The term alternative music started as a general term to describe the music of the late 80's that did not fit in well with the current mainstream music. Often times these bands were on smaller independent record labels that did not receive the exposure on radio and television like bands on larger labels did. These bands were the alternative to popular mainstream music, hence the term alternative. Many sub-genres have emerged because of the wide array of different types of music that could be categorized as alternative. Some of these sub-genres are gothic rock, grunge, and Britpop. Most bands that are considered alternative have punk rock roots or influences. The genre sort of spawned from the punk rock of the 80's when punk was not so easily accessible to the mainstream. A lot of the music that is considered to be under the umbrella of alternative contains loud guitars and vocals about social concern.

Although alternative acts in the 80's rarely went on to enjoy mainstream success, they set the path for the booming alternative movement in the 90s. Alternative music ironically became the mainstream in the early 90's with bands like Nirvana enjoying huge success with commercial radio. The success of Nirvana opened the doors for a plethora of other alternative acts to cross over to mainstream success. This also turned Seattle, WA into a mecca for underground and alternative music. With its rainy weather and grunge music scene Seattle became the cultural hub of alternative in the 90s. Many bands that went on to enjoy success later found themselves reverting back to their alternative roots and rejecting large record labels and companies.

In the United Kingdom alternative rock takes a more pop-oriented stance. Since the 1980's alternative music has been played by popular station BBC Radio 1. Very few British alternative bands have achieved success in the United States. This may be due to the fact that the lyrics in British alternative songs generally deal with things of British concern. Australia also has produced a number of popular alternative bands. Bands like Silverchair and the Vines have gone on to have successful careers in the US.

Alternative music became very popular in the 1990's thanks in part to MTV and Lollapalooza. Lollapalooza is a large concert with some of alternative music's most popular acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, and Nine Inch Nails. The popularity of alternative in the 90's caused many bands to be labeled as alternative so that the media could capitalize on their success. Throughout the later years of the 90s and early 2000s alternative began to become less popular with the ending of the Lollapalooza concert and the breakup of many bands. Today many independent artists and record labels are breaking through to the mainstream. This mixed with the return of Lollapalooza is causing resurgence in alternative music's popularity.