Alternative Rock is generally used as an umbrella term for rock music that distinguishes itself from the mainstream. The term first came into usage in the 1980s to describe more underground punk and post-punk music, but it became much more widespread in the early ‘90s, being used to describe the shoegaze and grunge scenes of the time, with groups like Nirvana and R.E.M. bringing the name into the commercial spotlight.

Since then, the term has been used around Britpop, post-grunge and indie rock.

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Artists:

1980s:

• R.E.M.
• Violent Femmes
• The Smiths
• The Cure

1990s:

• Nirvana
• Alanis Morissette
• Pavement
• Radiohead

2000s:

• Coldplay
• Paramore
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Muse

2010s:

• Thirty Seconds to Mars
• Twenty-one-pilots