Most Alternative Bands

The Top Ten
1 Can Can was a German experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968 by the core quartet of Holger Czukay (bass), Irmin Schmidt (keyboards), Michael Karoli (guitar), and Jaki Liebezeit (drums). The group cycled through several vocalists, including Malcolm Mooney ('68–70) and Damo Suzuki ...read more.
2 Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of 5 members - David Gilmour (Vocals and Guitar), Syd Barrett (Vocals and Guitar), Nick Mason (Drums), Roger Waters (Vocals and Bass), and Richard Wright (Vocals and Keyboard). Barrett was replaced by Gilmour in 1968. ...read more.

Maybe back in the 60s, during their psychedelic days with Barrett, but since then they've became one of the most well known classic rock bands, and classic rock is very not alternative.

Classic Rock? I would rather say art rock

3 Patti Smith Group Patti Smith Group was a rock group formed by Patti Smith in 1974 alongside guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later with a full band comprising Kaye, Ivan Kral on guitar and bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl on piano.
4 Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, and rounded out the core line-up.
5 The Pixies The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances, but reunited in 2004. The group currently consists of founders Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering.
6 The Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project were a British progressive rock band, active between 1975 and 1990, consisting of Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson surrounded by a varying number of session musicians and some relatively consistent band members such as guitarist Ian Bairnson, bassist and vocalist David Paton, ...read more.
7 Nirvana Nirvana was an American grunge band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana disbanded after Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. The drummer of the band, David Grohl, went on to start the Foo-Fighters, an alternative rock band. ...read more.
8 Tortoise
9 Jethro Tull Jethro Tull are a British rock group, formed in Luton, Bedfordshire, in December 1967. Initially playing blues rock, the band soon developed its sound to incorporate elements of British folk music and hard rock to forge a progressive rock signature.
10 Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison.

If you came till here you deserved this poem by me:

There's an world of guitars unknown, silently playing out of tune
A world that may will fall apart too soon
A boy with two fingers, a guitar with four strings
In an poor favela where no bird sings
alone, the notes silently fade away

And the houses are burning
And still the world keeps turning
And the notes silently fade away

And the night still is dark, and the day still is bright
And the left is still left, and the boy's still not alright
And all along the old way
alone, the notes silently fade away

The Contenders
11 The Microphones
12 My Bloody Valentine My Bloody Valentine is a Irish shoegazing band from Dublin, formed in 1983, which consists of guitarist, producer, samplist, and vocalist Kevin Shields, drummer and samplist Colm Ó Cíosóig, bassist Debbie Googe, and later on in their early career vocalist, and guitarist Bilinda Butcher. ...read more.
13 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band, active between 1964 and 1973, formed in New York City.
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