[Western Music] Start with this one! Classic and popular songs of alternative rock
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!
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[Western Music] Start with this one song! Classic and popular alternative rock tracks (81–90)
HurtOliver Tree
This is the song “Hurt” by Oliver Tree, a vocalist from the United States.
It’s the lead single from his album “Ugly Is Beautiful,” which was scheduled for release at the end of 2019.
Although he broke through as a singer, he’s actually a film director as well.
He has also released a behind-the-scenes video for the “Hurt” music video titled “How to Make a $1,000,000 Music Video.” Some of the expressions are a bit extreme, but it’s a very entertaining music video, so be sure to check it out.
Sleeping AwakeP.O.D.
It’s a classic song by the heavy, textured alternative rock band P.O.D.
The heavy guitars, dynamic drums, and the melodic feel in the chorus are incredibly elegant and cool.
It would probably look really awesome live.
Already OverRed
Starting with the sound of a violin, this song is one of RED’s masterpieces.
It begins quietly and explodes at the chorus, embodying the essence of alternative rock, and it’s incredibly cool.
The melody is very poignant and filled with a sense of melancholy.
Race For The PrizeThe Flaiming Lips
Alternative rock isn’t just about heavy guitars and weighty sound.
Bands like The Flaming Lips—active since the 1980s—who have carved out a unique position with genre-defying musicality and dreamlike live performances are precisely what should be called “alternative.” This song, included on their 1999 masterpiece The Soft Bulletin, marked a dramatic leap for a band once known mainly in the underground, and it’s a beautiful, euphoric number that illuminated their path in the 2000s and beyond.
Dreamy synth tones, raucous drums, a psychedelic worldview… it’s a brilliant classic that will make you notice a different side of alternative.
A Good Night’s Sleep And A Cab Fare HomeThe Strypes
This is a masterpiece by The Strypes, a miraculous rock ’n’ roll band that inherits 60s British rock and blasts it into the present.
They’re an amazing band praised by the likes of Paul Weller and Oasis’s Noel Gallagher.
It’s medium tempo yet rhythmic, and above all, the vocals are incredibly cool.