2. Nirvana: Come As You Are
Nirvana represents the other launching pad for alternative rock. After recording their debut for Sub Pop, the band signed with Geffen (with Sonic Youth helping to broker the deal) and became the most enormous thing in rock since punk. What probably helped alternative rock become what it did was the fact that in discovering the Sub Pop roster (late, as usual) the major labels didn't just stumble upon a treasure trove of bankable, credible bands; they also discovered a scene and a lifestyle. Nirvana, perhaps unjustly, became emblematic of the grunge scene, which as we all know now, spelled their doom. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke them through big-time in 1991, reaching #6 on the pop charts; "Come As You Are", the follow-up single from Nevermind was the one that convinced America the first one wasn't a fluke. The "I swear that I don't have a gun" refrain on this track gives it a whole menacing edge in light of subsequent events, but even when it was new, it was a shocker for its relentless bad-buzz lyrics, ominous arrangement, and sonic wallop.
3. Smashing Pumpkins: Cherub Rock
Smashing Pumpkins made it necessary to bend the rules in what "alternative rock" was supposed to mean, opening a floodgate for other dubious applicants. After only one indie single, Smashing Pumpkins signed with Virgin records, a major player. Not wanting to give the impression of being a manufactured major-label band, the deal was kept quiet, and the band released its debut album Gish on the little-known Caroline label in 1991. It was a clever ruse, except that Caroline was owned by Virgin records, and despite its appearance as an indie label, it was in fact a major. The ruse didn't take long to figure out, but it did leave a question to be answered: was Smashing Pumpkins alternative rock? The answer lies in their music; far from mainstream convention, painstakingly overdubbed by an auteur, Smashing Pumkins were indeed an alternative to mainstream rock. Their next album, Siamese Dream, appeared in 1993 on Virgin proper, and kicked off with the intense "Cherub Rock" notable for its sheets of wall-of-sound built upon layers of distorted guitar, lurching but funky rhythm, and snotty sing-a-long inspiring vocals.
4. Radiohead: Creep
If R.E.M., Nirvana, and Smashing Pumpkins helped define the genre, Radiohead's "Creep", a surprise 1993 hit from their debut Pablo Honey, helped define the audience. Featuring Thom Yorke's angst-ridden and cynical vocal, with a bass and drums groove with loud crunchy guitars, it became something of an anthem to loserdom, finding resonance with the ever self-depreciating and irony-loving Generation X. Beck mined a similar theme with "Loser". Radiohead would ultimately seem hellbent on displacing the audience this song won them; their subsequent releases grew increasingly experimental and electronica-influenced in a manner similar to Wilco's odd evolution. Any of Radiohead's later experimental albums like OK Computer and Kid A would have to be considered alternative rock as well, late 90's variety.
Article comments
1 - Triniman
A good primer!
2 - Tube
Uao, I told you we had similar tastes. I have EVERY one of these great albums and my list would have looked the same or quite similar.
3 - Brian Garrepy
Uao,
I have to say that was probably one of most thought out explanations of the Alt-rock era. Well done...It's just a shame that it will be known as the shortest era in rock history. Alot of those bands really didn't keep making powerful albums. To me, it always seemed like these bands had a problem with musicianship. Putting alot of energy and talent into one album and then dissipating with each newer release.
It's nice to see that you didn't mention any BS about bands coming out becasue they were tired of the 80's metal scene. God knows that the "glam" hard rock acts of the late 80's should have never been considered metal while all along the true metal acts were shadowed by the music biz. Funny enough, as much as those alternative bands created a new vision of rock it actually caused a terrible formula to arise. People that couldn't necessarily play their instruments and were angry, started bands...Here's my list of bands from that time(not necessarily mainstream)that made my brain open up:
*not in any particular order
Mr.Bungle-"Mr.Bungle"(1991)-This was the release that put them on the board but it was mostly a compilation of their older work.Truly pioneering Avant Gaarde.(Mike Patton's underground work)
Faith No More-"AngelDust"(1992)-This was such great album and a farewell to the commercial FNM.(Mike Patton's mainstream work)
Alice in Chains-"Dirt"(1992)- This was the heart for metal in The US mainstream. Even though it was short lived.
Death-"Individual Thought Patterns"(1993)- A truly brilliant underground piece of work.
R.I.P. Chuck Shuldiner
Atheist-"Unquestionable Prescence"(1991)- Definately the ultimate fusion album. Very pioneering for metal.
Temple of the Dog-"T.O.T.D."(1991)A great tribute to a band which I think started the whole Alt rock era.."Mother Love Bone"
Dream Theater-"Images and Words"(1992) This is what kept my Metal heart pumping!! A true masterpiece...A big influence!!
I have to mention:
Mad Season-"Above"(1994)In my opinion the best work Layne Staley was involved in before his death!!
R.I.P. Layne Staley
4 - Tube
Brian, Faith No More "Angel Dust" was a classic. I, personally, need to purchase this again as I no longer have this.
5 - LegendaryMonkey
Wow... this took me back to the days when I could listen to the radio even here in Arkansas and not want to kill myself. This is a great trip through alt rock, hitting the big songs and moments that grabbed everyone, from the indie devotees to the trendies.
6 - uao
Glad you guys found it interesting.
I was really excited when alternative rock kicked in; in the 80's, I had to really hunt for good music, and I didn't listen to a lot of college radio or have cable, so FM radio was important.
I got real kicks from Nirvana, Verve, Primal Scream, Sonic Youth, et. al.
It was commercial right from the start. Not the music itself, in many cases it was pure. But the marketing of alternative rock was given an attention rock hadn't gotten in 20 years; it got a real push, with new radio stations, the tour packages, Woodstock 94, MTV, the whole nine yards.
Which, I think, ultimately did to alternative rock what happened to rock in the 70's; the business of it sucked the life out of the music (literally, in the case of Cobain, Staley, et. al., but also creatively, as in the late 90's post grunge clones, emo clones, and pop-punk clones who followed the formula.
Rock'll come back again as a major non-sucky mainstream phenomena; it'll probably get commercialized again quickly and killed, too. And the cycle repeateth.
uao's crystal ball sez:
Downloading hasn't yet made the impact it will in the generation currently fomenting. Their music experience has been a largely randomplay existence. Look for a lot of very eclectic rock-based music appearing around 2010 in the mainstream.
notes:
Temple of the Dog almost went on the list, but I didn't want Pearl Jam members hogging two spaces, and I didn't want to leave Pearl Jam off, since they were one of the biggest and longest-lived.
Temple of the Dog gets my vote as pinnacle of Seattle grunge though. And Green River gets a tip of the hat.
Alice in Chains also almost went on, I loved Dirt. But then I thought there'd be too many Seattle bands on the list.
Some others I considered including (and keep in mind, I was illustrating a mainstream phenomenon, so I wasn't looking for a lot of cult acts): Blind Melon, Collective Soul, Foo Fighters, Lemonheads, Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Rage Against The Machine, Tool, Korn, Concrete Blonde, Mazzy Star, Limp Bizkit, others. Some were booted for being redundant, others are better included on an adult alternative playlist, others didn't have the broad appeal.
I've got nothing against 80's metal, although I listened to it in small doses. I don't see alternative rock as a reaction against hair metal, glam metal and the like, except that a lot of 20-somethings really couldn't bond emotionally with it. I really think it was the generational changing-of-the-guard, a reaction against classic rock more than anything else, simply because listeners had grown bored with it (even if they respected it). I know I was bored of classic rock in 1991.
Faith No More...I should probably give them another listen.
7 - Bob A. Booey
Good job, UAO.
I always personally preferred the slightly more elegant term "modern rock."
Rage Against the Machine HAS to be on the list -- they're way more important than 2/3 of the bands on that list and are maybe the most interesting example of major-label agit pop in rock history.
They featured Marxist rap lyrics set to heavy, driving metal and punk riffs. Not only were they maybe the most interesting political band of the generation, they were also one of the most interesting musical fusions as well.
What about Ministry? Talk about an original, seminal band that was still moving the masses in the 1990s. "Psalm 69" was their biggest album and maybe their best as well. Nine Inch Nails would never have been possible without Ministry.
I've noticed a lot of rock critic types who want to be canonical will include the one Portishead album (apparently to be followed up fairly soon over a decade later) on their 1990s alternative lists.
That is all.
8 - JR
Wow, a list of Alternative albums and I've got like half of them. How the hell did that happen?
Thought I had better taste.
9 - ed
The Velvet Underground- Sunday morning
Nirvana- Dumb
The Beatles- Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Sonic Youth- Teenage Riot
Bob Dylan- Rainy Day Women (just to get me the fuck out of bed)
10 - Locke
If you mention the Smashing Pumpkins, somewhere you must mention 1979, which is a song that defined a decade, in my opinion. Its a really great song. I suggest getting "The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" Its really a masterpiece and a great alternative album. One of the greatest I have ever heard.
11 - P.R.KID
IM PRETTY SURPRISED THAT S.T.P WAS NOT ON YOURE LIST TO ME THEY BELONG RIGHT UP THERE WITH NIRVANA AND PEARL JAM. ALSO EVEN THOUGH IT EAS REALLY ONLY ONE HIT DONT FORGET ABOUT OFFSPRING WITH THERE HUGH HIT SELF ESTEEM NOW THATS ALTERNATIVE ROCK