250 Greatest Alternative Rock Songs

[Ryan]

Background: Alternative rock music began in the mid 1980s and blossomed in the 1990s as an alternative to mainstream top 40 radio playlist formats. College and underground radio began playing independently produced music who's popularity was spread by word of mouth, non-corporate DJs, cable television and the internet... not exclusively promoted by the big record companies as in the past. In the 2000s Alternative music's popularity pushed it into the new "mainstream" with newer independent bands defining their music as "Indie Rock".

Criteria: These songs were chosen for their influence, impact and popularity in the Alternative music genre.

Edited By: Avery, Ryan
Last Updated: 2020-01-27
Newly added names are in Red

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
2. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
3. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
4. Blue Monday - New Order
5. How Soon is Now? - The Smiths
6. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
7. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
8. Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
9. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
10. Monkey Gone to Heaven - Pixies
11. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
13. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
14. Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
15. Wonderwall - Oasis
16. Just Like Heaven - The Cure
17. Cannonball - The Breeders
18. Come As You Are - Nirvana
19. Loser - Beck
20. Creep - Radiohead
21. Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
22. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
23. Song 2 - Blur
24. The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen
25. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
26. Common People - Pulp
27. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
28. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush
29. It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) - R.E.M.
30. 1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins
31. Waiting Room - Fugazi
32. Lovesong - The Cure
33. Alive - Pearl Jam
34. Radio, Radio - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
35. All Apologies - Nirvana
36. Atmosphere - Joy Division
37. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
38. Paranoid Android - Radiohead
39. There She Goes - The La's
40. Everlong - Foo Fighters
41. Buddy Holly - Weezer
42. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
43. Enjoy the Silence - Depeche Mode
44. This Charming Man - The Smiths
45. Would? - Alice in Chains
46. The One I Love - R.E.M.
47. Touch Me, I'm Sick - Mudhoney
48. Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails
49. Bastards of Young - The Replacements
50. Burning Down the House - Talking Heads
51. Lithium - Nirvana
52. Sabotage - Beastie Boys
53. New Year's Day - U2
54. Cut Your Hair - Pavement
55. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
56. Tonight, Tonight - The Smashing Pumpkins
57. Jesus Christ Pose - Soundgarden
58. Live Forever - Oasis
59. I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
60. Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
61. What I Got - Sublime
62. Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain
63. Where Is My Mind? - Pixies
64. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
65. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
66. Beds Are Burning - Midnight Oil
67. Dear God - XTC
68. Karma Police - Radiohead
69. Epic - Faith No More
70. Man in the Box - Alice in Chains
71. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
72. True Faith - New Order
73. I Melt With You - Modern English
74. Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine
75. Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
76. Left of the Dial - The Replacements
77. That's Entertainment - The Jam
78. Alison - Elvis Costello
79. When I Come Around - Green Day
80. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
81. Shine - Collective Soul
82. She's Lost Control - Joy Division
83. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
84. Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
85. Loaded - Primal Scream
86. Celebrated Summer - Hüsker Dü
87. Float On - Modest Mouse
88. Better Man - Pearl Jam
89. So Alive - Love and Rockets
90. Today - The Smashing Pumpkins
91. Academy Fight Song - Mission of Burma
92. Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana
93. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
94. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinéad O'Connor
95. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
96. You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
97. Come Out and Play - The Offspring
98. Don't Speak - No Doubt
99. Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
100. Senses Working Overtime - XTC
101. Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog
102. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
103. Big Me - Foo Fighters
104. Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
105. Under the Milky Way - The Church
106. Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
107. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
108. Champagne Supernova - Oasis
109. One Headlight - The Wallflowers
110. Man on the Moon - R.E.M.
111. Panic - The Smiths
112. No Rain - Blind Melon
113. Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes
114. Silent All These Years - Tori Amos
115. Linger - The Cranberries
116. Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
117. Girls & Boys - Blur
118. Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
119. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns - Mother Love Bone
120. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
121. Sour Times - Portishead
122. Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil
123. Summer Babe - Pavement
124. Ghost Town - The Specials
125. Back on the Chain Gang - The Pretenders
126. Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
127. Cities in Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees
128. Pictures of You - The Cure
129. Everyday is Like Sunday - Morrissey
130. Respectable Street - XTC
131. Tomorrow - Silverchair
132. Rock Lobster - The B-52's
133. Where It's At - Beck
134. Heaven Beside You - Alice in Chains
135. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
136. Pump It Up - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
137. Kool Thing - Sonic Youth
138. Rusty Cage - Soundgarden
139. Going Underground - The Jam
140. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
141. About a Girl - Nirvana
142. Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads
143. Ball and Chain - Social Distortion
144. Glycerine - Bush
145. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
146. Undone (The Sweater Song) - Weezer
147. Me, Myself & I - De La Soul
148. So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) - R.E.M.
149. Divorce Song - Liz Phair
150. Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.
151. Doll Parts - Hole
152. Even Flow - Pearl Jam
153. Lake of Fire - Meat Puppets
154. Hyperballad - Björk
155. In the End - Linkin Park
156. Best of You - Foo Fighters
157. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
158. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
159. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine
160. Connection - Elastica
161. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
162. Starlight - Muse
163. Basket Case - Green Day
164. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye & Kimbra
165. The Cutter - Echo and the Bunnymen
166. I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses
167. Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack
168. Yellow - Coldplay
169. Close to Me - The Cure
170. Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips
171. She's In Parties - Bauhaus
172. Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
173. Black - Pearl Jam
174. Mysterious Ways - U2
175. The Drowners - Suede
176. Kiss Them for Me - Siouxsie and the Banshees
177. 100% - Sonic Youth
178. No Surprises - Radiohead
179. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire
180. Drive - Incubus
181. Stupid Girl - Garbage
182. Last Nite - The Strokes
183. Disarm - The Smashing Pumpkins
184. Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest
185. Fascination Street - The Cure
186. One - U2
187. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
188. Sheela-Na-Gig - PJ Harvey
189. Sex and Candy - Marcy Playground
190. Where the Wild Roses Grow - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue
191. April Skies - The Jesus and Mary Chain
192. Start Choppin' - Dinosaur Jr.
193. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
194. 1901 - Phoenix
195. Mannequin - Wire
196. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
197. History Lesson Part II - Minutemen
198. Miss World - Hole
199. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
200. Longview - Green Day
201. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - The Smiths
202. Sugar, We're Goin' Down - Fall Out Boy
203. Clocks - Coldplay
204. Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
205. Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys
206. Damaged Goods - Gang of Four
207. Public Image - Public Image Ltd.
208. In Circles - Sunny Day Real Estate
209. The Concept - Teenage Fanclub
210. Seether - Veruca Salt
211. Heaven or Las Vegas - Cocteau Twins
212. Soon - My Bloody Valentine
213. Totally Wired - The Fall
214. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M.
215. Veronica - Elvis Costello
216. The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
217. Criminal - Fiona Apple
218. Don't Get Me Wrong - The Pretenders
219. In Bloom - Nirvana
220. Ahead By a Century - The Tragically Hip
221. Let's Go to Bed - The Cure
222. Happy House - Siouxsie and the Banshees
223. Bring on the Dancing Horses - Echo and the Bunnymen
224. Everything Counts - Depeche Mode
225. Metal Mickey - Suede
226. The Last of the Famous International Playboys - Morrissey
227. Regret - New Order
228. Dreams - The Cranberries
229. Uprising - Muse
230. This Corrosion - The Sisters of Mercy
231. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
232. Makes No Sense at All - Hüsker Dü
233. Cattle and Cane - The Go-Betweens
234. Like the Weather - 10,000 Maniacs
235. William, It Was Really Nothing - The Smiths
236. Somebody Told Me - The Killers
237. The Mayor of Simpleton - XTC
238. (Nothing But) Flowers - Talking Heads
239. Spiderwebs - No Doubt
240. Violet - Hole
241. Idioteque - Radiohead
242. Miss Misery - Elliott Smith
243. Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos
244. Royals - Lorde
245. Parklife - Blur
246. My Hero - Foo Fighters
247. Head On - The Jesus and Mary Chain
248. Ironic - Alanis Morissette
249. Big Empty - Stone Temple Pilots
250. Doin' Time - Sublime

[ManPerson]

I might be overfocusing on popularity but I'd think Where Is My Mind would be the highest ranked Pixies song.

[ManPerson]

Also, I don't see why Friday I'm In Love wouldn't be considered alternative rock. On an alt-specific list, it probably shouldn't be the highest ranked Cure song but I'd say it should be somewhere on the list.