Editing Alternative rock (section)

===United States in 1980s===
[[File:SonicYouth.JPG|alt=A woman and a man playing guitar in performance. The woman on the left is dressed in a short dress and the man on the right is in jeans and a shirt.|thumb|[[Kim Gordon]] and [[Thurston Moore]] of [[Sonic Youth]] performing in July 2005]]
Early American alternative bands such as [[the Dream Syndicate]], [[the Bongos]], [[10,000 Maniacs]], [[R.E.M.]], [[the Feelies]] and [[Violent Femmes]] combined punk influences with [[folk music]] and mainstream music influences. R.E.M. was the most immediately successful; their debut album, ''[[Murmur (album)|Murmur]]'' (1983), entered the Top 40 and spawned a number of [[jangle pop]] followers.<ref>{{cite web|title=REM Biography|url=http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/R-E-M-Biography/9B195AA5AA60344A482568940015EB16|publisher=Sing 365|access-date=June 20, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702122250/http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/R-E-M-Biography/9B195AA5AA60344A482568940015EB16|archive-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref> One of the many jangle pop scenes of the early 1980s, Los Angeles' [[Paisley Underground]] revived the sounds of the 1960s, incorporating psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and the guitar interplay of folk rock as well as punk and underground influences such as [[the Velvet Underground]].<ref name="American alt-rock"/>

American indie record labels [[SST Records]], [[Twin/Tone Records]], [[Touch and Go Records]], and [[Dischord Records]] presided over the shift from the [[hardcore punk]] that then dominated the American underground scene to the more diverse styles of alternative rock that were emerging.{{sfn|Reynolds|2006|p=390}} [[Minneapolis]] bands [[Hüsker Dü]] and [[The Replacements (band)|the Replacements]] were indicative of this shift. Both started out as punk rock bands, but soon diversified their sounds and became more melodic.<ref name="American alt-rock"/> [[Michael Azerrad]] asserted that Hüsker Dü was the key link between hardcore punk and the more melodic, diverse music of [[college rock]] that emerged. Azerrad wrote, "Hüsker Dü played a huge role in convincing the underground that melody and punk rock weren't antithetical."<ref>{{cite news|title=Indie music pioneer returns with a little help from his admirershis|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/indie-music-pioneer-returns-with-a-little-help-from-his-admirers-20130305-2fivn.html|access-date=June 20, 2013|newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|archive-date=May 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511082649/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/indie-music-pioneer-returns-with-a-little-help-from-his-admirers-20130305-2fivn.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The band also set an example by being the first group from the American indie scene to sign to a major record label, which helped establish college rock as "a viable commercial enterprise".{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=159}} By focusing on heartfelt songwriting and wordplay instead of political concerns, the Replacements upended a number of underground scene conventions; Azerrad noted that "along with R.E.M., they were one of the few underground bands that mainstream people liked."{{sfn|Azerrad|2001|p=196}}

By the late 1980s, the American alternative scene was dominated by styles ranging from quirky alternative pop ([[They Might Be Giants]] and [[Camper Van Beethoven]]), to [[noise rock]] ([[Sonic Youth]], [[Big Black]], [[the Jesus Lizard]]<ref>Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=the-jesus-lizard-mn0000089305|pure_url=yes}} "The Jesus Lizard Biography"]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved August 25, 2008.</ref>) and [[industrial rock]] ([[Ministry (band)|Ministry]], Nine Inch Nails). These sounds were in turn followed by the advent of [[Boston]]'s [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] and Los Angeles' Jane's Addiction.<ref name="American alt-rock"/> Around the same time, the [[grunge]] [[subgenre]] emerged in [[Seattle]], Washington, initially referred to as "The Seattle Sound" until its rise to popularity in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://rock.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/Most-Influential-Seattle-Bands.htm | title=Here's a List of the Top Most Influential Grunge Bands from Seattle | newspaper=Liveabout | access-date=May 20, 2015 | archive-date=June 27, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627194514/http://rock.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/Most-Influential-Seattle-Bands.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> Grunge featured a sludgy, murky guitar sound that syncretized [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] and punk rock.<ref name="allmusic grunge"/> Promoted largely by Seattle indie label [[Sub Pop]], grunge bands were noted for their [[Charity shop|thrift store]] fashion which favored [[flannel shirts]] and [[combat boots]] suited to the local weather.<ref name="success NYT">Marin, Rick. "Grunge: A Success Story". ''The New York Times''. November 15, 1992.</ref> Early grunge bands [[Soundgarden]] and [[Mudhoney]] found critical acclaim in the U.S. and UK, respectively.<ref name="American alt-rock"/>

By the end of the decade, a number of alternative bands began to sign to major labels. While early major label signings Hüsker Dü and the Replacements had little success, acts who signed with majors in their wake such as R.E.M. and Jane's Addiction achieved gold and platinum records, setting the stage for alternative's later breakthrough.{{sfn|Azerrad|1994|p=160}}{{sfn|Azerrad|1994|p=4}} Some bands such as Pixies had massive success overseas while they were ignored domestically.<ref name="American alt-rock"/>

In the middle of the decade, Hüsker Dü's album ''[[Zen Arcade]]'' influenced other hardcore acts by tackling personal issues. Out of Washington, D.C.'s hardcore scene what was called "emocore" or, later, "[[emo]]" emerged and was noted for its lyrics which delved into emotional, very personal subject matter (vocalists sometimes cried) and added free association poetry and a confessional tone. [[Rites of Spring]] has been described as the first "emo" band. Former [[Minor Threat]] singer [[Ian MacKaye]] founded [[Dischord Records]] which became the center for the city's emo scene.<ref name=Allmusicemo>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/emo-ma0000004447|title=Emo Music Genre Overview|website=AllMusic|access-date=December 31, 2018|archive-date=May 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514163729/https://www.allmusic.com/style/emo-ma0000004447|url-status=live}}</ref>