Timeline of alternative rock

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This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present.


1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979 - 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 - See also

[edit] 1976

[edit] 1977

[edit] 1978

[edit] 1979

[edit] 1980

[edit] 1981

[edit] 1982

[edit] 1983

  • Disbandments
    • Bauhaus
    • Mission of Burma

[edit] 1984

[edit] 1985

  • Disbandments
    • Minutemen

[edit] 1986

  • Events
    • MTV begins airing 120 Minutes, a program devoted to videos by alternative artists
    • NME magazine in the UK releases the C86 cassette compilation, which becomes a seminal release in British indie rock.

[edit] 1987

  • Disbandments
    • Hüsker Dü
    • The Smiths
  • Events
    • R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" unexpectedly becomes a Top Ten hit on the American pop charts, helping to increase alternative rock's mainstream profile and earning the band a major label deal.

[edit] 1988

  • Disbandments
    • Big Black
    • Green River
    • The Housemartins
  • Events
    • Mother Love Bone and Mudhoney form from members of Green River after they break up.
    • Sub Pop begins the Sub Pop Singles Club
    • Hillel Slovak, guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers dies from a heroin overdose
    • Rolling Stone names R.E.M. "America's Best Rock 'n' Roll Band" and places them on the cover.

[edit] 1989

  • Disbandments
    • Guadalcanal Diary
    • Dream Syndicate
  • Events

[edit] 1990

  • Disbandments
    • Camper Van Beethoven
    • Mother Love Bone

[edit] 1991

  • Disbandments
    • Galaxie 500
    • Jane's Addiction
    • The Replacements
    • Spacemen 3

[edit] 1992

  • Disbandments
    • The Feelies
    • The Happy Mondays
    • Pixies
    • The Sugarcubes

[edit] 1993

  • Disbandments
    • Public Image Ltd.

[edit] 1994

  • Disbandments
    • Nirvana
    • Uncle Tupelo

[edit] 1995

  • Disbandments
    • American Music Club
    • Kyuss
    • Meat Puppets

[edit] 1996

  • Disbandments
    • The Pogues
    • Siouxsie & the Banshees
    • The Stone Roses
  • Events
    • The Smashing Pumpkins' touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin dies of an overdose on July 12 while using heroin with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Chamberlin is subsequently fired and the band continues as a three-piece until his return in 1999.
    • Alice in Chains makes their last appearance on MTV Unplugged.
    • Hype!, a documentary about the grunge scene of the early 1990s, is released.
    • R.E.M. sign a new deal with Warner Bros. worth $80 million. At the time, it was the largest record contract in history.
    • Bradley Nowell of the third-wave ska band Sublime dies of a heroin overdose. The band splits up soon after Nowell's death.

[edit] 1997

  • Disbandments
    • Cocteau Twins
    • Gin Blossoms
    • Porno for Pyros
    • Soundgarden - believed by many to signal the end of grunge's mainstream success[1]
    • Throwing Muses
  • Events
    • Jane's Addiction reunites; later that year, they disband again.
    • On hiatus while Scott Weiland is in rehab, members of Stone Temple Pilots form Talkshow; the new band lasts for only a short time.
    • Solo artist Jeff Buckley dies on 29 May as a result of accidental drowning in the Mississippi River.
    • R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry announces his retirement; the rest of the band continue as a three-piece.
    • Oasis' Be Here Now becomes the UK's fastest selling album

[edit] 1998

  • Disbandments
    • Black Grape
    • Faith No More
    • Lush
  • Events
    • For the first year since it began, Lollapalooza does not take place, and goes on hiatus for six years.
    • Bauhaus reunite.
    • John Frusciante returns to the Red Hot Chili Peppers after a six year hiatus.

[edit] 1999

  • Disbandments
    • Blind Melon - after years of struggling to continue on without Shannon Hoon.
    • The Jesus Lizard
    • The Jesus and Mary Chain
    • Love and Rockets
    • Luscious Jackson
    • Pavement
    • The Verve

[edit] 2000

  • Disbandments
    • At the Drive-In
    • Rage Against the Machine
    • The Rentals
    • Screaming Trees
    • The Smashing Pumpkins
    • Soul Coughing
  • Albums
  • Events
    • The Smashing Pumpkins announce their breakup, and play a farewell concert on December 2.
    • The Smashing Pumpkins release Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music for free to music downloaders on the internet.
    • The Meat Puppets reunite.

[edit] 2001

  • Disbandments
    • The Afghan Whigs
    • Elastica
    • Fastbacks
    • Toadies

[edit] 2002

  • Disbandments
    • Bush
    • Hole
    • Alice in Chains
  • Events
    • Layne Staley of Alice in Chains dies on April 5; his body is found days later.
    • Jane's Addiction reunite again.
    • Nirvana's "You Know You're Right", a previously unreleased song, becomes a hit single.
    • Gin Blossoms reunite.

[edit] 2003

  • Disbandments
    • The Cranberries
    • Stone Temple Pilots
    • Zwan
  • Events
    • The first Lollapalooza in 6 years takes place.
    • Elliott Smith dies

[edit] 2004

  • Disbandments
    • The Libertines
    • The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    • Phish
    • Suede
  • Events
    • Influential British DJ John Peel, whose advocacy helped increase the profiles of many punk and alternative acts, dies on October 25.
    • The Pixies reunite and release a new single entitled "Bam Thwok".
    • Lollapalooza is cancelled due to low ticket sales.
    • Brett Anderson quits Suede and reunites with former Suede bandmate Bernard Butler to form The Tears.
    • Red Hot Chili Peppers release their first ever live album Live in Hyde Park. The album was recorded during the three record breaking shows performed in Hyde Park, London. The shows broke the record for the most money made at a live show (a record previously held by The Beatles).

[edit] 2005

  • Disbandments
    • Guided by Voices
    • Luna
  • Events
    • U2 are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    • Billy Corgan announces his intention to reform The Smashing Pumpkins after 5 years of disbanding.
    • Audioslave become only the second major rock band to play a gig in Cuba, following Manic Street Preachers in 2001.
    • Garbage announce a long hiatus after their final show supporting Bleed Like Me.
    • The surviving members of Alice in Chains reform to play their first concert in nine years at a Tsunami benefit concert with former Damageplan vocalist Pat Lachman. The band launches a world tour with William Duvall taking the vocal spot, while many guests vocalists perform at various shows, including Maynard James Keenan, Billy Corgan and Phil Anselmo.

[edit] 2006

  • Disbandments
    • Sleater-Kinney
    • Grandaddy

[edit] 2007

  • Disbandments
    • Audioslave
    • The Cooper Temple Clause
  • Events
    • R.E.M. are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    • The Jesus and Mary Chain reunite
    • Rage Against the Machine reunite
    • The Smashing Pumpkins perform their first concerts since 2000
    • Conflicting reports are released about the status of New Order, with bassist Peter Hook insisting that band has broken up, while Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris have issued a statement denying Hook's statements.
    • Factory Records founder Tony Wilson dies.
    • The Verve reunite
    • My Bloody Valentine reunite, and announce plans to release a third album that they have been working on since 1996.

[edit] 2008

  • Disbandments
    • Bauhaus
  • Events
    • Love & Rockets reunite
    • Stone Temple Pilots reunite

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ St. Peter Times staff writer (1997). "Soundgarden's End Called the End of Grunge" Stargate.net (accessed September 27, 2006)
  2. ^ Keenan anouncement on Fourheye.net

[edit] See also

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Alternative rock
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