200 Greatest Alternative Rock Albums

album covers Nevermind and Remain in Light
Criteria: Albums are ranked by their influence, impact, and popularity. List includes albums from alternative rock, post-punk and new wave artists, as well as albums from artists in the various alternative rock subgenres (including - but not limited to - indie rock, Britpop, grunge, shoegazing, post rock, emo, alternative dance, trip-hop, goth rock and dream pop).

Last Updated: 2017-05-04
Newly added names are in  Red 
Greatest Alternative Rock Albums
  1. Nevermind - Nirvana
  2. Remain in Light - Talking Heads
  3. Murmur - R.E.M.
  4. OK Computer - Radiohead
  5. The Joshua Tree - U2
  6. Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth
  7. The Queen is Dead - The Smiths
  8. Doolittle - Pixies
  9. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
10. Disintegration - The Cure
11. This Year's Model - Elvis Costello & the Attractions
12. Ten - Pearl Jam
13. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - Smashing Pumpkins
14. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
15. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
16. Kid A - Radiohead
17. Superunknown - Soundgarden
18. Surfer Rosa - Pixies
19. Zen Arcade - Hüsker Dü
20. The Smiths - The Smiths
21. Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers
22. Automatic for the People - R.E.M.
23. The Bends - Radiohead
24. The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails
25. In Utero - Nirvana
26. Violator - Depeche Mode
27. Slanted & Enchanted - Pavement
28. My Aim is True - Elvis Costello
29. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
30. Psychocandy - The Jesus and Mary Chain
31. Pink Flag - Wire
32. 13 Songs - Fugazi
33. Odelay - Beck
34. Let it Be - The Replacements
35. Dookie - Green Day
36. Achtung Baby - U2
37. Exile in Guyville - Liz Phair
38. (What's the Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
39. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain - Pavement
40. You're Living All Over Me - Dinosaur Jr.
41. Double Nickels on the Dime - Minutemen
42. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
43. Closer - Joy Division
44. Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
45. Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction
46. Weezer (The Blue Album) - Weezer
47. Grace - Jeff Buckley
48. Parklife - Blur
49. Debut - Bjork
50. Screamadelica - Primal Scream
51. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
52. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
53. Entertainment! - Gang of Four
54. Document - R.E.M.
55. Siamese Dream - The Smashing Pumpkins
56. Goo - Sonic Youth
57. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrissette
58. War - U2
59. Suede - Suede
60. The Holy Bible - Manic Street Preachers
61. This Nation's Saving Grace - The Fall
62. New Day Rising - Hüsker Dü
63. Tim - The Replacements
64. Different Class - Pulp
65. Bee Thousand - Guided by Voices
66. Speaking in Tongues - Talking Heads
67. English Settlement - XTC
68. Spiderland - Slint
69. Pinkerton - Weezer
70. Out of Time - R.E.M.
71. Dirt - Alice in Chains
72. Elephant - The White Stripes
73. Ocean Rain - Echo and the Bunnymen
74. Pornography - The Cure
75. Definitely Maybe - Oasis
76. Badmotorfinger - Soundgarden
77. Armed Forces - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
78. Vs. - Mission of Burma
79. Metal Box - Public Image Ltd.
80. Power, Corruption & Lies - New Order
81. The Colour and the Shape - Foo Fighters
82. The Unforgettable Fire - U2
83. Funeral - Arcade Fire
84. Is This It - The Strokes
85. Skylarking - XTC
86. On Fire - Galaxie 500
87. It'll End in Tears - This Mortal Coil
88. Fear of Music - Talking Heads
89. I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One - Yo La Tengo
90. The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips
91. Rid of Me - PJ Harvey
92. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos
93. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
94. Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt
95. White Blood Cells - The White Stripes
96. Diesel and Dust - Midnight Oil
97. The Head on the Door - The Cure
98. Purple - Stone Temple Pilots
99. Kaleidoscope - Siouxsie and the Banshees
100. The Moon and Antarctica - Modest Mouse

101. Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
102. Dummy - Portishead
103. If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian
104. Laughing Stock - Talk Talk
105. Chairs Missing - Wire
106. Gorillaz - Gorillaz
107. Sister - Sonic Youth
108. Hex Enduction Hour - The Fall
109. Souvlaki - Slowdive
110. In the Flat Field - Bauhaus
111. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me - The Cure
112. Smash - The Offspring
113. Sublime - Sublime
114. Vs. - Pearl Jam
115. More Songs About Buildings and Food - Talking Heads
116. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys
117. Green - R.E.M.
118. Superfuzz Bigmuff - Mudhoney
119. Bleach - Nirvana
120. Meat is Murder - The Smiths
121. Emperor Tomato Ketchup - Stereolab
122. In Rainbows - Radiohead
123. Urban Hymns - The Verve
124. Flood - They Might Be Giants
125. Post - Bjork
126. Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate
127. Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
128. Ritual de lo Habitual - Jane's Addiction
129. In My Tribe - 10,000 Maniacs
130. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
131. Repeater - Fugazi
132. Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise
133. Argybargy - Squeeze
134. No Depression - Uncle Tupelo
135. Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park
136. Tender Prey - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
137. All Mod Cons - The Jam
138. Vitalogy - Pearl Jam
139. Make Yourself - Incubus
140. Nowhere - Ride
141. Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches - Happy Mondays
142. Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains
143. Either/Or - Elliot Smith
144. Hot Fuss - The Killers
145. New Miserable Experience - Gin Blossoms
146. Dry - PJ Harvey
147. Blur - Blur
148. Script of the Bridge - The Chameleons
149. Viva Hate - Morrissey
150. Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space - Spiritualized
151. Californication - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
152. Core - Stone Temple Pilots
153. II - Meat Puppets
154. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
155. 69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields
156. Black Holes and Revelations - Muse
157. 16 Lovers Lane - The Go-Betweens
158. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
159. Crazy Rhythms - The Feelies
160. Killing Joke - Killing Joke
161. 154 - Wire
162. Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers
163. Isn't Anything - My Bloody Valentine
164. Music for the Masses - Depeche Mode
165. Sound Affects - The Jam
166. Never for Ever - Kate Bush
167. Pork Soda - Primus
168. Mellow Gold - Beck
169. Treasure - Cocteau Twins
170. Angel Dust - Faith No More
171. Garbage - Garbage
172. First Issue - Public Image Ltd.
173. Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub
174. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Sinead O'Connor
175. Dig Me Out - Sleater-Kinney
176. Vauxhall and I - Morrissey
177. Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - The Cranberries
178. () - Sigur Rós
179. Songs About Fucking - Big Black
180. EVOL - Sonic Youth
181. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys
182. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
183. Cure for Pain - Morphine
184. Mogwai Young Team - Mogwai
185. Strangeways, Here We Come - The Smiths
186. Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters
187. Spooky - Lush
188. Gentlemen - Afghan Whigs
189. Return to Cookie Mountain - TV on the Radio
190. Frogstomp - Silverchair
191. Mother Love Bone - Mother Love Bone
192. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
193. Blue Lines - Massive Attack
194. Last Splash - The Breeders
195. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
196. Girlfriend - Matthew Sweet
197. Ill Communication - Beastie Boys
198. Fever to Tell - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
199. Alien Lanes - Guided by Voices
200. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters



Nevermind album cover - Nirvana
Remain in Light album cover
Murmur - R.E.M. album cover
Joshua Tree album album cover
OK Computer album cover - Radiohead
Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth album cover
The Queen is Dead - The Smiths album cover
Doolittle - Pixies album cover





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