Alternative Music Basics
By Anthony Carew, About.com Guide
- Definitive Albums of the 1980s
- Definitive Albums of the 1990s
- Definitive Albums of the 2000s
- History of Alternative Music
Alt-Rock 101
The Basics of the basics. We ask the stupid questions so you don't have to.
Genres
Don't know your shoegaze from your space-rock? Your twee from your C86? Learn more with our comprehensive studies of those many genres, from niche concerns to mass movements.
Albums to Start With
The basic building blocks of any alternative-minded record collection.
- Top 10 Alternative Starter Albums
- Top 10 'Obscure' Starter Albums
- Top 20 Albums of 2010 So Far
- Top 100 Albums of the 2000s
- Top 30 Albums of the 1960s
- Top 10 Krautrock Albums
- Top 10 Lo-Fi Albums
- Top 10 Post-Rock Albums
- Top 10 Riot-Grrrl Albums
- Top 10 Slowcore Albums
- Top 10 Twee Albums
Definitive Albums of the 1960s
The very first rumblings of a rock'n'roll underground.
- The Monks 'Black Monk Time' (1965)
- The Fugs 'The Fugs First Album' (1965)
- The 13th Floor Elevators 'The Psychedelic Sounds of...' (1966)
- The Velvet Underground 'The Velvet Underground And Nico' (1967)
- Various 'Tropicália ou Panis Et Circensis' (1968)
- Os Mutantes 'Os Mutantes' (1968)
- Alexander "Skip" Spence 'Oar' (1969)
- Brigitte Fontaine 'Comme à la Radio' (1969)
- Nico 'The Marble Index' (1969)
- Scott Walker 'Scott 4' (1969)
Definitive Albums of the 1970s
The radical records that broke the mold, moved music forward, and influenced generations of musicians.
- Vashti Bunyan 'Just Another Diamond Day' (1970)
- Michael Hurley 'Armchair Boogie' (1971)
- Neu! 'Neu!' (1972)
- Big Star '#1 Record' (1972)
- Brian Eno 'Another Green World' (1975)
- Television 'Marquee Moon' (1977)
- Various 'No New York' (1978)
- The Raincoats 'The Raincoats' (1979)
- Public Image Ltd. 'Metal Box' (1979)
Definitive Albums of the 1980s
In the independently-minded '80s, alternative music came of age. A conservative political era inspired radical records whose rage still inspires to this day.
- Young Marble Giants 'Colossal Youth' (1980)
- The Feelies 'Crazy Rhythms' (1980)
- Television Personalities 'And Don't the Kids Just Love It' (1981)
- Jandek 'Chair Beside a Window' (1982)
- The Fall 'Hex Enduction Hour' (1982)
- Marine Girls 'Lazy Ways' (1983)
- Daniel Johnston 'Yip/Jump Music' (1983)
- The Smiths 'The World Won't Listen' (1987)
- Dinosaur Jr 'You're Living All Over Me' (1987)
- Sonic Youth 'Daydream Nation' (1988)
- Spacemen 3 'Playing with Fire' (1989)
- The Pixies 'Doolittle' (1989)
- Nirvana 'Bleach' (1989)
- The Field Mice 'Snowball' (1989)
- Galaxie 500 'On Fire' (1989)
Definitive Albums of the 1990s
The '90s found 'alternative music' turned into a depressing major-label commodity. Yet, during this grey age, these technicolor classics proved that there were still sonic frontiers yet unexplored.
- Royal Trux 'Twin Infinitives' (1990)
- My Bloody Valentine 'Loveless' (1991)
- Slint 'Spiderland' (1991)
- Vic Chesnutt 'West of Rome' (1991)
- Pavement 'Slanted and Enchanted' (1992)
- PJ Harvey 'Dry' (1992)
- Liz Phair 'Exile in Guyville' (1993)
- Mazzy Star 'So Tonight That I Might See' (1993)
- Arthur Russell 'Another Thought' (1994)
- Guided by Voices 'Bee Thousand' (1994)
- Palace Music 'Viva Last Blues' (1995)
- Sparklehorse 'Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot' (1995)
- Tortoise 'Millions Now Living Will Never Die' (1996)
- Stereolab 'Emperor Tomato Ketchup' (1996)
- Belle and Sebastian 'If You're Feeling Sinister' (1996)
- Elliott Smith 'Either/Or' (1997)
- Spiritualized 'Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space' (1997)
- Built to Spill 'Perfect from Now On' (1997)
- Neutral Milk Hotel 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' (1998)
- Cat Power 'Moon Pix' (1998)
Definitive Albums of the 2000s
Alternative music rewrites itself into radical new shapes. Genres are blurred. The notion of the 'band' is rewritten. The internet levels the playing field.
- Boredoms 'Vision Creation Newsun' (2000)
- Radiohead 'Kid A' (2000)
- Godspeed You Black Emperor! 'Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas...' (2000)
- The Avalanches 'Since I Left You' (2000)
- Clouddead 'Clouddead' (2001)
- The Flaming Lips 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' (2002)
- Joanna Newsom 'The Milk-Eyed Mender' (2004)
- Animal Collective 'Sung Tongs' (2004)
- Arcade Fire 'Funeral' (2004)
History of Alternative Music
Some of the most infamous incidents, bizarre occurrences, and treasured anecdotes in indie music lore.