| The evolution of music has brought forth hundreds of | | | | mainstream rap. Alternative hip-hop fuses influences |
| music variations in so many forms to the basic music | | | | from funk, rock, jazz, soul and reggae. Some of these |
| categories. This diversity in music forms have | | | | alternative hip-hop groups have somehow found |
| categorized in alternative music those ish style music | | | | themselves in mainstream success like Black Star, |
| that come as slight style alterations to most popular | | | | Mos Def, De La Soul, M.I.A., Kidz in the Hall, |
| music forms (i.e. alternative rock or rock-ish music for | | | | Consequence, Jurassic 5 and Brand Nubian. |
| rock music that does not really fit into the mainstream | | | | Electric Rock |
| genres of a particular time period). | | | | Alternative music is most often used to refer to |
| Alternative music is a category coined as a sort of | | | | alternative rock. It used to be that the word alternative |
| catch-all for those sub-genres that are unclassified but | | | | was used in the 1980s to refer to punk rock-inspired |
| can be traced with similarities to popular genres. These | | | | bands that do not belong to major record labels and |
| alternative music are usually those that were not | | | | have no clear genre association. There are a lot of |
| released commercially and are recorded on | | | | influences in alternative rock namely, grunge, Britpop, |
| independent labels. Some music from this category, | | | | gothic rock and indie pop. Most of these alternative |
| from word of mouth, would soon find its way into the | | | | rock artists were considered cult acts and recorded |
| mainstream and become commercially successful. | | | | their albums on independent labels. Their popularity was |
| Off-Country | | | | largely due to the exposure their alternative music got |
| Country music that does not conform to the prevailing | | | | in college radios and word-of-month. The band Nirvana |
| country style is generally classified as alternative music. | | | | entry in the alternative music scene has propelled the |
| Musicians playing alternative country music are | | | | popularity of several other bands playing alternative |
| generally those who do not subscribe to high | | | | rock music. Metallica is another group who made it big |
| production values and popularity concerns. Their music | | | | in the mainstream music world playing alternative rock. |
| are of lo-fi sound quality and often incorporated strong | | | | Perhaps an offshoot of alternative rock is alternative |
| punk and rock and roll qualities and contained lyrics that | | | | dance music. This kind of music combined elements of |
| are bleak, gothic or socially aware. The range of their | | | | dance-pop which includes forms of electronic house or |
| music spans American folk tune to rockabilly and | | | | techno, and alternative rock genres. Alternative dance |
| honky-tonk to a fusion of rock and country music. | | | | music can be characterized as mostly electronic, |
| Alternative country music has developed several | | | | pre-programmed beats and sequenced synthesizer |
| namesakes like Americana, neotraditional, progressive | | | | melodies. |
| country, lo-fi country, and twang core. | | | | As there will always be popular music, there will |
| Not-so-hip Hip-Hop | | | | always be a spot for alternative music. After all, there |
| The alternative version of hip hop has not been very | | | | will always be music that falls somewhere in-between, |
| popular. Artists claiming to play alternative rap or | | | | music that is somewhat like but not entirely the same |
| alternative hip hop are non-conformists who wish to | | | | as what is predominantly popular at a certain period in |
| turn from the common drug and violence-directed | | | | time. |