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.

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They’ve produced some globally successful songs. Some of these musicians are also infamous for their weird behaviour off-stage as well as on stage. Let’s take a look at some of the weird acts of the famous rock musicians:

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers

You’ll be delighted to see them playing alternative rock numbers. They seem grown adults with families, but these guys did some of the craziest things. Among the most memorable ones was their Kit Kat Club concert, which dates back to 1993. The band members performed naked with just a sock to cover their private parts. 

It soon became their speciality and they kept performing in this manner for decades. They finally grew up later, but couldn’t get rid of the footage that keeps circulating online.

2. Keith Richards

Stories involving drugs and groupies are some of the crazy things associated with members of The Rolling Stones. It is Keith Richards who has done the most insane things. Of course, there are some unbelievable stories revolving around Mick Jagger as well. Now, you certainly won’t believe this one. Keith had once admitted that he deliberately snorted and smoked his own father’s ashes! 

Nobody knows what was his intention behind the act. Some say it was for gaining some extra years of life. Well, we can’t say for sure. However, the fact remains that he is still alive and kicking despite such acts.

3. Iggy Pop

No one can forget this iconic ‘Lizard Man’. It would be hard for many not to imagine him shirtless. He is credited for being the inventor of stage dives. Iggy was also known as a provoker besides being a crazy punk rocker. One of his famous stage antics involved slashing himself on stage. He did this while he was rolling around crazily on stage. 

Once he crossed the line when he insulted a crew of bikers that attended his show. As a result, he got punched in the face and was beaten up badly. It was one more lesson learned for Iggy. He returned to the stage to continue singing and finish the set.

4. Motley Crue

Nikki Sixx’s death trip inspired the band’s infamous track Kickstart my Heart. In 1987, Nikki took in so much heroin that he overdosed. While on the way to the hospital in the ambulance, he was declared dead for two minutes. He was given two shots of adrenaline and revived by two paramedics. 

Instead of taking a rest, Nikki escaped from the ambulance. He also found a ride back home, took in more heroin, and passed out once again. Only a few rock stars can challenge him when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

5. Alice Cooper

Thanks to a variety of stage antics, Alice Cooper has made a name for himself. The most famous incident involving him is the chicken incident. It is said that a fan threw a chicken on stage. Cooper took it and threw it back to the audience. 

Some members of the audience tore the poor chicken to pieces and threw the parts on stage. According to the bassist Dennis Dunaway, the incident wasn’t planned. He also said that none of the band members ever killed animals.

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Alternative music can be considered an umbrella term. It is something that involves many styles, such as indie rock, grunge, emo, and a few others. With the success of alternative rock, many record labels and music producers began chasing this genre. They were all eager to get a new Alanis Morissette or Nirvana. All they wanted was someone who could create an anthem that could define an entire generation. 

Alternative music rests on no one particular sound. Here we’ve delved into the portfolios of many bands that came up with some brilliant works in the 1980s. This did all the groundwork for the breakout of the 1990s. Now, let’s go through some of the top songs of the 1990s from the underground artists:

1. Concrete Blonde – Joey (1990)

Joey sounds more like a song from the 1980s. The sounds of gothic guitar and booming drums are apparent in this hit solo. Johnette Napolitano, the frontwoman of Concrete Blonde wrote the lyrics. The lines tell the story of a romantic partner and the battle with alcoholism. Although Joey is a catchy song, its core has these dark elements to it.

2. Blind Melon – No Rain (1992)

It would be quite difficult to separate No Rain from its music video. The visuals depict a young girl who appears in a homemade bee costume and is shown tap-dancing. You’ll be reminded of the time before alternative radio while listening to this song. It is mostly due to its sun-dappled and psychedelic production. 

The rest is due to the cracked and strained vocals of the singer, Shannon Hoon. Moreover, the voice of Hoon makes No Rain seem like an impacting song of depression.

3. Beastie Boys – Sabotage (1994)

With Sabotage, Beastie Boys seem to return to their punk roots. On the rock and rap radio, the blast of rage and noise would be truly exciting. The song offered solid proof of the band’s restless musical curiosity. It also conveyed the willingness of Beastie Boys to shake up their sound.

4. The Cardigans – Lovefool (1996)

This song had the honor of being featured in Baz Luhrmann’s film ‘Romeo + Juliet. Released in mid-1996, it was the album’s lead single. It was first released in Sweden and had a re-release in 1997. After the re-release, it became a big success globally. The song found its spot at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It also achieved moderate success on other charts across Europe.

5. Air – La femme d’argent (1998)

This track is truly a pleasure trip through the cosmos in seven minutes. It feels so soothing on the ears that you’ll certainly feel refreshed. La femme d’argent seems Glassy and downtempo. Air is a music duo from France and they created electronic music that was designed for lounging. This was in sharp contrast with Daft Punk, yet another electronic music duo from France.

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You can know more about some popular online slots based on varying themes on the casino review websites. Besides giving you the latest updates on the best online slot games, they also have excellent resources on responsible gambling. One such website is Casinos Jungle. To know more about this site, visit www.casinosjungle.com.

Now, let’s explore some of the best online slot games that are themed on music:

1. Michael Jackson King of Pop

Michael Jackson is among the biggest pop stars the world has ever known. He has a massive fan following across the globe. It was quite obvious that an online slot game based on this superstar would be a huge success. With this game release from Bally, you get to enjoy all the hits of Michael Jackson. This makes spinning the reels a thrilling experience.

There are multiple bonus features in this game, which gives you an exciting gaming experience. You can expect Moonwalk Wilds and Stacked Wilds while playing this online slot. Besides, there are features like the wheel bonus that allows you to win cash prizes. You’ll also find some fantastic free spins like Beat It and Smooth Criminal.

2. DJ Wild

If you’re a fan of electronic music, you’ll enjoy this neon-inspired online slot game from ELK Studios. It creates a rocking atmosphere with flashing lights and DJ tools that appear behind the decks. Among them are mixing desks and headphones. The soundtrack of this game sets the mood for a wonderful gaming session. 

However, it’s the options in betting strategy that truly steals the show. The options you can choose include Booster, Leveller, Jumper, and Optimiser. Depending on the previous spin, the in-game actions played out by each of them is different. While playing the game, you can expect Re-Spins, Expanding Wilds, and a fixed jackpot bonus as well.

3. Kiss – Shout it out loud!

This online slot game is dedicated to the American rock band Kiss. It comes from WMS Gaming and has 100 paylines. The game comes with a unique setup, which includes symbols of the popular Kiss rock stars. They create several winning paylines instantly when they fall into the right place. 

Kiss – Shout it loud! also has several other features. They include Free Spins and Stacked Wilds. You’ll get a little bit of everything in this online slot game and a lot of rock as well.

4. Karaoke Party

Let’s move away from popular music to some karaoke now. You’ll be reminded of a karaoke booth by playing this online slot. Karaoke Party is a colourful and fun-filled online slot game. It offers music and entertainment in equal measures. This amazing online slot game comes from Microgaming, so be assured of the quality. It includes all the standard bonus features and the free spins, of course.

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This genre of music falls somewhere between pop and garage rock. It maintains a defiant streak though it is approachable. Some of the biggest labels think that it’s not suitable for the top of the charts. This is the reason why it’s often difficult to pick the best indie albums. It should probably contain hundreds of albums, but we’ve reduced it to 8 here:

1. Apologies to the Queen Mary by Wolf Parade

This was a near-perfect debut from the Montreal-based band Wolf Parade. You’ll not come across a single dull track in this album. The backstory behind the naming of this album is quite interesting. It is based on an incident involving the band and an ocean liner called Queen Mary.

2. Transatlantacism by Death Cab for Cutie

Transatlantacism is characterized by catchy choruses, clever lyrics, epic slow-builds, and moody interludes. It has almost all the traits of an appealing indie rock album. The tracks would certainly tickle your senses. The start would be slow, but it gets exciting as it progresses further. Along the way, you’ll experience changes in acts, scenes, and moods.

3. The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse

Cowboy Dan, Out of Gas, and Trailer Trash are some of the best song sequences in this album. Through these tracks, the band reminds their listeners that indie rock needs to have an edge to it. Released in the year 1997, this is one of Modest Mouse’s outstanding albums.

4. Bon Iver by Bon Iver

In 2012, Bon Iver was given the Grammy Award for their album named after the band. The album Bon Iver had won this award for the Best Alternative Music Album. Justin Vernon, the band’s frontman typically operates under the alternative genre described as ‘indie-folk. 

However, the band’s award-winning album was more of indie rock than anything else. The tracks of this album are very atmospheric and perfect for a pleasant road trip.

5. Everything All the Time by Band of Horses

With some anthemic singles such as Funeral, this album by Band of Horses is truly college radio-friendly. Everything All the Time is a feel-good album right from the beginning until the end. This was the debut album of the band and is the only one to feature their original band members.

6. Let It Die by Feist

This is the second album by the Canadian singer, Feist. Released in the year 2004, it was considered one of the best Canadian pop albums of the year. Let It Die was nominated for three Juno Awards in the following year. The tracks of this album contain elements of bossa nova, folk, and indie rock.

7. Funeral by Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire nearly set the bar too high with this album, which was their first release. It contains some fabulous tracks, such as Wake Up and Neighborhood #2. This debut album of the Canadian indie rock band is truly powerful. It stands testimony to their ability to weave might with finesse and grace.

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However, alternative rock got a considerable amount of coverage on radio. It received much attention with the success of certain bands in the genre, such as Nirvana and Green Day. Some of the other alternative music bands that cracked the pop charts initially were Nine Inch Nails and Beck. 

They ended up signing to major labels, marking the entry of this genre into the mainstream. The fact remains that alternative music has not received the kind of attention it deserves in the media. Nevertheless, alternative rock has remained active in the pop music scene.

A brief history of alternative rock

At its inception, alternative rock was mostly centred around the local music scenes. In greater Boston, this genre belonged to bands such as Pixies, Blake Babies, The Lemonheads, and Dinosaur Jr. The Replacements and Husker Du were the bands born in Minneapolis. Chicago was home to Liz Phair and The Smashing Pumpkins. Sonic Youth and Pavement rose to prominence in New York City. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aimee Mann, Rage Against the Machine, and Weezer were based in Los Angeles. Certain post-punk icons like Shudder To Think and Fugazi was born in Washington DC. The hotspot of alternative rock was Seattle. In the midst of all this, a new music style called ‘grunge’ by its critics was gradually on the rise. 

Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains enjoyed commercial success and got major contracts. These bands were mostly influenced by classic rock bands from the 1970s such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. These classic rock bands had enjoyed mainstream success during their time. 

Over a period of time, Nirvana became the most celebrated band of Seattle. They evolved into one of the grunge icons, releasing their first album in 1988. With the debut of Nevermind in 1991, Nirvana made a big impact. The group disbanded after the death of their frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994. With this, the spotlight on alternative rock shifted somewhere else. 

In the following years of the 1990s, alternative rock expanded even more. Despite a large-scale success, this genre was eventually limited to local music scenes. Today, the genre includes everything from British pop and proto-blues to experimentation. 

Characteristics of alternative rock

This genre of music covers a broad variety of moods and styles. Violent Femmes, The Cure, Modest Mouse, and The Strokes don’t sound the same. Yet, they belong to the alternative music genre. The sub-genre of alternative music seems driven by guitars just like rock music. The guitars are accompanied by bass and drums. 

Keyboards were rarely used in the alternative music scene of the 1990s. Later, they found their way into several alternative bands of the 20th century. Some of the stars of alternative music such as Bob Mould and Sonic Youth enjoyed great popularity. They continued their success even beyond the 1990s.

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1. Animal Collective

This is a globally renowned brand in the alternative music genre, which comprises some talented musicians. For more than 20 years, they’ve managed to come up with top-quality material. One of the best qualities of this band is that they never sacrifice creativity or musicality. 

Despite this, they’re still able to experiment with different sounds. It is this quality that has made them one of the best new bands of recent times. Although they’re relatively new on the alternative music scene, they’re making waves in the industry. 

Their music has been described as experimental pop and folk-punk music. Such types of music are certainly not for everyone but are still worth listening to. They’ve made their intentions clear that they intend to make one more album. 

Sometime back, they had hinted that they might take a break from giving live performances. However, it was recently announced that the band would continue with their tours and new music releases. It is, therefore, absolutely clear that their future prospects do look bright.

2. Manchester Orchestra

Another excellent band in the category of alternative music is Manchester Orchestra. Their sound seems to be heavily influenced by post-grunge, but it has an indie rock twist. This is what makes them quite unique and different from many other bands in the genre. 

Over the past decade, Manchester Orchestra has received a lot of attention. There have been a few changes in their lineup as well. Regardless of the changes, they’ve always been able to deliver solid performances. They have also released some fantastic albums with very little time spent on breaking up. They’ve been around for more than a decade now. 

Over this period, they evolved from performing in small clubs to making their audience go wild in big arenas. Andy Hull is the founder of Machester Orchestra. He is the main lyricist as well as lead guitarist and vocalist. The rests are Robert McDowell on drums and Andy Prince and Tim Very on bass guitar.

3. The Strokes

A rock band from the early 2000s, The Strokes are known for their edgy, garage-style music. Their last album was released in 2013, while their first album came out in 2001. The Strokes have played with Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Arcade Fire, and other popular brands. 

Since the release of their first album, the band has been at the forefront of alternative music. Nick Valensi, Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Albert Hammond Jr., and Fabrizio Moretti are the members of this band. Over the past 15 years, they’ve influenced many artists. 
They include today’s alternative music bands such as Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. Some of their hit numbers include Hard to Explain, Last Night, and Someday. There are not many bands out there that have produced such quality music over the past decade.

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Most of them can be categorized as alternative music. Of course, they’ve continued to evolve over a period of time with the social and technological changes. Alternative music has also adapted to the preferences of the audience listening to it. Today, this genre has many iconic songs and bands to its credit. It would certainly continue to come up with more memorable musical numbers.

History of alternative music

It wasn’t until the 1980s when British pop made its presence felt in the radios everywhere. Two of the most popular bands during those times were Depeche Mode and The Smiths. More bands began joining the crowd of alternative music. All of them seemed to have some real fun with electronic distortions and the synth piano. The influence of alternative music spread across the world. 

This led to the creation of one of the most renowned alternative bands called ‘Green Day’. It was able to elevate the alternative genre and give a new meaning to it. They created sub-categories of grunge and punk rock along with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Most of these sub-genres achieved tremendous popularity during the 1990s. They dominated the music industry for the next decade. 

At the beginning of the 2000s, punk rock and ’emo music’ were all over the radio stations. This was mainly in the United States of America. Be it Linkin Park or My Chemical Romance, the music videos of these bands were complete with artistic imagery. They also conveyed conflicting emotions in their videos and concert performances. 

A new category of music was also created during this time, which was called ‘post-rock’. Some of the notable bands belonging to this category are The Fray and Coldplay. Punk rock has now died, but post-rock continued to stay. It has even managed to nurture a new sub-genre during its journey over the years.

Why alternative music?

One of the major reasons for the popularity of alternative music is its versatility. You can survive well in the music industry if you’re comfortable in a variety of genres. This is now a well-known fact in the music industry. It’s true in the case of any musical genre, whether it’s alternative or something else. 

Since alternative music is versatile in nature, it’s almost set up for success. When most people hear the term ‘alternative music’, they think of the most recent alternative bands. They are mostly from the last ten years. Some of these bands include Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, and Marina. 

All of them have influenced what people think of alternative music to a great extent. Some bands like Tame Impala, Cage, and the Elephant also adopted the newest form of alternative music. It utilizes electronic instruments and voice distortion.

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It is usually seen as a broad category of music, which includes a variety of sub-genres. They include alternative rock and indie rock. You’ll notice that the beauty of alternative music lies beyond how good it sounds. It is not about how much skill is needed to create it. It is about the message it conveys. For many free thinkers and radicals, alternative music is an underground sanctuary. 

Since alternative music is being discussed here, there can be a bunch of different definitions for it. Let’s take a look at some of the ways of defining this genre of music:

1. An artist’s product that’s different from the popular standards.

The phrase ‘non-mainstream and ‘alternative music’ are used almost interchangeably by many listeners of this type of music. As a result, any musical style or musician contradicting mainstream music is associated with the alternative music scene. This often creates a lot of dilemmas for the artists who belong to the ‘alternative music’ genre. 

When an artist gets associated with the alternative music scene, he or she could be misunderstood by many. Owing to the stereotype that’s often attached to this kind of music, the artist may not even get labelled. You could see yourself as an alternative artist, but your music might be different from the popular ones. 

In the end, you could end up being grouped with every other artist under alternative music’s inaccurate category. This can make you feel that your specific style is not being recognized. This isn’t something that’s new happening. Most of the artists who make underground music don’t get the recognition they deserve. Neither do mainstream media give them coverage nor do they get recognized by the critics. 

Getting overlooked in this manner makes the artists or bands of alternative music feel ‘opposite to mainstream’. In a way, it also fulfils the goal of alternative music. It brings together all the artists and bands who believe in breaking the rules. They’re the ones who don’t want to be confined to certain boundaries. Besides, they don’t mind getting the ‘alternative’ tag. All they care about is getting their message across.

2. A musical movement that encourages creativity rather than controlling it.

One of the most wonderful aspects of alternative music is that it doesn’t have to conform to any standards. It simply needs to be creative and not an experimental or non-orthodox type. For this reason, many artists feel a sense of belonging to the alternative music scene. They include solo musicians or bands of alternative rock, alternative hip-hop, and indie-pop. 

Under alternative music, the music being made just needs to be creative. This is the main criteria of music that’s considered as an alternative. So, if an artist is not particularly revolutionary, he or she can still belong to the alternative music category. The only thing is that they need to do something unique. 

It certainly takes some amount of courage to stand out and produce a different sound. This would be enough for an artist or band to be a part of alternative music. One of the best examples here would be Lorde. Her sound was unique and provided something refreshingly new to pop music. 

This is the same for any other artist who is brave enough to give something different to the audience. If you give this some thought, you’ll see the truth. There’s one factor that’s common between all the best-selling alternative artists. They didn’t surrender to the conventional and were all creative.

3. A collection of music genres and musical styles.

Whenever there’s a mention of alternative music, many people think it’s a single music genre. This is not true, because alternative music covers a variety of genres and sub-genres. Individuals who have more experience with different kinds of music would certainly understand this fact. 

Let’s take alternative rock as an example. Now, alternative rock can be placed under the category of alternative music. So can be the case with alternative folk, alternative country, electronic music, and punk rock. Alternative music can also be used while referring to artists of different musical styles. 

This is because it is not tied only to one particular style. So, an indie artist, experimental artist, and progressive artist can be put under the alternative category. The same is also true with pop, rock, jazz, or hip-hop artist. 

You can be an artist in the alternative category no matter what musical style you choose. The only condition is that you must be doing your own thing.

4. The opposite of mainstream

Alternative music is the opposite of mainstream music in the most basic sense. It’s not about what kind of music you would routinely hear on the radio. It’s also not about the music that’s played in the cafes and restaurants typically. What would really be apparent to anyone is the fact that alternative music is different from the majority. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that alternative music is better or worse in any way. An alternative artist may not fit into all categories and genres of alternative music. So, if you’re a punk rock artist, you’ll not be considered also an indie rock or alternative country artist.

5. The sound of the outsiders

Many individuals view alternative music as the genre of outsiders. The artists creating alternative music and the listeners of this musical genre are also viewed in the same manner. Although this bias is not seen everywhere, it does exist. 

The alternative artists and listeners are not outsiders, but individuals who are different. These artists in this genre have something to say and there are listeners who can relate to their message. It’s quite true that the alternative artists are not run-of-the-mill mainstream musicians. 

Such individuals are never afraid to express themselves. They continue to say what they want to say, whether it isn’t what the audience usually like listening to. They get started as outsiders and play their game by rules that they’ve set for themselves. 

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