So these days, what does the term "Alternative" refer to in music?
 

Considering every band is now labelled as Alternative, should new bands that sound different to Alternative be labelled as "Alternative Alternative"? Is there no end?! Discuss with ideas

They are all pop.

I dont think alternative bands sound a like, hence the label.

Thing is...labels like 'Alternative', 'Experimental', 'Indie' etc used to describe what the band was. Nowadays they only describe what they sound like.

Let me elaborate - 'Indie' bands, back in the late 70's and early 80's got that name because they were independent of the mainstream music business. There were loads of Independent labels being run out of peoples bedrooms and garages and bands that the major labels had no interest in were signed up by these labels. Labels like Rough Trade, Stiff, Factory etc.

Over time, nearly all of these labels were absorbed into major record companies, with the result that the bands, instead of being independent, only sound like the sort of band that would have been signed to an independent label.

alternative to what the mass media consider popular music.. you must have a fringe and wear cons and also a complete disregard for award ceremonies.... but then show up at them and reap the rewards when you make it big.........

alternative these days is just as much a co-opted mass media term.

they use it to mean bands that sound "unhappy"

that's it.

mmmm... interesting question zero my man.

interesting question.

alternative? alternative alternative?

i'm just gonna go ask my friend stephen hawking

alternative=crappy mainstream rock

who gives a shit. haha.

Crap, to answer your question.

it refers to nothing.

"Alternative" can't really exist, because the alternative to an alternative is an alternative. What is it alternative to? Mainstream music? What about when mainstream music becomes alternative? What about when alternative becomes mainstream? And so on.

I never really hear anyone use that word anyway (besides Alternative Press, who are VERY similiar to a magazine like Spin, so again, why are they the alternative of?), it was a buzz word like grunge back in the 90's.

There is no such thing as an underground either, because almost everything you want is just a mouse click away.

I just use "Alternative Rock" to codify American post-punk in the later 80's like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Husker Du, you know the list.

"Alternative" alone is just a term own by the mainstream to describe that which it doesn't see as apart of itself. Things that are classified "alternative" should never consider itself alternative, unless of course it wants to break into the mainstream scene with the "alternative lifestyle" dollar. It's a promotional label.

*Mind Implodes*

Honest to god, people were tagging the Beatles as Alternative on last.fm

My thing with music is that all of it has the possibilities of being pop. We may not think of it that way, but by liking a certain sound, it instantly becomes pop(to the listeners ears). Disagree with it, if you must but it is the truth.

not led zeppelin.