Eli5 why rock n’ roll music in the 90s was called alternative? What was it alternative to? What defined it as a separate genre?

Question

Eli5 why rock n’ roll music in the 90s was called alternative? What was it alternative to? What defined it as a separate genre?

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Answer 1

Not all rock music in the 90s was considered “Alternative” and not all alternative music is from the 90s. Alternative began in the 80s and was the label applied to smaller bands that were considered more mature and thoughtful than the arena rock that dominated the airwaves during that era. The alternative style then grew in popularity over time, eventually breaking the mainstream through the success of bands like Nirvana and REM, at which point what was once the alternative became the mainstream.