This is a timeline of alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1970s to the present.
1976 - 1977 - 1978 - 1979 - 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - 1990 - 1991 - 1992 - 1993 - 1994 - 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
- Events
- Sub Pop is founded as the fanzine Subterranean Pop.
1981
1982
1983
- Events
- WFNX, one of the first commercial stations to play alternative rock, begins broadcasting.
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
- Events
- Mother Love Bone and Mudhoney form from members of Green River after they break up.
1989
1990
- Disbandments
- Camper Van Beethoven
- Mother Love Bone
1991
- Disbandments
- Galaxie 500
- Jane's Addiction
- The Replacements
- Events
- Nirvana releases Nevermind, popularizing grunge in the mainstream, especially due to the hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
- Temple of the Dog, made up of members of Soundgarden and the newly formed Pearl Jam, releases thier first and only album as a tribute to Andrew Wood.
- The first ever Lollapalooza takes place.
- The term riot grrl is coined by Alison Wolfe of Bratmobile.
1992
1993
- Events
- Nirvana plays MTV Unplugged in New York on November 18.
- Beck's "Loser" becomes a hit single.
- The Offspring releases Smash, becoming one of the best selling albums from an independent record label of all time. Along with the release of Green Day's Dookie, it repopularizes punk rock in the mainstream.
- Mazzy Star has some success with the single "Fade Into You", becoming the biggest hit for dream pop in the mainstream.
1994
- Events
- Kurt Cobain of Nirvana dies on April 19.
- Kristen Pfaff of Hole dies on June 16.
- Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" becomes a hit single; some cite it as the last major hit of the grunge era.
1995
- Disbandments
- American Music Club
- Meat Puppets
- Events
- Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon is found dead on October 21.
- Ska becomes popular, with bands such as No Doubt, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Sublime seeing commercial success.
- Folk Implosion has a hit single with "Natural One".
- Mad Season, a band made up of members of Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and the Screaming Trees, forms and breaks up in the same year.
1996
- Disbandments
- Screaming Trees
- The Pogues
- The Stone Roses
- Events
- Jonathan Melvoin of The Smashing Pumpkins dies on July 12.
- Alice in Chains makes their last appearance on MTV Unplugged.
- Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar is released, becoming industrial music's most successful album.
- Hype!, a documentary about the grunge scene of the early 1990s, is released.
1997
- Disbandments
- Porno for Pyros
- Soundgarden - believed by many to signal the end of grunge's mainstream success.
- Throwing Muses
- Events
- Jane's Addiction reunites; later that year, they disband again.
- On haitus while Scott Weiland is in rehab, members of The Stone Temple Pilots form Talkshow; the new band lasts for only a short time.
1998
- Events
- For the first year since it began, Lollapalooza does not take place, and goes on hiatus for 6 years.
1999
- Disbandments
- Blind Melon - after years of struggling to continue on without Shannon Hoon.
- The Jesus Lizard
- The Jesus and Mary Chain
- Luscious Jackson
- Pavement
- The Verve
- Events
- John Baker Saunders of Mad Season dies.
- Despite rumors of disbanding, The Stone Temple Pilots return to recording.
2000
- Disbandments
- Letters to Cleo
- Rage Against the Machine
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Soul Coughing
- Events
- The Smashing Pumpkins have their last concert on December 2.
- The Smashing Pumpkins release MACHINA II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music for free to music downloaders on the internet.
- The Meat Puppets reunite.
2001
2002
- Events
- Layne Staley of Alice in Chains dies on April 19, the 8th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death.
- Jane's Addiction reunites again.
- Nirvana's "You Know You're Right", a previously unreleased song, becomes a hit single.
2003
- Events
- The first Lollapalooza in 6 years takes place.
2004
- Disbandments
- The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
- Events
- The Pixies reunite.
- Lollapalooza is cancelled due to low ticket sales.
2005
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