Greatest Alternative Rock Sub Genre Artists
Criteria: Artists are ranked by their influence, impact, and popularity. List includes alternative rock, post-punk and new wave artists, as well as artists in the various alternative subgenres (including - but not limited to - Britpop, post-grunge, shoegazing, Lo-fi, emo, indie folk, alternative dance, goth rock, dream pop, neo-psychdelia, Christian alternative rock, alternative metal, trip-hop, and more).
Jangle Pop
1. R.E.M.
2. Smiths
3. Go-Betweens
4. Feelies
5. Felt
6. Soft Boys
7. Teenage Fanclub
8. The dB's
9. Let's Active
10. Church
2. Smiths
3. Go-Betweens
4. Feelies
5. Felt
6. Soft Boys
7. Teenage Fanclub
8. The dB's
9. Let's Active
10. Church
Alt Dance / Dance Punk / Indietronica
1. New Order
2. Depeche Mode
3. Björk
4. Primal Scream
5. Happy Mondays
6. LCD Soundsystem
7. MIA
8. Big Audio Dynamite
9. Saint Etienne
10. Stereo MCs
2. Depeche Mode
3. Björk
4. Primal Scream
5. Happy Mondays
6. LCD Soundsystem
7. MIA
8. Big Audio Dynamite
9. Saint Etienne
10. Stereo MCs
Alternative Metal
1. Rage Against the Machine
2. Alice in Chains
3. Soundgarden
4. Faith No More
5. Tool
6. Korn
7. System of a Down
8. Deftones
9. Primus
10. Helmet
2. Alice in Chains
3. Soundgarden
4. Faith No More
5. Tool
6. Korn
7. System of a Down
8. Deftones
9. Primus
10. Helmet
Britpop
1. Oasis
2. Blur
3. Pulp
4. Suede
5. Manic Street Preachers
6. The Verve
7. Supergrass
8. Ash
9. Ocean Color Scene
10. Elastica
2. Blur
3. Pulp
4. Suede
5. Manic Street Preachers
6. The Verve
7. Supergrass
8. Ash
9. Ocean Color Scene
10. Elastica
Dream Pop
1. Cocteau Twins
2. Slowdive
3. This Mortal Coil
4. Church
5. My Bloody Valentine
6. Mazzy Star
7. Ride
8. Beach House
9. Galaxie 500
10. The Sundays
2. Slowdive
3. This Mortal Coil
4. Church
5. My Bloody Valentine
6. Mazzy Star
7. Ride
8. Beach House
9. Galaxie 500
10. The Sundays
Goth Rock
1. The Cure
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
3. Siouxsie and the Banshees
4. Bauhaus
5. Sisters of Mercy
6. Peter Murphy
7. The Mission
8. Fields of the Nephilim
9. Chelsea Wolfe
10. Clan of Xymox
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
3. Siouxsie and the Banshees
4. Bauhaus
5. Sisters of Mercy
6. Peter Murphy
7. The Mission
8. Fields of the Nephilim
9. Chelsea Wolfe
10. Clan of Xymox
Lo-fi
1. Beck
2. Pavement
3. Guided By Voices
4. Liz Phair
5. Modest Mouse
6. Elliot Smith
7. Beat Happening
8. Ween
9. Dan Johnston
10. The Mountain Goats
2. Pavement
3. Guided By Voices
4. Liz Phair
5. Modest Mouse
6. Elliot Smith
7. Beat Happening
8. Ween
9. Dan Johnston
10. The Mountain Goats
Neo-Psychdelia
1. Flaming Lips
2. Echo and the Bunnymen
3. Soft Boys/Robyn Hitchcock
4. Animal Collective
5. Julian Cope/Teardrop Explodes
6. Spiritualized
7. Mercury Rev
8. The Verve
9. Spacemen 3
10. Tame Impala
2. Echo and the Bunnymen
3. Soft Boys/Robyn Hitchcock
4. Animal Collective
5. Julian Cope/Teardrop Explodes
6. Spiritualized
7. Mercury Rev
8. The Verve
9. Spacemen 3
10. Tame Impala
Indie Folk
1. Elliot Smith
2. Neutral Milk Hotel
3. Sufjan Stevens
4. Will Oldham / Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
5. Mountain Goats
6. Bright Eyes
7. Fleet Foxes
8. Microphones
9. Bon Iver
10. Iron and Wine
2. Neutral Milk Hotel
3. Sufjan Stevens
4. Will Oldham / Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
5. Mountain Goats
6. Bright Eyes
7. Fleet Foxes
8. Microphones
9. Bon Iver
10. Iron and Wine
Slowcore
1. Red House Painters
2. Low
3. Galaxie 500
4. American Music Club
5. Cat Power
6. Smog
7. Lisa Germano
8. Codeine
9. Matt Elliot
10. Sun Kil Moon
2. Low
3. Galaxie 500
4. American Music Club
5. Cat Power
6. Smog
7. Lisa Germano
8. Codeine
9. Matt Elliot
10. Sun Kil Moon
Noise Rock
1. Sonic Youth
2. Dinosaur Jr
3. Birthday Party
4. Butthole Surfers
5. Big Black
6. Swans
7. Jesus Lizard
8. Boredoms
9. Glenn Branca
10. Boris
2. Dinosaur Jr
3. Birthday Party
4. Butthole Surfers
5. Big Black
6. Swans
7. Jesus Lizard
8. Boredoms
9. Glenn Branca
10. Boris
Post-Grunge
1. Foo Fighters
2. Nickelback
3. Matchbox Twenty
4. Live
5. Creed
6. Collective Soul
7. 3 Doors Down
8. Bush
9. Candlebox
10. Alanis Morissette
2. Nickelback
3. Matchbox Twenty
4. Live
5. Creed
6. Collective Soul
7. 3 Doors Down
8. Bush
9. Candlebox
10. Alanis Morissette
Post Punk
1. Joy Division
2. Talking Heads
3. The Cure
4. Siouxsie and the Banshees
5. Gang of Four
6. Pere Ubu
7. Echo and the Bunnymen
8. Public Image Ltd.
9. Wire
10. The Fall
2. Talking Heads
3. The Cure
4. Siouxsie and the Banshees
5. Gang of Four
6. Pere Ubu
7. Echo and the Bunnymen
8. Public Image Ltd.
9. Wire
10. The Fall
Post-Rock
1. Talk Talk
2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
3. Sigur Rós
4. Slint
5. Mogwai
6. Tortoise
7. Bark Psychosis
8. Explosions in the Sky
9. Do Make Say Think
10. A Silver Mt. Zion
2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
3. Sigur Rós
4. Slint
5. Mogwai
6. Tortoise
7. Bark Psychosis
8. Explosions in the Sky
9. Do Make Say Think
10. A Silver Mt. Zion
Shoegaze
1. My Bloody Valentine
2. Slowdive
3. Ride
4. Lush
5. Catherine Wheel
6. Swervediver
7. Curve
8. Pale Saints
9. Boo Radleys
2. Slowdive
3. Ride
4. Lush
5. Catherine Wheel
6. Swervediver
7. Curve
8. Pale Saints
9. Boo Radleys
Christian Alternative Rock
1. Daniel Amos
2. Steve Taylor
3. The 77's
4. The Choir
5. Adam Again
6. Jars of Clay
7. Starflyer 59
8. Leslie Phillips
9. Relient K
10. Switchfoot
2. Steve Taylor
3. The 77's
4. The Choir
5. Adam Again
6. Jars of Clay
7. Starflyer 59
8. Leslie Phillips
9. Relient K
10. Switchfoot
Emo
1. Sunny Day Real Estate
2. Rites of Spring
3. Brand New
4. Cap'n Jazz
5. Jimmy Eat World
6. Jawbreaker
7. The Get Up Kids
8. The Promise Ring
9. American Football
10. Dashboard Confessional
2. Rites of Spring
3. Brand New
4. Cap'n Jazz
5. Jimmy Eat World
6. Jawbreaker
7. The Get Up Kids
8. The Promise Ring
9. American Football
10. Dashboard Confessional
Math Rock
1. Slint
2. Drive Like Jehu
3. Shellac
4. Battles
5. Don Caballero
6. Foals
7. 65daysofstatic
8. Minus the Bears
9. Polvo
10. Chavez
2. Drive Like Jehu
3. Shellac
4. Battles
5. Don Caballero
6. Foals
7. 65daysofstatic
8. Minus the Bears
9. Polvo
10. Chavez
Post-Hardcore
1. Fugazi
2. Hüsker Dü
3. Minutemen
4. At The Drive-In
5. Big Black
6. Refused
7. Jesus Lizard
8. Jawbox
9. Unwound
10. NoMeansNo
2. Hüsker Dü
3. Minutemen
4. At The Drive-In
5. Big Black
6. Refused
7. Jesus Lizard
8. Jawbox
9. Unwound
10. NoMeansNo
Trip-Hop
1. Massive Attack
2. Portishead
3. Tricky
4. DJ Shadow
5. Björk
6. Faithless
7. Gorillaz
8. UNKLE
9. Morcheeba
10. Lamb
2. Portishead
3. Tricky
4. DJ Shadow
5. Björk
6. Faithless
7. Gorillaz
8. UNKLE
9. Morcheeba
10. Lamb
Garage Rock Revival
1. The White Stripes
2. The Strokes
3. Franz Ferdinand
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Arctic Monkeys
6. The Libertines
7. The Black Keys
8. The Fuzztones
9. Kings of Leon
10. The Hives
2. The Strokes
3. Franz Ferdinand
4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5. Arctic Monkeys
6. The Libertines
7. The Black Keys
8. The Fuzztones
9. Kings of Leon
10. The Hives
Noise Pop
1. The Jesus and Mary Chain
2. My Bloody Valentine
3. Yo La Tengo
4. Stereolab
5. Swirlies
6. Quickspace
7. The Raveonettes
8. Superchunk
9. Medicine
10. Deerhoof
2. My Bloody Valentine
3. Yo La Tengo
4. Stereolab
5. Swirlies
6. Quickspace
7. The Raveonettes
8. Superchunk
9. Medicine
10. Deerhoof
Chamber Pop
1. Belle and Sebastian
2. Arcade Fire
3. Sufjan Stevens
4. Tindersticks
5. The Decemberists
6. Anthony and the Johnsons
7. Rufus Wainwright
8. The Divine Comedy
9. The National
10. Lambchop
2. Arcade Fire
3. Sufjan Stevens
4. Tindersticks
5. The Decemberists
6. Anthony and the Johnsons
7. Rufus Wainwright
8. The Divine Comedy
9. The National
10. Lambchop
Sophisti-Pop
1. Prefab Sprout
2. Sade
3. The Blue Nile
4. Everything but the Girl
5. Level 42
6. Aztec Camera
7. Scritti Politti
8. Bryan Ferry
9. Swing Out Sister
10. Matt Bianco
2. Sade
3. The Blue Nile
4. Everything but the Girl
5. Level 42
6. Aztec Camera
7. Scritti Politti
8. Bryan Ferry
9. Swing Out Sister
10. Matt Bianco
Edited by forum members: Tim, Bones, Ryan
Last Updated: 2017-11-14
Last Updated: 2017-11-14