Alternative Rock And Roll History

Introduction The 1950’s saw the birth of rock and roll. Ever since then, rock has not only survived, but thrived. Artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry paved the way for The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, and many others in the 1960s and 1970s. In turn, they made way for the new metal, punk, and grunge artists of the 1980s and 1990s. 1950s jazz, blues, and R&B have served as the basis for eighties and nineties R&B, hip hop, and rap. Pop has continued to develop with the changing minds and attitudes of Americans, and electronic music has been completely remade. Some music genres like heavy metal, alternative rock, and punk rock represent prosperity of the decades through lyrics promoting rebellion and change, while other genres like …show more content…
During the 80s, alternative rock was not very popular with the typical American; it was more popular with teenagers and college students on campuses and in the underground music scene (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). Interestingly, grunge rock also helped to create the later success of alternative rock in the 90s (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). The Cure (see image #10), a popular alternative rock band, is known for “Love Song” which has the same qualities of rock, however it is not as harsh and the lyrics are more sentimental (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). Other popular bands at the time include the Smiths, Depeche Mode, New Order, and Nirvana (see image #11), who would later become extremely popular (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). After it’s growing popularity in the 80s, it became mainstream in the 90s (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). The main band credited with making it mainstream is Nirvana (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). Nirvana is best known for the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which uses a popular guitar riff and encompasses the raw emotion in the song with the message about teenage freedom (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). More bands became popular and alternative rock encompassed a wide variety of bands like Green Day, who like Nirvana, used raw emotion and had rebellious lyrics that connected with the audience (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). Some others include Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Alice in Chains (The history of alternative rock music, n.d.). Bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Muse