[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 tracks of alternative rock (41–50)
still feel.half•alive
“Still Alive” is a song by half•alive, an alternative rock band from California.
Its funkiness could even give Daft Punk a run for their money.
Above all, the music video is incredibly cool, showcasing unique, highly expressive dance.
They’re not just great dancers—their outstanding vocal ability shows they’re a truly versatile band.
RocksPrimal Scream
A psychedelic rock band often compared to the Rolling Stones at their peak—that’s Primal Scream.
They’re a band that embodies the ’90s, expanding a diverse sound that flexibly absorbs not only psychedelia but also techno and jazz.
Their catalog spans many styles, but a standout recommendation is “Rocks,” notable for its irresistibly catchy chorus that sticks in your head after just one listen.
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?
Tired of SexWeezer
With exhilarating, blaring guitars and tear-jerking melodies that belt out raw emotions that aren’t exactly “cool,” Weezer blew a hole in the alternative rock scene of the 1990s.
The band’s central figure, Rivers Cuomo, has never run dry as a songwriter even past the 2020s, and the group remains a popular, active force today.
Their second album, Pinkerton, released in 1996, received higher acclaim in Japan than in their home country of the United States, thanks in part to its Japanese-inspired cover art and the band’s affinity for Japan.
Opening that album, this track is a masterpiece: lyrics that walk a fine line between sincerity and twisted irony, a melody that absolutely weeps, guitars that explode out of feedback noise, and a thick, thunderous bass line—simply the best.
High HopesPanic! At The Disco
It’s the song High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco.
Personally, when I first heard it, I thought it was a K-pop group’s song.
That’s how well-arranged it is.
The emotional melody that comes in partway really hits home.
Brendon Urie’s vocal performance, covering every part, is also a must-hear!
DownfallTrust Company
This is “Downfall” by Trust Company, a band that plays heavy rock in the post-grunge vein.
The heavy guitar riffs are cool and melodic, with some shouts mixed in, making it fair to call this a very cool piece of alternative rock.
My WarBLACK FLAG
When discussing the grunge and alternative boom of the ’90s, you can’t overlook the hardcore punk bands that supported the American underground in the ’80s just prior.
Chief among them was Black Flag.
In their early days they were a straight-ahead hardcore band, but on the album My War they shifted to a heavier sound that used hard rock- and metal-like guitar riffs and, compared to hardcore, featured somewhat slower tempos.
This album is often said to have had a major influence on the birth of grunge.