The international underground music scene received much attention during the 1990s. It was the result of new divergent genres becoming a part of alternative music. The first half of the 90s showed anti-pop tendencies but sounded quite romantic. Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit had massive and unexpected success.
This prompted the major record labels to consider the commercial potential of alternative music bands. In the United States, there was a great demand for anguished, raging, humane, and youthful perspectives. Grunge had reached its peak as a dominant new wave and was gradually making its presence felt international. Britain, on the other hand, had problems with alternative music and American grunge. They didn’t last long in the country.
With the fallout of the ‘Madchester scene,’ the British bands saw opportunities for evolution in terms of sound. Indie bands offered an alternative to grunge. Global demand for sub-cultural material came in waves. This led to the evolution of many alternative bands. Here we’ll talk more about the three best alternative music bands from the 1990s:
1. Nirvana
This alternative music band was the face of the grunge phenomenon. With a non-virtuoso approach of sorts to rock, they reinvented the alternative sound. After this band, nothing was the same again. The band was armed with anger-fueled, raw, and organic sound. Lyrics in their songs were personal, dramatically anguished, political, and self-loathing.
Kurt Cobain, the band’s frontman, spoke to the audience like nobody else. The unique sound of this band became known far and wide at the beginning of the decade. This happened mostly due to the entry of Dave Grohl as their new drummer. Gradually, they transitioned into a more distinctive music band.
Nirvana mixed emotions using a simplistic approach. They struck a chord with their anti-pop qualities. Most of their tracks are characterized by distorted guitars, catchy bass lines, banging snares, and raging vocals.
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers offered something different to the audience in terms of sound. They are among the most versatile alternative bands. With their ever-evolving and flavour nature, they took the world entirely by surprise. The band had the unmissable basslines by Flea and the touching and hypnotic solos by John Frusciante.
Then there were the thumping drums of Chad Smith and the iconic flowing vocals of Anthony Kiedis. Red Hot Chili Peppers left a significant influence on the alternative music scene of the 1990s. One of their best aspects is that they were never committed to a single style.
3. Pearl Jam
This band is one of the biggest bands in the Rock ‘n’ Roll genre. Pearl Jam enjoyed massive popularity in the 1990s. They had inter-playing guitars as a core of their sublime numbers. Some transcending chords were brilliantly placed by the delivery of Stone Gossard. They blended well with Mike McGready’s finely crafted lead.
Every musical element of Pearl Jam builds up into a fiery ring of mysticism. The course of every tune was heightened with the wide-ranged vocals of Vedder. Stephen Thomas, an editor with AllMusic had greatly praised the band. He described them as the most popular American bands in the rock ‘n’ roll genre from the 1990s.
