WTF is Alternative?

[Iron Maiden]

According to Cambridge Online Dictionary alternative is described as things that are considered to be unusual and which tend to have a small but enthusiastic group of people who support them.

This is from last.fm.

The Alternative Tag offers 107,877 people who have used the tag, a total of 869,688. I'd hardly call this a small support base considering that the rock tag offers 165,473 people who have used the tag, a total of 1,722,338. Alternative has approx 2/3s (66.7%) of the number of times used as Rock - one of the widest fought genres in musical history.

Why though?

Well lets take a further look. The top ten artists of the A.T. (by tag times, not plays) are (in order):-
Radiohead, Muse, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Placebo, The Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, The White Stripes, Bj

[MentaL]

[thefalling]

"The term "alternative" was coined in the 1980s to describe punk rock-inspired bands on independent record labels that did not fit into the mainstream genres of the time."-wikipedia


I guess alternative means a non mainstream band which is unique, but what if that band suddenly gains a shit load of attention, through their unique music, does it become pop, or does it stay alternative?

Iron, why do you care what other people label their music as?

[Iron Maiden]

Iron, why do you care what other people label their music as?

Because they are wrong. And this genre is nothing but a load of bullshit.

[Vendaku~Metal]

Iron Maiden - 1
Nubcakes - 0

[thefalling]

[BrokenHero]

The term alternative, used on Last FM, is meant to distance these band from more mainstream artists, such as 50 Cent or Britney as two examples, of course we could debate sub-genres or how decent a band is, but the majority of people visiting the site will know that alternative groups all these bands together. While your first point valid, Radiohead hadn't launched their album to be cool, they were merely trying a different approach, if you'd researched this approach more throughly, you'd realise they were going to try in 2003 with Hail to the Theif and that many studios leak albums on sites like limewire beforehand. Radiohead are just making it avaible to everyone at the same time, cutting out the middle man, which is pretty cool in an age run by industry who controls everything. But hey, each to their own, you make a valid, if flawed point.

[Gladstone]

Because they are wrong. And this genre is nothing but a load of bullshit.

So? Who cares? Stop being such an elitist pedant, or at least be more creative with your criticisms.

[Iron Maiden]

So? Who cares? Stop being such an elitist pedant, or at least be more creative with your criticisms.

Well, let me tell you why more people should care. If someone starts labeling a band alternative when they aren't and more people do the same...it becomes a habit to do this to other bands. Eventually if enough people start doing it...it becomes true which in my opinion is nothing but conforming to the norm. Being the person that I am, I say fuck conformity and fuck the norm. Those things are for people who have no way of individually expressing themselves through artistic forms such as music.

And how am I a pedant? That makes no sense whatsoever. Use more than one sentence if you're going to insult me.

Because I am NOT:
1. a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning.
2. a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details. (Well maybe a little when it comes to labeling genres in music :tongue1:)
3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense.

[Junkers]

He makes a point, and Iron Maiden knows his music.

What I don't get is why they labeled Bjork 'alternative'. Since when has some Icelandic twat been alternative?

[Infumous]

It's just an individuals perspective on music, and you can't do much about.

- Infumous