Rammstein, Pink, Linkin Park, Garbage...If this list contains your favorite artists, then you can be considered a fan of alternative music. Nowadays the alternative is becoming a favorite musical direction for many. Listen to the hits of your favorite artists online or download them completely free of charge and without registration - the choice is yours. In any case, you will receive high-quality songs, among which there will probably be your favorite hits and new releases that are worthy of adding to this list.

The birth of an alternative

Alternative rock has its roots in the 80s of the last century. It became an objective reaction to an established lifestyle, a kind of protest expressed against everyday life. In music I managed to find my own individuality, a way of self-expression. A clear rhythm, makeup, specific behavior on stage, and costumes helped convey the main idea to the public. The music was accompanied by the sound of a bass guitar.

Currently, many groups working in the genre of alternative music are being created, but those groups that were at the origins of the genre still enjoy the same fame and popularity.

We have collected large collection mp3 for lovers of alternative. Any free track can turn into an immortal hit that will sound in your headphones again and again. Here you will find only high quality music. The archive is regularly updated with new, even more interesting compositions. It won't be difficult to get to know them. You can do this directly on the website. Listen to the songs and download only those that you especially liked.

Alternative rock(eng. Alternative rock) - a term in modern music, which is understood as various genres rock music that contrasts itself with traditional music. The term appeared in the 1980s. and covered many genres, originating in punk rock, post-punk, etc. Currently, alternative rock is divided into two stages: the first is the groups of the 1980s. with a wide range of musical identities; the second - groups of the 1990s, who received after the commercial success of American grunge in 1991-1993. the same support from major labels and promotion as traditional pop and rock bands (alternative rock itself in those years became associated mainly with grunge and post-grunge groups, thus becoming a genre itself), while more uncompromising ensembles went underground .

In the UK this music is called "indie".

Story
In the United States, alternative rock music was first played on several college radio stations in the early 1980s. Most commercial radio stations ignored the genre. In the UK, alternative rock was popularized by DJs such as Richard Skinner, Annie Nightingale and John Peel, who championed alternative music on BBC radio. By the mid-1980s, alternative rock had become popular in the United States and had spread to many college radio stations. This led to the use of the name "college rock" in America. In the UK, alternative rock (where the term "indie rock" was used) achieved significant success: many alternative bands often reached the top of the charts (however, the most radical musical forms continued to remain in the shadows). In 1986, MTV in America began showing night program about alternative music “120 minutes”. Finally, in the late 1980s North America commercial stations such as WFNX (Boston, Massachusetts) and KROQ (Los Angeles, California) began playing alternative rock.

The most famous alternative bands of the mid-1980s were American R.E.M., Sonic Youth, The Replacements and Hüsker Dü; and English New Order, The Smiths, The Cure, The Jesus and Mary Chain. Alternative bands of the 1980s did not achieve much success, but had a major influence on the next generation musical groups, provided the basis for their popularity. These bands made their way into the mainstream in the 1990s, making alternative the most popular form of rock music of that decade. Many of those artists abandoned their popularity because it conflicted with their DIY ethic (Do It Yourself) that the alternative had before. After many of the style's main bands broke up, alternative rock lost its popularity.

In 2004, alternative rock returned to the global music mainstream, thanks to bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse.

Alternative in the USA
Early American alternative bands such as R.E.M., The Feelies, The dB's and the Violent Femmes combined punk rock, folk and mainstream music. Of these groups, R.E.M. had the greatest success, charting with their jangle-pop debut album Murmur.

Hüsker Dü and The Replacements from Minneapolis were moving away from the hardcore genre and into other styles of alternative rock that were just emerging. Both bands started out as punk rock, but soon changed and became more melodic, most notably on their 1984 albums Zen Arcade (Hüsker Dü) and Let It Be (The Replacements). The albums were successful and drew public attention to the alternative genre.

In the late 1980s, the American underground scene and college radio were dominated by college rock bands such as the Pixies, They Might Be Giants, Dinosaur Jr, Throwing Muses, and British post-punk bands. Noise rock bands Sonic Youth, Big Black and Butthole Surfers had similar success. Some alternative bands began recording on major labels. The success of R.E.M. and Jane's Addiction was bigger than Hüsker Dü and The Replacements. It paved the way for the further breakthrough of alternative music. Some bands, like the Pixies, were very popular abroad, but continued to be ignored at home. In the early 1990s music industry was already aware of the commercial opportunities of alternative rock and actively promoted alternative bands including Cake, Dinosaur Jr, FireHouse and Nirvana.

Grunge, an alternative genre created in the 1980s in Seattle, became extremely popular in the early 1990s. 1991 was a significant year for all alternative and, in particular, for grunge. This year saw the release of Nevermind, Nirvana's most successful album, and also the release of debut album"Ten" by Pearl Jam, "Badmotorfinger" by Soundgarden and "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" Red groups Hot Chili Peppers. It was time revolutionary changes in music. There was a return from the licked hard-end heavy to the dirty garage sound of the 70s. All of this (especially Nirvana's "Nevermind") pushed alternative rock into the mainstream. Alternative was just a broad term for various underground bands, Nirvana and others proved the style's individuality. A real explosion of alternative rock was organized by MTV and the Lollapalooza festival, which were “discovered” by alternative groups Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. You can also note the headliners of those times Alice in chains with the album Jars of Flies and Stone temple Pilots with the album Core and Purple.

In the mid-90s, alternative rock left the mainstream due to several events, including the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, leader of the group Nirvana. Now we can talk about the return of alternative to the mainstream, thanks to such American indie rock bands as Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, The White Stripes, The Strokes and neo-post-punk bands Interpol and The Killers.

Alternative in the UK
Gothic rock emerged from British post-punk in the late 1970s. Most of the early goth bands, including Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure and The Birthday Party, called their genre both gothic rock and post-punk. [source?] Gothic rock finally took shape in the early 1980s with the emergence of the nightclub The Batcave and formation of a subculture is ready. In the mid-1980s, gothic rock band The Sisters of Mercy. The Mission and Fields of the Nephilim achieved success in the British charts.

British indie rock and indie pop emerged from the tradition of Scottish post-punk bands such as Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, who played jangly guitars and used witty wordplay in their lyrics. The most popular of the first indie rock bands was The group Smiths. The sound of their guitars in the era of synthesizers marked the end new wave in Britain. The Smiths had many followers, including in the USA. Indie rock bands The Housemartins, James and The Wedding Present also followed in the footsteps of The Smiths. The Wedding Present also appeared on the 1986 C86 compilation album. The bands featured on the C86 cassette had a major influence not only on the twee-pop subgenre, but on British indie rock as a whole.

At the same time, influenced by bands such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, the dream pop of the Cocteau Twins and the space rock of Spacemen 3, a new musical movement emerged - shoegazing. Such shoegazing bands as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Lush appeared quite often on the pages of the British music press. In the late 1980s - early 1990s English city Manchester, a new alternative destination called Madchester has emerged. Madchester bands (The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays) mixed indie rock and dance music.

American grunge did not manage to gain the same degree of influence and popularity in the UK as in the USA. With the decline of Madchester and shoegazing, a new musical movement called Britpop emerged by the mid-1990s, led by bands such as Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp. The genre reached its peak in 1995, when the two main Britpop groups, Oasis and Blur, competed for first place in the charts.

The popularity of Britpop waned after Oasis's third album, Be Here Now, was not considered very successful, and Blur began to move towards American indie rock. At the same time, Radiohead, whose work differed from traditional Britpop, began to gain popularity, especially after the release of the album OK Computer in 1997. In subsequent years, Radiohead and post-Britpop bands such as Travis and Coldplay became staples of the English rock scene. The revival of British indie rock began after the success of American group The Strokes reached the UK. Post-punk bands such as Joy Division, Wire and Gang of Four were a major influence on many modern British indie rock bands (Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys). Modern indie rock is also represented by The Killers, Gelousy and Snow Patrol.

Alternative rock in Russia
Alternative rock began to appear in Russia in the mid-1990s, when groups such as I.F.K., “Kirpichi”, Tequilajazzz, “Jan Ku” were formed. The music of these groups differed from each other, but they were united by their dissimilarity to traditional Russian rock and popular music that time. "Bricks" soon began to combine rock music with rap. Dolphin, who is also classified as an alternative genre, also used rap in his music.

Of the later alternative groups, it should be noted Animal Jazz, Tracktor Bowling, “The Sky Is Here”, Line, the group “Seventh Race”, playing post-grunge, the groups “More & Rails” and “My Rockets Up”, playing experimental indie rock and the group The Vertigo, performing English-language indie music. Among the Russian post-rock groups, Verticals, Silence Kit, I Am Above On The Left, and Los Bananas stand out.

IN Lately Many musical groups have appeared playing alternative metal (especially its subgenre - nu metal). These are PsiHeya, Amatory, Origami, Jane Air, SLOT, etc.

Alternative rock and alternative metal groups in Russia are often called in one word - “alternative”, and are not divided among themselves.

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An international team consisting of two Germans, an American, a Scot and an Austrian, and the name is a mixture of two languages. Lyrics are performed on official language international communication. The group is quite young, but is actively developing, and some members have extensive experience working in other groups. With his distinctive performances and varied styles, Darkhaus has earned critical praise and fan attention.

9

Swedish indie rock band playing a variety of music at the intersection of pop and punk. The sound can be both electronic and rock, there are elements of disco somewhere, but general style recognized and loved even in the homeland of alternative rock - in America. There are many celebrities among the group's fans. Already the first album, released in 2002, received a Swedish Grammy, although the musicians were still high school students.

8

A peculiar phenomenon in the world of alternative music, which arose in 2006 in Orenburg under the leadership of Alex Belov and grew to the size of a club. The compositions are performed by children and teenagers who choose self-explanatory pseudonyms and are completely captivated by the unusual, non-childish style. The main theme of the songs is fear and horror, and the performance reaches the growl level. The cruelty of songs and videos even became the reason high-profile scandals and controversy. Although the performance is mostly amateur, and the lyrics are childishly primitive, the group and its branches are quite well known in narrow circles - the disharmony and sincerity are fascinating.

7

As the name suggests, the group gravitates towards sad themes. However, there are also cheerful, life-affirming compositions. In the work of this group you can find songs based on poems by famous poets - Mayakovsky, Sasha Cherny. The idea for the name came from the latter’s work. The soulful lyrics and the mournful, mewing timbre of the vocalist made the group widely known. In addition to the usual set of instruments, you can hear a flute and a violin.

6

Four members of the Sex Pistols fan club hastily united in the fall of 1976, just so that the stage of the “First International Punk Festival” would not stand idle. Two left, making way for new musicians, and vocalist Susie Sue and bassist Steve Severin formed the core of a group that quickly gained popularity. There were many twists and turns in the development of the group, but its influence on the development of alternative rock is undeniable.

5

Canadian quintet who performed the opening theme for the popular animated series about Scooby-Doo. It all started when 13-year-old Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau decided to create a group. By 1999, the team with a slightly changed composition acquired its current name. The producer suggested that the group take the title of a recently released film. There is also the same name charitable foundation, opened by musicians. Critics cannot agree on a definition of style - the group's creativity is too multifaceted. This, as well as simple, memorable melodies, explains her success, including in various competitions.

4

With the death of one St. Petersburg grunge band, a new, much more successful one was born. The voice of Ilya Chert, performing psychedelic lyrics, still meets with excitement. The album “The Tale of the Jumper and the Slider” is a real conceptual audio performance. Recently, the team has shown interest in ethnic music, planning to subsequently return to the usual style.

3

The future musicians studied together at the same school, where they held rehearsals on Fridays - the group was originally called On A Friday. Studying at the university put their musical career on hold, but in 1991 the group resumed its activities, at the insistence of recording studio changing the name to Radiohead - in honor of the Talking Heads song of the same name, whose influence was then felt in the guys’ music. The style gradually changes, elements can be detected different directions. This psychedelic and predominantly depressive music also shows influences from a variety of artists. Radiohead themselves, in turn, inspired many other musicians and gained fantastic popularity. The team won the Grammy Award three times, and a couple of songs were included in the soundtrack of the film Romeo + Juliet.

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The Sverdlovsk group, which became an entire era, was noted in the gloomy perestroika films and was distributed in quotes. Recognized as one of the most influential among Russian groups. The work contains elements of gothic and decadence, suicidal and desperate songs are performed by Samoilov’s hysterical, sobbing vocals to symphonic or pop accompaniment. The themes are varied: you can find both social criticism and mystical experiences.

1

“The Velvet Underground” (the dark, shocking guys borrowed the name from a work on sadomasochism) were innovators of alternative music, pioneers of the avant-garde, who had a colossal influence not only on the development of this movement, but also on culture as a whole. At an early stage, they were distinguished by their special “primitive” drumming (one of the kits was assembled from ordinary discarded containers), unusual guitar tuning and interest in experimental music. In 1966, the group even attracted the attention of the famous avant-garde artist Andy Warhol, whose protégé complemented a number of their compositions. Subsequently, the experiments only increased, the music became heavier, and the performances were enriched with improvisations.

Music is an integral part of every person's life. Without her, the world simply would not exist. Alternative rock is considered one of the most popular trends in music today. He managed to combine into one whole various styles rock music that contrasts itself with traditional music. Back in the 80s, this group was known. Today, alternative rock is divided into two stages: the first and second. The latter is considered the most improved, successful and popular. This term can most often be heard in America; in fact, it was there that it was first used.

Nowadays there are a lot of rock bands, and who to give their preference is everyone’s business. Performers try to surprise and delight the audience with something new and unusual. Every day young, newly created groups try to break into the world of show business. It is worth noting that foreign alternative rock appeared thanks to the famous “Fab Four”. Now they are considered a legend, and every musician tries to imitate their work. The most recent ones were Korn, Evanescence, Muse, Nirvana and Rammstein. They are famous and have world fame even now. For example, the first of the groups presented was formed back in 1993 and became so popular thanks to its hit called “Remember Who You Are”. The second group was created three years after Korn and became known for its album “Fallen”.

Since then, alternative rock began to develop even more rapidly. The groups experimented with styles, music and tried to create something unusual that could amaze the audience. Thanks to such zeal and determination, every person can appreciate the versatility and feel the energy, drive and life in each piece of rock music.

Alternative rock is divided into three regions: the USA, Russia and the UK. In each of them it developed in its own way, and in the east it is generally called “alternative music”. In America, this trend appeared in the 80s. Thanks to the groups who decided to combine punk rock, mainstream and folk music, it turned out this direction. Greatest success at that time had the group R.E.M. It was believed that the best alternative rock was “produced” in the USA. In Russia, it appeared a little later, and the pioneer in this direction was the group “Dubovy Gaai”. They tried to play, combining styles such as trip-hop and rapcore. The 90s are considered the beginning of the development of this type of music. As for the UK, alternative rock appeared there in the mid-1980s. Bands tried to combine indie pop with indie rock and they did it pretty well. The most popular group at that time was The Smiths. At the same time, other performers tried themselves in this genre, and there are actually a lot of representatives of this movement.

Each of the above countries contributed to the development of alternative rock. That is why this musical subculture so diverse, and its main representatives, distinguished by their bright individuality, are so different from each other.