Greatest Alternative Rock Sub-genre Artists

rock bands R.E.M. and Sonic Youth
Criteria: These Alternative Music 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 sub-genres (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).

Last Updated: 2017-11-14
Greatest Alternative Rock Sub-genre Artists
  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
  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
Alternative rock music band R.E.M.
R.E.M.
Alternative rock music band Faith No More
Faith No More
Alternative rock music band Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Alternative rock music band Pavement
Pavement
Alternative rock music artist Elliot Smith
Elliot Smith
Alternative rock music band Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth






  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  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
  Shoegaze
  1. My Bloody Valentine
  2. Slowdive
  3. Ride
  4. Lush
  5. Catherine Wheel
  6. Swervediver
  7. Curve
  8. Pale Saints
  9. Boo Radleys
10. Swirlies
  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
  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
  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
  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
  Trip-Hop
  1. Massive Attack
  2. Portishead
  3. Tricky
  4. DJ Shadow
  5. Björk
  6. Faithless
  7. Gorillaz
  8. UNKLE
  9. Morcheeba
10. Lamb
  Post Punk Revival
  1. Interpol
  2. The National
  3. Franz Ferdinand
  4. The Walkmen
  5. British Sea Power
  6. Les Savy Fav
  7. Bloc Party
  8. The Rapture
  9. Editors
10. The Sounds
  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
  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
  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
  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








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