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Top 10 Alternative Rock ActsOriginally posted 6/22/2022. January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog! To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This fourteenth class of music maker inductees is comprised of the top alternative rock acts (see the full top 100 list here). These are the top 10 from that list, minus previous inductee David Bowie. |
Elvis Costello (1954-)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| New wave/punk rock singer/songwriter born in London in 1954. Inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Alison” ranks as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s top 200 songs of all time. “Radio Radio” ranks as one of the top 50 punk rock songs of all time. “Pump It Up” and “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding” are both in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s top 500 songs of all time. “Veronica” and “The Other Side of Summer” both topped the alternative rock chart. My Aim Is True, This Year’s Model, Armed Forces and Imperial Bedroom rank in the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more. |  |
Nirvana (active 1987-1994)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Pioneering grunge group formed in Aberdeen, Washington, by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain with bassist Krist Novoselic and eventual drummer Dave Grohl. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era and the Grammy Hall of Fame. That song, “Come As You Are,” and “All Apologies” rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. They charted 13 times on the mainstream and/or alternative rock chart, including five #1’s. Nevermind is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Recording Registry. That album, In Utero, MTV Unplugged in New York, and their self-titled 2002 greatest-hits collection rank in the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more. |  |
Pearl Jam (active 1990-)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Grunge band formed in 1990 in Seattle, Washington by singer Eddie Vedder, bassist Jeff Ament, and guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. “Alive” and “Jeremy” rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. They reached the mainstream and/or alternative rock chart 46 times from 1992 to 2020, including seven #1’s. Ten is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. That album, Vs., and Vitalogy all rank in the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more. |  |
The Police (active 1977-1986) / StingInducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Singer/bassist Sting, guitarist Andy Summers, and drummer Stewart Copeland formed The Police formed in Newcastle, England, in 1977. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sting has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and “Every Breath You Take” rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. The latter is in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era and won the Grammy for Song of the Year. The Police reached the mainstream rock chart 11 times, including three #1’s. Sting reached the mainstream and/or alternative rock chart 17 times, including 4 #1’s. All five of the Police’s studio albums rank in the top 1000 albums of all time, as does Sting’s first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Synchronicity is also featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century and is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Read more. |  |
Radiohead (active 1985-)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| The experimental rock group formed in Oxford, England, in 1985 with singer Thom Yorke, brothers Johnny Greenwood (guitar) and Colin Greenwood (bass), guitarist Ed O’Brien and drummer Phil Selway. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. “Creep” and “Paranoid Android” rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. The Bends and OK Computer are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century. The latter is also in the National Recording Registry. Those albums as well as Kid A, Hail to the Thief, and In Rainbows also rank the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more. |  |
R.E.M. (active 1980-2011)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Rock group formed in Athens, Georgia, by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry. The band have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Radio Free Europe,” “The One I Love,” “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Everybody Hurts,” and “Losing My Religion” rank in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. The latter is also featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era. They reached the alternative rock and/or mainstream rock chart with 39 songs, including nine #1’s. Murmur and Automatic for the People are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century. They have five more albums that rank in the top 1000 albums of all time. Read more. |  |
The Smiths (active 1982-1987) / Morrissey (1959-)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Rock group formed in 1982 in Manchester, England, by singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce. “How Soon Is Now?” ranks in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. It’s one of four of their songs that rank in the DMDB’s top new wave/college rock songs. The Queen Is Dead is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century. As a solo act, Morrissey reached the alternative rock chart a dozen times, including #1 with “Tomorrow” and “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get.” Read more. |  |
U2 (1976-)Inducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| Rock group formed in Dublin, Ireland, by Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitar), Adam Clayton (bass), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a Kennedy Center Honoree. Charted on the mainstream rock and/or alternative rock chart with 60 songs, including 14 #1 songs. They have seven songs in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs, including “With or Without You,” which is also featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Rock Era, and “Beautiful Day,” which is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Songs of the Digital Era and won Grammys for Song and Record of the Year. They have 12 albums that rank in the top 1000 albums of all time, including The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, which are featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century. Read more. |  |
The Velvet Underground (active 1965-1970) / Lou ReedInducted June 2022 as a “Top 10 Alternative Rock Act” |
| The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed have both been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Velvet Underground also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. VU’s songs “Heroin” and “Sweet Jane” are on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list. Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” ranks in the DMDB’s top 1% of songs. he also topped the alternative rock chart with “Dirty Blvd.” and “What’s Good.” Velvet Underground & Nico is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century. All four of the band’s studio albums rank in the top 1000 albums of all time, as do Reed’s albums Transformer and Berlin. Read more. |  |
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