[Western Music] Start with this one! Classic and popular songs of alternative rock

Active club DJkento
Active club DJ. With over five years on the front lines of the club scene, they freely cross over from dance music to US hip-hop and Japanese rap. Blending in their own edits with assured mixing, they craft a unique groove that captivates the floor.
music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

Even for those who love rock, it’s not easy to succinctly explain what alternative rock is.

As rock history produced a variety of genres, the term “alternative rock” emerged as music that stood against the mainstream—an underground counterpart.

It might even be more accurate to think of it not as a genre, but as a musical attitude that the musicians themselves embody.

In this article, we’ve curated a selection focusing on iconic Western tracks from the 1990s—songs through which alternative rock upended trends across the global music scene.

If you’ve recently become interested in alt rock, be sure to check them out!

[Western Music] Start with this one song! Alternative Rock Masterpieces and Popular Tracks (51–60)

Pretty FlyThe Offspring

The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) (Official Music Video)

Pretty FlyThe Offspring

The flagship of melodic hardcore and pop-punk, The Offspring is also often classified as an alternative rock band.

Their songs are catchy enough to be used in commercials, yet they clearly show strong punk influences.

Alongside Green Day, who broke through around the same time, they helped spark the pop-punk movement and can be said to have had a major impact not only on the rock scene but on pop music as well.

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Gave You EverythingThe Interrupters

The Interrupters – “Gave You Everything”

Gave You EverythingThe Interrupters

This is the song “Gave You Everything” by The Interrupters, a ska-punk band formed in Los Angeles in 2011.

It really evokes ’90s punk! Even before their debut, they caught the eye of RANCID and toured together.

Punk music has been fading from the mainstream in recent years, but could The Interrupters’ breakthrough breathe new life into it? They’re also set to perform at Summer Sonic 2019.

I’m sure they’d be an absolute blast live! Give them a listen—perfect prep before Summer Sonic!

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TodayThe Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins – Today

TodayThe Smashing Pumpkins

Often compared to Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins (known in Japan as “Smapan”) are a band that epitomized the ’90s alternative scene.

In Japan especially, they’re nearly as popular as Nirvana.

Their appeal lies above all in their melancholic melodies and their diverse sound, which also shows the influence of new wave.

The vocalist, Billy Corgan, has a somewhat narcissistic side, and in the ’90s the band drew a lot of criticism for that.

Even so, they weathered the backlash and remain one of the few bands still active today, long after the alternative movement has passed.

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OneU2

U2 – One (Official Music Video)

OneU2

A song by U2, the Irish band that holds the record for the most Grammy Awards won by a group.

With a floating, atmospheric quality that conjures up images of Nordic scenery, its structure builds gradually from the opening to the latter half, giving the listener a sense of exhilaration.

It’s a track that showcases the band’s alternative presence, proving that rock isn’t defined by intensity alone.

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100%Sonic youth

Sonic Youth – 100% (Official Music Video)

100%Sonic youth

Sonic Youth is a great band respected by their peers as the behind-the-scenes leaders of alternative rock, and they made enormous contributions to New York’s music scene from the 1980s onward.

Sadly, they ended their three-decade career in 2011, but their activities—rooted in a DIY ethos—and their noise, experimental, and free-form musicality built on alternate tunings continue to show younger bands what indie is all about.

Against expectations, Sonic Youth made the leap to a major label, and the opening track of their classic second major-label release, Dirty, is this song: “100%.” Its unconventional, noisy riffs have a strangely poppy ring to them, and it’s insanely cool.

It’s also a relatively accessible song for them, so why not start here?

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