Alternative Rock

In the 1980s, underground, college-scene rock gave birth to a new kind of rock ‘n’ roll, and by the 1990s, alternative rock (read:” alt-rock”) began hitting the mainstream airwaves with a little more emotion (read: “emo”) than bands like Bon Jovi and Aerosmith were providing. Rock got whinier and weirder (read: “grunge”), and we’re all better for it because there’s still every other kind of rock music for those more confident and anthemic moments in life. Like commercial rock—and much of it today is commercial—alt-rock is often guitar-driven with pop sensibilities, though its early pioneers might argue they had more of a post-punk, garage influence. Count on an alt-rocker to tell you how they really feel. This ain’t your grandfather’s rock ‘n’ roll—unless your grandfather is Gen X or younger?