Alternative Rock — 1980s Genre Guide

Alternative rock crystallised in the 1980s as the antidote to mainstream pop and metal. Discover its essential bands, songs and albums.

Alternative rock is the broader American cousin of British indie — a college-radio-driven movement that grew through the 1980s and exploded into the mainstream in the early 1990s. R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü and Dinosaur Jr. defined it.

Key artists

• Pixies — Boston's masters of dynamic contrast.
• Sonic Youth — New York no-wave-into-alt-rock pioneers.
• Dinosaur Jr. — Massive guitars, slacker vocals.
• Throwing Muses — First American band signed to 4AD.