Alternative Rock

Alternative rock emerged in the 1980s in the United States, primarily as a way for bands to avoid the overly polished sound of mainstream rock, preferring instead to sound like they just stumbled in from the garage next door. It often combines a variety of musical styles, resulting in everything from introspective ballads to loud, feedback-drenched anthems, rather like a well-meaning but confused buffet. This genre became the darling of the 1990s, proving that you could wear flannel and still be taken seriously whilst claiming to be a tortured artist.