[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 (61–70)
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?
GloriaThe Lumineers
This is the song Gloria by The Lumineers, a band from the United States.
They perform in the folk rock genre, which is still relatively unfamiliar in Japan.
The Lumineers had a major breakthrough with their 2012 release Ho Hey.
The vocalist, Wesley Schultz, has an unforgettable, wonderful voice once you hear it.
It’s a song you’ll want to listen to while camping!
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.
MonsterSkillet
It’s a classic Skillet track that kicks off with heavy guitars right from the start.
The song has a distinctly alternative rock vibe.
The way it bursts open in the chorus is thrilling and sounds awesome.
The promotional video is also elaborate and cool.
With over 200 million views, you can really see how popular it is.
ChangeThe Revivalists
It’s a song called “Change” by The Revivalists, a rock band from New Orleans, USA.
It’s included on their 2018 album, Take Good Care.
The dry guitar sound is really cool and gritty! Also, while the vocals have a rugged quality, the contrast with the delicate tones that come from him is wonderful.
The WagonDinosaur Jr.
Frontman J Mascis—sometimes dubbed the “Apathetic King” for his languid vocals and enigmatic persona—leads Dinosaur Jr.
Formed in 1983, the band swept the indie scene with blisteringly loud guitars and pop-savvy melodies, and continued releasing excellent albums after their major-label debut.
Though they disbanded once, they reunited in 2005 and have since maintained a steady, on-their-own-terms career as elder statesmen.
The track The Wagon is the opening number of their 1991 classic Green Mind, the album that marked their move to a major label, and it stands as one of their finest songs.
Urgent, hardcore-rooted beats, exhilarating wall-of-sound guitars, and a lazily delivered yet perfect melody—this is Dinosaur Jr.
at their purest.
Also note the unusually long guitar solo for alternative rock of that era.
CannonballThe Breeders
Starting with a strangely warped baseline and layered with distorted vocals, this striking track that The Breeders unleashed on the American alternative rock scene was the lead single from their August 1993 album Last Splash.
Hailing from Ohio, the band was formed around former Pixies member Kim Deal and her twin sister Kelley.
Satirizing French philosophical thought and carrying the message that “life is not a competition,” the song peaked at No.
44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieved the remarkable feat of staying on the French charts for 30 weeks.
Its music video, co-directed by Kim Gordon and Spike Jonze, also made waves.
Perfect for those craving the exhilaration of a long-distance drive or wanting to soak in the atmosphere of the ’90s alternative rock heyday.