250 Greatest Alternative Music Artists
Criteria: 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 rock subgenres (including - but not limited to - indie rock, Britpop, grunge, shoegazing, post rock, emo, alternative dance, goth rock, dream pop, alternative country, alternative metal, alternative hip-hop and trip-hop).
Newly added names are in Red
Newly added names are in Red
1. R.E.M.
2. Nirvana
3. Radiohead
4. Talking Heads
5. The Cure
6. Sonic Youth
7. Pearl Jam
8. U2
9. The Smiths
10. Pixies
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. The Replacements
13. Elvis Costello & The Attractions
14. Joy Division
15. Nine Inch Nails
16. Green Day
17. Depeche Mode
18. Soundgarden
19. Hüsker Dü
20. Kate Bush
21. The Smashing Pumpkins
22. Beck
23. New Order
24. Dinosaur Jr.
25. Jane's Addiction
26. Echo and the Bunnymen
27. Siouxsie and the Banshees
28. Foo Fighters
29. Pavement
30. Oasis
31. Fugazi
32. XTC
33. Alice in Chains
34. Weezer
35. Minutemen
36. The Jesus and Mary Chain
37. The White Stripes
38. Tori Amos
39. Blur
40. Wire
41. My Bloody Valentine
42. Björk
43. The Jam
44. Liz Phair
45. Rage Against the Machine
46. No Doubt
47. Bauhaus
48. PJ Harvey
49. Coldplay
50. Jeff Buckley
51. The B-52's
52. Hole
53. Faith No More
54. Stone Temple Pilots
55. The Flaming Lips
56. Public Image Ltd.
57. Cocteau Twins
58. They Might Be Giants
59. Linkin Park
60. The Strokes
61. Alanis Morissette
62. My Chemical Romance
63. Paramore
64. Arctic Monkeys
65. Fiona Apple
66. Deftones
67. Mudhoney
68. Pulp
69. The Tragically Hip
70. Blink 182
71. The Killers
72. Sinéad O'Connor
73. Wilco
74. Morrissey
75. The Psychedelic Furs
76. The Offspring
77. Muse
78. Incubus
79. Violent Femmes
80. Portishead
81. Soda Stereo
82. Primal Scream
83. 10,000 Maniacs
84. INXS
85. The Stone Roses
86. Sublime
87. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
88. Modest Mouse
89. Vampire Weekend
90. The Cranberries
91. Sleater-Kinney
92. Gorillaz
93. Suede
94. Midnight Oil
95. Elliott Smith
96. Gang of Four
97. Goo Goo Dolls
98. Sarah McLachlan
99. Queens of the Stone Age
100. Superchunk
2. Nirvana
3. Radiohead
4. Talking Heads
5. The Cure
6. Sonic Youth
7. Pearl Jam
8. U2
9. The Smiths
10. Pixies
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. The Replacements
13. Elvis Costello & The Attractions
14. Joy Division
15. Nine Inch Nails
16. Green Day
17. Depeche Mode
18. Soundgarden
19. Hüsker Dü
20. Kate Bush
21. The Smashing Pumpkins
22. Beck
23. New Order
24. Dinosaur Jr.
25. Jane's Addiction
26. Echo and the Bunnymen
27. Siouxsie and the Banshees
28. Foo Fighters
29. Pavement
30. Oasis
31. Fugazi
32. XTC
33. Alice in Chains
34. Weezer
35. Minutemen
36. The Jesus and Mary Chain
37. The White Stripes
38. Tori Amos
39. Blur
40. Wire
41. My Bloody Valentine
42. Björk
43. The Jam
44. Liz Phair
45. Rage Against the Machine
46. No Doubt
47. Bauhaus
48. PJ Harvey
49. Coldplay
50. Jeff Buckley
51. The B-52's
52. Hole
53. Faith No More
54. Stone Temple Pilots
55. The Flaming Lips
56. Public Image Ltd.
57. Cocteau Twins
58. They Might Be Giants
59. Linkin Park
60. The Strokes
61. Alanis Morissette
62. My Chemical Romance
63. Paramore
64. Arctic Monkeys
65. Fiona Apple
66. Deftones
67. Mudhoney
68. Pulp
69. The Tragically Hip
70. Blink 182
71. The Killers
72. Sinéad O'Connor
73. Wilco
74. Morrissey
75. The Psychedelic Furs
76. The Offspring
77. Muse
78. Incubus
79. Violent Femmes
80. Portishead
81. Soda Stereo
82. Primal Scream
83. 10,000 Maniacs
84. INXS
85. The Stone Roses
86. Sublime
87. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
88. Modest Mouse
89. Vampire Weekend
90. The Cranberries
91. Sleater-Kinney
92. Gorillaz
93. Suede
94. Midnight Oil
95. Elliott Smith
96. Gang of Four
97. Goo Goo Dolls
98. Sarah McLachlan
99. Queens of the Stone Age
100. Superchunk
101. Belle and Sebastian
102. Meat Puppets
103. Yo La Tengo
104. The Fall
105. LCD Soundsystem
106. Sunny Day Real Estate
107. The Breeders
108. Rancid
109. The Sisters of Mercy
110. Florence + The Machine
111. Fall Out Boy
112. Primus
113. Arcade Fire
114. Guided by Voices
115. The Happy Mondays
116. The Go-Betweens
117. Bad Religion
118. Bikini Kill
119. Manic Street Preachers
120. Ministry
121. Soul Asylum
122. The Pogues
123. Bush
124. The Smithereens
125. Aimee Mann
126. Mission of Burma
127. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
128. TV on the Radio
129. The Church
130. The Verve
131. Teenage Fanclub
132. Spoon
133. Jimmy Eat World
134. Franz Ferdinand
135. Fishbone
136. Stereolab
137. Slowdive
138. Throwing Muses
139. The Alarm
140. Gin Blossoms
141. The Sugarcubes
142. Legião Urbana
143. Killing Joke
144. Camper Van Beethoven
145. The Black Keys
146. Juliana Hatfield
147. Kings of Leon
148. Third Eye Blind
149. The National
150. This Mortal Coil
151. Social Distortion
152. Galaxie 500
153. The Chameleons
154. The Mountain Goats
155. Interpol
156. Bloc Party
157. Live
158. Lush
159. The Lemonheads
160. The Charlatans
161. Death Cab for Cutie
162. 311
163. Ween
164. American Football
165. Billy Bragg
166. Silverchair
167. Ride
168. The The
169. Robyn Hitchcock
170. Placebo
171. Matchbox Twenty
172. Belly
173. Low
174. Love and Rockets
175. Neutral Milk Hotel
176. Sebadoh
177. James
178. Built to Spill
179. Screaming Trees
180. Phoenix
181. Beach House
182. Mother Love Bone
183. At the Drive-In
184. St. Vincent
185. Bright Eyes
186. Sloanv
187. The Birthday Party
188. Pere Ubu
189. Butthole Surfers
190. Panic! at the Disco
191. The Slits
192. Afghan Whigs
193. Catherine Wheel
194. Matthew Sweet
195. The Hold Steady
196. The Feelies
197. Magazine
198. AFI
199. Uncle Tupelo
200. Lorde
102. Meat Puppets
103. Yo La Tengo
104. The Fall
105. LCD Soundsystem
106. Sunny Day Real Estate
107. The Breeders
108. Rancid
109. The Sisters of Mercy
110. Florence + The Machine
111. Fall Out Boy
112. Primus
113. Arcade Fire
114. Guided by Voices
115. The Happy Mondays
116. The Go-Betweens
117. Bad Religion
118. Bikini Kill
119. Manic Street Preachers
120. Ministry
121. Soul Asylum
122. The Pogues
123. Bush
124. The Smithereens
125. Aimee Mann
126. Mission of Burma
127. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
128. TV on the Radio
129. The Church
130. The Verve
131. Teenage Fanclub
132. Spoon
133. Jimmy Eat World
134. Franz Ferdinand
135. Fishbone
136. Stereolab
137. Slowdive
138. Throwing Muses
139. The Alarm
140. Gin Blossoms
141. The Sugarcubes
142. Legião Urbana
143. Killing Joke
144. Camper Van Beethoven
145. The Black Keys
146. Juliana Hatfield
147. Kings of Leon
148. Third Eye Blind
149. The National
150. This Mortal Coil
151. Social Distortion
152. Galaxie 500
153. The Chameleons
154. The Mountain Goats
155. Interpol
156. Bloc Party
157. Live
158. Lush
159. The Lemonheads
160. The Charlatans
161. Death Cab for Cutie
162. 311
163. Ween
164. American Football
165. Billy Bragg
166. Silverchair
167. Ride
168. The The
169. Robyn Hitchcock
170. Placebo
171. Matchbox Twenty
172. Belly
173. Low
174. Love and Rockets
175. Neutral Milk Hotel
176. Sebadoh
177. James
178. Built to Spill
179. Screaming Trees
180. Phoenix
181. Beach House
182. Mother Love Bone
183. At the Drive-In
184. St. Vincent
185. Bright Eyes
186. Sloanv
187. The Birthday Party
188. Pere Ubu
189. Butthole Surfers
190. Panic! at the Disco
191. The Slits
192. Afghan Whigs
193. Catherine Wheel
194. Matthew Sweet
195. The Hold Steady
196. The Feelies
197. Magazine
198. AFI
199. Uncle Tupelo
200. Lorde
201. Silversun Pickups
202. Cage the Elephant
203. The dB's
204. The Call
205. Snow Patrol
206. Slint
207. Taking Back Sunday
208. Super Furry Animals
209. Spiritualized
210. fIREHOSE
211. Helmet
212. The Sundays
213. Tame Impala
214. The Wedding Present
215. The Chills
216. Big Black
217. Beat Happening
218. Fountains of Wayne
219. Let's Active
220. The Dismemberment Plan
221. Hum
222. The Magnetic Fields
223. Foals
224. The Jesus Lizard
225. M.I.A.
226. The 1975
227. Orange Juice
228. Broken Social Scene
229. The xx
230. The Shins
231. My Morning Jacket
232. Morphine
233. Pylon
234. Twenty One Pilots
235. Sigur Rós
236. Barenaked Ladies
237. Swans
238. The Soft Boys
239. The Mekons
240. Game Theory
241. The War on Drugs
242. Mitski
243. Big Thief
244. Héroes del Silencio
245. Phoebe Bridgers
246. Courtney Barnett
247. Billie Eilish
248. Soul Coughing
249. Alvvays
250. Our Lady Peace
202. Cage the Elephant
203. The dB's
204. The Call
205. Snow Patrol
206. Slint
207. Taking Back Sunday
208. Super Furry Animals
209. Spiritualized
210. fIREHOSE
211. Helmet
212. The Sundays
213. Tame Impala
214. The Wedding Present
215. The Chills
216. Big Black
217. Beat Happening
218. Fountains of Wayne
219. Let's Active
220. The Dismemberment Plan
221. Hum
222. The Magnetic Fields
223. Foals
224. The Jesus Lizard
225. M.I.A.
226. The 1975
227. Orange Juice
228. Broken Social Scene
229. The xx
230. The Shins
231. My Morning Jacket
232. Morphine
233. Pylon
234. Twenty One Pilots
235. Sigur Rós
236. Barenaked Ladies
237. Swans
238. The Soft Boys
239. The Mekons
240. Game Theory
241. The War on Drugs
242. Mitski
243. Big Thief
244. Héroes del Silencio
245. Phoebe Bridgers
246. Courtney Barnett
247. Billie Eilish
248. Soul Coughing
249. Alvvays
250. Our Lady Peace
 R.E.M.  Radiohead |
 The Cure  The Smiths |
 Pixies  Green Day |
100 Greatest Influences on Alternative Music
Criteria: Includes which perform non-alternative genres (including some artists which pre-date the genre, or are contemporaneous with it) which have had a noticeable and long-lasting influence on alternative rock music. Includes pre-alternative, 1970's punk, 1960's garage rock, protopunk, psychedelic rock, experimental music and electronica artists. Artists are ranked by influence on alternative music, critical acclaim from alternative music publications and popularity within the alternative music culture and community.
1. David Bowie
2. Velvet Underground
3. Neil Young
4. The Stooges
5. MC5
6. Patti Smith
7. Brian Eno
8. Scott Walker
9. Television
10. Tom Waits
11. Ramones
12. Sex Pistols
13. The Clash
14. Lou Reed
15. Iggy Pop
16. Blondie
17. Roxy Music
18. Big Star
19. Kraftwerk
20. The Sonics
21. Beastie Boys
22. New York Dolls
23. Buzzcocks
24. The Pretenders
25. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
26. Black Flag
27. X
28. The Damned
29. Captain Beefheart
30. Nick Drake
31. Devo
32. Can
33. Throbbing Gristle
34. Suicide
35. Bad Brains
36. Peter Gabriel
37. The Residents
38. Dead Kennedys
39. Syd Barrett
40. The Stranglers
41. T. Rex
42. Love
43. The 13th Floor Elevators
44. Sparks
45. Nick Lowe
46. Lucinda Williams
47. The Seeds
48. John Cale
49. The Specials
50. Richard Hell and the Voidoids
51. The Cars
52. Laurie Anderson
53. Nico
54. Stiff Little Fingers
55. Misfits
56. Los Lobos
57. Richard Thompson
58. Glenn Branca
59. Massive Attack
60. The Adverts
61. Cabaret Voltaire
62. Ian Dury and the Blockheads
63. X-Ray Spex
64. The Raincoats
65. The Fugs
66. Germs
67. Suzanne Vega
68. Flipper
68. ESG
70. Talk Talk
71. This Heat
72. Robert Wyatt
73. Graham Parker
74. Steve Earle
75. Descendents
76. The Go-Go's
77. James Chance and the Contortions
78. The Cramps
79. Dead Boys
80. De La Soul
81. A Tribe Called Quest
82. The Roots
83. Squeeze
84. The Monks
85. The Pop Group
86. Radio Birdman
87. Liquid Liquid
88. Charly Garcia
89. The Saints
90. The Gun Club
91. Dr. Feelgood
92. Tears for Fears
93. Flamin' Groovies
94. Marshall Crenshaw
95. Swell Maps
96. Johnny Thunders
97. The Prodigy
98. The Chemical Brothers
99. Living Colour
100. Crass
2. Velvet Underground
3. Neil Young
4. The Stooges
5. MC5
6. Patti Smith
7. Brian Eno
8. Scott Walker
9. Television
10. Tom Waits
11. Ramones
12. Sex Pistols
13. The Clash
14. Lou Reed
15. Iggy Pop
16. Blondie
17. Roxy Music
18. Big Star
19. Kraftwerk
20. The Sonics
21. Beastie Boys
22. New York Dolls
23. Buzzcocks
24. The Pretenders
25. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers
26. Black Flag
27. X
28. The Damned
29. Captain Beefheart
30. Nick Drake
31. Devo
32. Can
33. Throbbing Gristle
34. Suicide
35. Bad Brains
36. Peter Gabriel
37. The Residents
38. Dead Kennedys
39. Syd Barrett
40. The Stranglers
41. T. Rex
42. Love
43. The 13th Floor Elevators
44. Sparks
45. Nick Lowe
46. Lucinda Williams
47. The Seeds
48. John Cale
49. The Specials
50. Richard Hell and the Voidoids
51. The Cars
52. Laurie Anderson
53. Nico
54. Stiff Little Fingers
55. Misfits
56. Los Lobos
57. Richard Thompson
58. Glenn Branca
59. Massive Attack
60. The Adverts
61. Cabaret Voltaire
62. Ian Dury and the Blockheads
63. X-Ray Spex
64. The Raincoats
65. The Fugs
66. Germs
67. Suzanne Vega
68. Flipper
68. ESG
70. Talk Talk
71. This Heat
72. Robert Wyatt
73. Graham Parker
74. Steve Earle
75. Descendents
76. The Go-Go's
77. James Chance and the Contortions
78. The Cramps
79. Dead Boys
80. De La Soul
81. A Tribe Called Quest
82. The Roots
83. Squeeze
84. The Monks
85. The Pop Group
86. Radio Birdman
87. Liquid Liquid
88. Charly Garcia
89. The Saints
90. The Gun Club
91. Dr. Feelgood
92. Tears for Fears
93. Flamin' Groovies
94. Marshall Crenshaw
95. Swell Maps
96. Johnny Thunders
97. The Prodigy
98. The Chemical Brothers
99. Living Colour
100. Crass
 David Bowie  Patti Smith |
 Tom Waits  Nick Drake |
Edited By: Ryan
Last Updated: 2025-12-12
Last Updated: 2025-12-12
