jazz and other genres.
Alternative rock wasn’t always called alternative rock. In the 1980’s it was often called “College Rock” because it was linked to the college radio circuit and because college students liked it. In the United Kingdom it was “indie”. Finally in the 1990’s it was called alternative rock. It was an extension of “new music” and “post modern” phrases. Alternative now encompasses punk rock, new wave, post-punk, “college” rock, “indie” rock, and sometimes pop music.
Most bands combined punk influences with folk music and mainstream music. Many bands then started to get recognition for their music as alternative rock, such as Green Day, Nirvana, R.E.M, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and etc. Not only did alternative rock became famous but gothic rock, post-punk, underground, indie and other types of rock music. The band that made shambling guitars and clever wordplay famous was thanks to The Smiths. Not only the United Kingdom and the United States made rock famous but Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Argentina and Canada has also come out with great bands know to this day.
Rock Music 