[floatboxright:
Primary Stylistic Influences:
+ AlternativeRock, Early ElectronicMusic, NewWaveMusic, PunkRock, PostPunk, SynthPop, {{Disco}}, ElectronicDanceMusic, {{Techno}}
]
[floatboxright:
Secondary Stylistic Influences:
+ {{Industrial}}, HouseMusic, {{Techno}}, AlternativeHipHop, TripHop, KrautRock, occasional {{Grunge}}, {{Shoegaze}}, DreamPop, PsychedelicRock, {{Pop}}, {{Funk}}, early HipHop, RAndB, or ItaloDisco influences as well
]

'''Alternative Dance''' is a style of music that combines the [[BuffySpeak alternative-ness]] (and sometimes the guitars) of AlternativeRock with the, well, danceability of [[ElectronicMusic Electronic Dance Music]]. No more, no less.

It's a very eclectic genre, since Alternative Rock and Electronic Music are quite varied in and of themselves, but there are certain common threads: a greater emphasis on songwriting than in typical dance music (if such a thing can be said to exist); generally conventional (verse/chorus) song structures; lyrics that reflect the influence of Alternative Rock and are thus likely to be [[DarkerAndEdgier darker and/or more complex]] than those found in Dance Pop; and often (though not always) some combination of Rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums) and electronic music. Alternative rock in general has always been more open to non-rock influences than mainstream rock, with dance music having a significant PeripheryDemographic of alternative rock fans, largely owing to the continuing popularity of alternative dance. The genre has also served as a mutual GatewaySeries for fans of dance music and alternative rock into each other's genres. Alternative dance is so popular that even many straightahead AlternativeRock artists would create 12-inch dance mixes for club play in the '80s and '90s. In the late '80s and early '90s, alternative dance ''was'' alternative rock, for the most part. Alternative dance artists also made heavy use of the maxi-single format with numerous remixes. Even Music/SuzanneVega had a dancefloor hit with a remixed version of her ''a capella'' song "Tom's Diner" in 1990, though initially without the knowledge of Vega or her record company. The overlap between alternative and dance goes back to the late disco era, when NewWaveMusic was played in clubs as disco started to wane in the late '70s and early '80s while American rock radio largely shunned new wave in favor of ArenaRock before Creator/{{MTV}} came along. Music/TalkingHeads' appreciation for dance music showed in the band's rhythmic grooves and Music/JoyDivision managed to land on Billboard's disco chart with "Love Will Tear Us Apart".

The genre first came into existence in the [[The80s 80s]] in the aftermath of the mainstream success of NewWaveMusic and SynthPop. Arguably the first bands to play this style of music were Joy Division's successor, Music/NewOrder (who [[TropeMaker virtually invented it]] on singles like "Temptation" and, most famously, "Blue Monday"), Music/{{Yazoo}}, and Music/OrchestralManoeuvresInTheDark. These bands all combined electronic music with PostPunk rock music and had somewhat more thoughtful lyrics than was typical of the SynthPop of the day. The latter three bands came from a SynthPop background, whereas Music/NewOrder were rooted in the PostPunk of their former incarnation as Music/JoyDivision. These two genres were the largest influence on AlternativeDance, at least early on. Also, these bands were all British, as were most of the prominent bands in the early history of the genre, as the [[DiscoSucks late '70s/early '80s anti-disco backlash]] never reached British shores.

The genre became popular fairly quickly, with bands landing hits on both mainstream and underground charts in England and Europe. In America, on the other hand, the genre was primarily successful on CollegeRadio and in clubs, hence its association with Alternative Rock. Bands that achieved popularity in the later years of the '80s included Music/PetShopBoys, Erasure, Big Audio Dynamite (formed out of the ashes of PunkRock band Music/TheClash), and the entire Madchester (Music/TheStoneRoses, Music/HappyMondays, etc.) genre, which combined PunkRock and PsychedelicRock with the music of the then-booming [[HouseMusic Acid House/Rave]] scene.

The genre continued into the [[The90s 90s]], with new bands (Music/SaintEtienne, Republica, Music/{{Garbage}}, Music/{{Space}}, Music/{{Curve}}) forming and many older bands who were established in other genres [[GenreShift moving towards it]] (Music/PrimalScream, Everything But the Girl and, most famously Music/{{U2}}, who embraced the genre on their huge hit ''Music/AchtungBaby''). Also, many of the older bands experienced their biggest hits at the turn of the decade, for example, Music/NewOrder and Music/DepecheMode, music who both finally broke into the American mainstream and maintain dedicated stateside followings to this day. The popularity of Grunge generally did little to hurt the genre, and it even provided influence for some (for example, Garbage)-- many bands added heavier guitars and turntablism as a result of Grunge, HipHop, NuMetal, and (to some extent) BritPop. The "alternative" aspect also helped the genre escape the stigma toward dance-pop in the wake of the Music/MilliVanilli scandal. There was also a lot of cross-pollination betwen alternative dance and alternative rock through the decade. Many alternative bands in turn experimented with electronics and dance beats. The fact that alternative dance was [[ShapedLikeItself in and of itself alternative]] likely helped its longevity, with the distinct uniqueness of its sound and ethos helping it survive the backlash against more typical synthpop.

The genre was closely related to TripHop, which often influenced it, especially in the 90s. In fact, many Trip Hop bands can be classified as Alternative Dance as well. By nature of its inception, it's also closely related to Synth Pop, which was a major influence on and continues to be to this day, and to a lesser degree, to DreamPop, DarkWave and Industrial.

Alternative dance's ties to club and DJ culture helped keep vinyl afloat during the '90s and early 2000s, particularly in the form of the 12-inch single, before the "vinyl revival" starting in the late '00s. It also helps that alternative rock artists, labels and fans in general had embraced vinyl, keeping the LP alive during that time even as the format was mostly abandoned by major labels.

The genre continues to go strong, with many IndieRock bands (i.e. Music/LCDSoundsystem, The Rapture, Music/{{MIA}}) playing it, as well as many IndiePop artists being influenced by its electronics and danceable rhythms. Many of the recent DancePunk[=/=]{{New Wave|Music}} revival bands can be considered to belong to this genre as well. Alternative dance is also a key influence in FutureFunk, which takes {{vaporwave}} and gives it a more danceable edge.

As time has went on, the genre's sound has become more diverse, as newer genres of Electronic music have often been incorporated by new bands. However, the basics of the genre haven't changed much since the 80s.

!! Alternative Dance artists include:
[[index]]
* [[Music/ChkChkChk !!!]]
* Acceptance
* Music/ACertainRatio (also PostPunk)
* Music/{{Air|Band}}
* Music/{{Alpha}}
* Music/{{Alphaville}} (also SynthPop and NewWaveMusic)
* Annie
* [[Music/{{Eurythmics}} Annie Lennox]]
* [[Music/ApoptygmaBerzerk Apoptygma Berzerk's]] [[NewSoundAlbum later albums]] (formerly EBM/Futurepop)
* Music/ArtOfNoise
* Music/TheAsteroidsGalaxyTour
* Music/{{Aurora|Singer}}
* Music/{{Aviators}}
* Music/{{AWOLNATION}}
* Music/BagRaiders
* Music/BalkanBeatBox
* Music/{{Beck|Musician}} (also... well, [[GenreBusting a lot of things]], really.)
** 2005 - ''Music/{{Guero}}''
* Music/TheBeloved
* Music/BigAudioDynamite (formed from the ashes of Music/TheClash, incidentally)
* Music/BigData
* Music/TheBlackQueen
* Music/{{Bjork}}
** 1993 - ''Music/{{Debut}}''
** 1995 - ''Music/{{Post}}''
** 1997 - ''Music/{{Homogenic}}''
* Music/BlocParty (mainly ''Intimacy'' and ''Hymns'', though ''A Weekend in the City'' which predates the former have elements of this and more traditional AlternativeRock)
* Music/{{Blur}} (their first album is a fusion of AlternativeDance and {{Shoegazing}}, before they jumped on the {{Britpop}} bandwagon; later albums still have touches of it, though, especially ''Think Tank'')
* Music/DavidBowie (dabbled around with the genre for much of the 90's and incorporated it prominently into his work during this time, before fully diving into a drum & bass-influenced take on the genre in 1997)
** 1993 - ''Music/BlackTieWhiteNoise''
** 1995 - ''Music/{{Outside}}''
** 1997 - ''Music/{{Earthling}}''
* Music/BoysNoize
* Music/BrandNewHeavies (also Acid Jazz and AlternativeHipHop)
* Music/{{Breakbot}} (also Disco)
* Music/BronskiBeat (Also SynthPop)
** Music/TheCommunards
** Music/JimmySomerville
* Music/{{Caroline}}
* Music/CarterTheUnstoppableSexMachine
* Music/{{Casiokids}}
* Music/TheCharlatansUK (also {{Britpop}}, arguably)
* Music/TheChemicalBrothers (also BigBeat)
** 1995 - ''Music/ExitPlanetDust''
** 1997 - ''Music/DigYourOwnHole''
** 1999 - ''Music/{{Surrender|Album}}''
* Music/ChicksOnSpeed
* [[Music/ChristineAndTheQueens Christine and the Queens]]
* Chromatics (starting with 2007's ''Night Drive'', [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness previously]] [[PostPunk No Wave]])
* Music/{{Chumbawamba}} (in the 90s and early 2000s, mostly- before that, they were an Anarchist PunkRock band and later on they were FolkMusic-influenced)
* Music/{{CHVRCHES}}
* Music/CiboMatto
* Music/{{Clairity}} (AKA 7Chariot)
* Music/ClanOfXymox (also GothRock and DarkWave)
* Music/Club8
* Music/CobraStarship
* Music/{{Cornershop}} (also raga rock and {{Britpop}})
* Music/{{Crush}}
* Music/TheCruxshadows (also DarkWave)
* Music/TheCrystalMethod (also BigBeat)
* Music/{{Curve}} (the danciest of the {{Shoegazing}} bands)
* Cursor Miner ([[GenreRoulette Also]] {{Techno}}, Big Beat, TripHop, DrumNBass, {{Industrial}}, and IndustrialMetal)
* Music/CutCopy
* Music/DeathFromAbove1979 (also NoiseRock)
* Music/{{Deepsky}} (also {{Trance}} and HouseMusic)
* Music/{{Delerium}} (Music/FrontLineAssembly side project- also DreamPop)
* Music/{{Delphic}}
* Music/{{DIIV}} (also {{Shoegazing}} and {{New Wave| Music}} Revival)
* Music/DrabMajesty (also SynthPop)
* Music/{{Dubstar}} (also IndiePop and DreamPop)
* Music/{{Dubtribe}}
* Music/DuranDuran (possibly the UrExample, also {{New Wave|Music}})
* Music/DZDeathrays (combined with NoiseRock, oddly enough)
* Music/ElectricSix (combined with GarageRock and {{New Wave|Music}} Revival)
* Music/{{EMF}}
* Music/{{Erasure}}
* Music/EverythingButTheGirl
* Music/{{Faderhead}} (also {{Industrial}})
* Music/{{Faunts}} (also {{Shoegazing}})
* Music/{{Fischerspooner}} (also SynthPop)
* Music/{{Fluke|Band}} (also [[HouseMusic Progressive House]])
* Music/FreeBlood
* Music/{{Freezepop}} (also SynthPop)
* Music/{{Friends|Band}} (also {{New Wave|Music}} Revival)
* Music/JohnFrusciante (former Music/RedHotChiliPeppers guitarist) releases this under his pseudonym "Trickfinger."
* [[Music/FujiyaAndMiyagi Fujiya & Miyagi]]
* Music/FutureIslands (also {{Soul}} and {{New Wave|Music}} revival)
* Music/{{Garbage}}
* Music/GoldFields (also {{New Wave|Music}} Revival)
* Music/{{Goldfrapp}}
* Music/EllieGoulding
** 2012 - ''Music/{{Halcyon}}''
* Music/GlassAnimals
* Music/{{Glove}}
* Music/{{Grimes}} (also DreamPop)
** ''Music/{{Visions}}''
** ''Music/ArtAngels''
* Music/{{Grouplove}}
* Music/GusGus
* Music/HappyMondays
** Music/BlackGrape
* Music/HelalynFlowers (combined with IndustrialMetal and {{New Wave|Music}} revival)
* Music/{{Hellogoodbye}}
* [[Music/HolyGhost HolyGhost!]]
* Music/HotChip
* Music/HowToDestroyAngels ([[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor's]] side project, also {{Industrial}} and Ambient)
* Hubert Kah (Also SynthPop, and later GothRock)
* Music/TheHumanLeague (also SynthPop, and [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness in their early years]], DarkWave)
* Music/HungryLucy
* Music/{{iamamiwhoami}} (also DreamPop)
** Also as [[Music/{{iamamiwhoami}} Jonna Lee]] (stylized as [[AllLowercaseLetters ionnalee]])
* Music/InformationSociety
* Music/InspiralCarpets
* Music/{{Jes}}
* Music/{{Joywave}}
* Music/{{The Juan MacLean}}
* Music/JunkieXL (also BigBeat)
* Music/{{Kasabian}}
* Music/TheKnife
* Music/{{Kristine}} (also UsefulNotes/{{Synthwave}})
* Music/{{Ladytron}} (also SynthPop and DreamPop)
* Låpsley (also DreamPop)
* Music/LCDSoundsystem
* Music/LightAsylum
* Music/{{Lights}} (perhaps as close to pure Pop as the genre gets)
* Music/JohnLydon
* Music/MassiveAttack (also TripHop)
** 1998 - ''Music/{{Mezzanine}}''
* Malcolm [=McLaren=]
** 1983 - ''Music/DuckRock''
* Music/{{Metric}} (combined with {{New Wave|Music}} Revival)
* Music/{{MIA}}
** 2005 - ''Music/{{Arular}}''
** 2007 - ''Music/{{Kala}}''
* Music/MidnightResistance(also DarkWave and Futurepop)
* Music/NationOfLanguage (also SynthPop and {{New Wave| Music}} revival)
* Music/TheNewDivision
* Music/NewOrder (TropeMaker)
** 1983 - ''Music/PowerCorruptionAndLies''
** 1985 - ''Music/LowLife''
** 1986 - ''Music/{{Brotherhood}}''
** 1987 - ''Music/SubstanceNewOrderAlbum''
** 1989 - ''Music/{{Technique}}''
** 1993 - ''Music/{{Republic}}''
** 2001 - ''Music/GetReady''
** 2015 - ''Music/MusicComplete''
** Music/{{Electronic}}
** Revenge
** The Other Two
* Music/NewPolitics
* Music/NewYesterday
* Music/{{Odesza}}
* Music/OneDove
* Music/OrchestralManoeuvresInTheDark (also SynthPop and NewWaveMusic)
* Music/ParadeOfLights
* Music/PassionPit
* Music/{{Peaches}}
* Music/{{Pendulum|Band}} (also DrumAndBass)
* Music/PetShopBoys
* Music/{{Phoenix}}
* Music/PizzicatoFive
* Music/{{Portishead}} (also TripHop)
** 1994 - ''Music/{{Dummy}}''
* Music/PrimalScream
** 1991 - ''Music/{{Screamadelica}}'' onwards (with the exception of ''Give Out But Don't Give Up'' and ''Riot City Blues'')
** 1997 - ''Music/VanishingPoint''
* Music/TheProdigy (also BigBeat)
** 1992 - ''Music/{{Experience}}''
** 1994 - ''Music/MusicForTheJiltedGeneration''
** 1997 - ''Music/TheFatOfTheLand''
* Music/{{Propellerheads}} (also BigBeat)
* Music/PublicServiceBroadcasting
* Music/{{Pulp}} (also BritPop and {{New Wave| Music}})
* Music/TheRapture (also {{New Wave|Music}} Revival)
* Music/RealLife (also SynthPop, {{New Wave| Music}}, and DarkWave)
* Music/RenegadeSoundwave (also {{Industrial}})
* Music/{{Republica}}
* Music/RyeRye (combined with AlternativeHipHop)
* Music/SaintEtienne
* Music/SaltAshes
* Music/{{Santigold}}
* Music/ScissorSisters
* Music/TheShamen
* Music/ShinyToyGuns
* Music/{{Shriekback}} (also PostPunk)
* Music/SianEvans
* Music/SimianMobileDisco
* Music/SisterMachineGun (also {{Industrial}})
* Music/SneakerPimps
* Music/{{Snog}} (also {{Industrial}})
* Music/{{Soulwax}}
* Music/{{Space}}
** 1996 - ''Music/{{Spiders|Album}}''
** 2004 - ''[[Music/SuburbanRockNRoll Suburban Rock 'n' Roll]]''
* [[Music/StereoMCs Stereo MC's]] (also Acid Jazz and AlternativeHipHop)
* Music/TheStoneRoses
** 1989 - ''Music/{{The Stone Roses|Album}}''
* Music/{{Tricky}} (also TripHop)
** 1995 - ''Music/{{Maxinquaye}}''
* Music/{{U2}} (mostly during the 90's, but occasionally since then)
** 1991 - ''Music/AchtungBaby''
** 1993 - ''Music/{{Zooropa}}''
** 1997 - ''Music/{{Pop|Album}}''
* Music/WalkTheMoon
** 2014 - ''Talking is Hard''
* Music/{{Wedlock}}
* Music/KimWilde (Also SynthPop and {{New Wave| Music}})
* Music/{{Yazoo}} (also SynthPop)
** Alison Moyet
[[/index]]
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