People or bands performing independent/alternative music.
- 311 - This band's mix of rock, reggae, and rap made them quite popular in the 90s and 2000s.
- The 1975 - This English/British group has gained quite a bit of popularity in late 2013.
- 10,000 Maniacs - Alternative Rock group from the Hudson Valley; lead singer Natalie Merchant later had some solo success.
- A Day to Remember - An unusual mix of Metalcore and Pop Punk gave them some national exposure.
- The Academy Is - Popular punk-pop band of the early '00s, with a knack for theatrics.
- Adam and the Couch Potatoes - A kid-friendly rock band.
- Ryan Adams - He has done punk, rock, country, and Black Metal!
- AFI - A hardcore punk band who later adopted a new sound and scored a top 40 pop hit.
- The Age of Information
- Alamaailman Vasarat - They describe their music as "kebab-kosher-jazz-film-traffic-punk-music."
- The Alarm
- Steve Albininote - Both a musician and a producer; also known for his big mouth.
- Alice in Chains - One of the most respected Alternative Metal bands, the combine 90s grunge with Doom and Sludge Metal and are also notable for their eclectic acoustic work.
- The All-American Rejects
- All Time Low - A pop-punk band who have a big fanbase despite not having any mainstream hits.
- Alter Bridgenote - After Creed broke up, a new lead singer joined the instrumentalists. They were much better received than their predecessor.
- Alt-J
- Tori Amos - A singer-songwriter-pianist, this critically acclaimed musician is known as a feminist icon.
- 1992 - Little Earthquakes
- Analog Rebellion
- Anberlin - They came out of nowhere with a massive rock hit in 2009. They have since scored a few more hits.
- Andrew Jackson Jihad
- Angels & Airwavesnote - A side project of Tom DeLonge of blink-182. The group had a more indie-rock/80s feel rather than blink-182's punk style. Self produces and releases their music under their label To The Stars Records.
- Animal Collective - An indie-rock band with a lot of critical acclaim.
- 2009 - Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Anouk
- The Antlers - A former solo project-turned band known for their incredibly depressing lyrical content.
- 2009 - Hospice
- Antony and the Johnsons
- A Perfect Circle - Led by Maynard Keenan of Tool, this supergroup also features members of The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails.
- Fiona Apple - Acclaimed performer whose angst-ridden, piano-based songs represent a new stage in the female singer-songwriter movement/
- Arcade Fire - A Canadian indie pop band formed in Montreal. The band's third album, The Suburbs was awarded the 2011 Grammy for Album of the Year, which many music writers claim is a Moment of Awesome for the band, their label Merge Records, and the indie rock genre as a whole.
- 2004 - Funeral
- 2010 - The Suburbs
- Arctic Monkeys - The first band to ever become really successful through the internet.
- 2006 - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
- 2013 - AM
- Area 11 - The first band to play "Gaijin Rock", a mix of J-Pop and Western Rock. Lyrics filled with anime references, but subtle enough not to alienate non-anime fans.
- Art of Dyingnote - Exposure on WWE Television helped this band score a few rock hits in the 2010s.
- Ash - A Britpop band who love Science Fiction and Star Wars.
- Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Although they are popular in Japan, they are best known for making anime themes elsewhere.
- Audioslave note - A supergroup featuring Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against the Machine. Their style reflects Soundgarden's more than Rage Against the Machine's.
- AURORA - A singer/songwriter from Bergen, Norway.
- AWOLNATION - A solo project of Aaron Bruno and a creative outler for the songwriter.
- The B-52s
- Banks - Indie Pop singer who rose to prominence through SoundCloud.
- Barenaked Ladies - Canadian rock band who scored an unlikely number-one song on the Hot 100.
- Basehead - Alternative Rock and Alternative Hip Hop group from Washington, D.C. usually comprised of Michael Ivey and whoever he can get to play with him. Or an electronic tracker musician named Dan Gardopée, who has contributed to the Unreal soundtrack.
- Bastille
- Bat for Lashes - Actually just one singer who can play the piano, harpischord, and autoharp.
- Fur and Gold (2006)
- Battles - Experimental rock group from the turn of the millennium.
- Beach House - Unlike most dream pop bands, they aim for a certain "theme" with their music.
- Beat Happening - An influential band in the lo-fi and twee pop movements.
- The Beautiful South - An English alternative pop rock group that ran from The '80s to the Turn of the Millennium.
- Beck - While he had one huge American hit in 1994, he remains an influential figure on indie-rock.
- Mellow Gold (1994)
- Odelay (1996)
- Guero (2005)
- Belle and Sebastian: Scottish band noted for its similarities to Bob Dylan and The Smiths.
- blink-182: note American band that started off playing pop punk, gaining a string of hit singles in the early to mid 2000s. Started shifting to a mixture of alternative and pop punk in 2003. As of their 2012 split from Interscope, they've been self-releasing/producing their music and also incorporating some of the indie rock sound of related sideproject, Angels & Airwaves.
- Geoff Berner
- Best Coast - American indie rock band recognizable for their fuzzy, low-fidelity sound in the vein of Surf Rock.
- Better Than Ezra
- Bi-2 - A Russian Alternative Rock band that incorporates elements of Post-Punk, Industrial and Indie Pop and has roots in Absurdism theatre.
- Biffy Clyro - The Scottish band has been popular for a few years before The X Factor gave them mainstream attention.
- Big Blacknote - Post-Hardcore band who became popular within the underground music community for their distinctive "clanky" guitar playing, the use of drum machine instead of a drum kit (predating its use in Industrial Metal), and their dark and explicit lyrical content.
- Songs About Fucking (1987)
- BIGMAMA - Japanese Alternative Rock band known for their incorporation of live strings and Classical Music elements, often quoting classical passages.
- Billy Talent - This Canadian band has gained exposure in both their homeland and other countries through festivals.
- Birdeatsbaby - Brighton based band who attracted attention for their strange and dark videos. Influenced by punk and classical music.
- Bitter Ruin - Best known for playing before Amanda Palmer.
- The Black Keys - A Grammy-winning Blues Rock band hailing from Akron, Ohio.
- BORNS - Indie Pop and rock singer with psychadelic pop influences praised by Taylor Swift.
- Brothers (2010)
- Black Light Burnsnote - An Alternative Rock band with Industrial Metal influences, formed by Limp Bizkit guitarist/Ensemble Dark Horse Wes Borland, who is its sole constant member.
- Bloc Party - A British rock band formed in 2003. They're often stuck on the indie label, mainly due to their first album, Silent Alarm, being weighed amongst other indie albums of the time. However, with the second and third albums they have branched into a more electronic-sound while still maintaining some elements of indie rock.
- Blood Red Shoes - Alternative rock duo from Brighton, England
- Blossoms - Brand new, very retro
- The Blue Nile - Scottish duo (formerly a trio) known for being one of the most awesomely beautiful Adult Alternative bands in existence. Their music is so carefully mixed and composed that the synthesizer effects (later replaced with acoustic-based production) end up creating an other-worldy Dream Pop feel.
- Blue October - Alternative American rock band from Houston, Texas. Musically, Blue October is a running autobiography of lead songwriter Justin Furstenfeld, who is very open about his bipolar disorder. Themes tend to run between lows and highs: from mental illness to love, and now a custody battle and divorce.
- Blurnote - Partial founders of the Britpop movement, who decided to make weirder music starting in 1997.
- Parklife (1994)
- Bôa (UK)
- Book Of Magic
- Bon Iver - Indie folk semi-group comprising of Justin Vernon and whoever he has on hand at the time.
- The Boo Radleys - Noteworty British band that brought a pronounced pop influence to the shoegaze movement.
- Boris - Japanese experimental rock band.
- Brand New - Long Island punk-pop/emo outfit who grew up fast with their second album.
- Brave Saint Saturnnote
- Breaking Benjamin - One of the major Post-Grunge successes of the 2000s.
- The Breedersnote - Formed by The Pixies' bassist Kim Deal as an outlet for her songwriting, ended up becoming her main band after the Pixies disbanded.
- Brent Black, aka Brental Floss
- Bright Eyes - Quirky Conor Oberst "band" earned critical raves in the early '00s, exploding the Omaha/Saddle Creek Records scene to national prominence.
- The Brobecks- an indie alternative/pop band with a diverse range of styles, from synth pop, to rock-ier alternative to themes that have a distinctly 'circus-y' feel. The band features Dallon Weekes (now bassist for Panic! at the Disco) doing lead vocals. Despite getting a couple of their songs getting airplay on regional radio stations and having a large catalog, they have never had a mainstream hit and only one of their albums is on itunes.
- Broke NCYDE - New Mexico-based band that combines screamo and crunk into a high energy music party.
- Broken Social Scene - Critically beloved Canadian collective whose brand of indie rock boasts clever, eclectic influences.
- David Byrne - Former frontman of Talking Heads who spins the Genre Roulette wheel with every single album.
- Eben Brooks
- Jeff Buckley - Son of critically acclaimed folk singer Tim Buckley, responsible for one of the most famous covers of "Hallelujah".
- Grace (1994)
- Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998)
- Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse- Producer and musician known for his Retrauxy, genre-mixing work.
- Built To Spill: Indie rock band whose style would prove to be influential on bands such as Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie.
- Kate Bush - Haunting British pop-rock singer with swooping, dramatic voice; this second-wave art rocker was critically deified by the 1980s.
- Butthole Surfers - Musically able American group dubbed as the sicked band on Earth. Indifference is not an option.
- The Cab
- Cage the Elephant - A garage-rock band who scored a rock hit in 2009 with "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" and has since been a mainstay on alternative radio.
- CAKE - This band's unique twist on alt-rock features the use of trumpets and deadpan humor. They broke out in 1996 and have had a few big hits over a fourteen year span.
- John Cale - Co-founder of the Velvet Underground.
- Calexico
- Camper Van Beethoven - One of indie rock's pioneers, known for college radio classic "Take the Skinheads Bowling" and a chart-topping cover of "Pictures of Matchstick Men."
- Captain Beefheart - A legendary figure in the avant-garde music genre.
- Safe as Milk (1967)
- Strictly Personal (1968)
- Trout Mask Replica (1969)
- Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970)
- Bongo Fury (1975) (with Frank Zappa)
- Shiny Beast (1978)
- Doc at the Radar Station (1980)
- Ice Cream for Crow (1982)
- Caroline - A Japanese-American musician who famously left a major label to stay true to her music.
- The Cardigans - the most internationally successful of the 90s Swedish pop wave.
- The Cat Empire - Australian band whose music has been described as latin/ska/funk/jazz/soul/indie/rock/reggae/hip-hop (or simply as "genre-bending") and whose energetic live performances ensure their popularity at music festivals around the world.
- Cat Power
- Catherine Wheel - British band whose hard-edged brand of shoegaze brought considerable underground success on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1990s.
- Nick Cave - A brooding, enigmatic, and energizing post-punk pioneer.
- Let Love In (1994)
- Murder Ballads (1996)
- Chaotrope - An Electronic Progressive Metal musician known for his songs on the Rock Band Network.
- Charli XCX - British Electro-indie pop singer who rose to fame in 2014
- Cheer Up, Charlie Daniels
- Chumbawamba - Anarcho-punk band who scored the unlikeliest of international pop hits with 1997's "Tubthumping."
- The Church - An Australian Progressive Rock/Dream Pop group. A minor force during the New Wave, and their album Starfish was a major influence on the softer side of the Dark Wave. A bout of No Export for You outside Australia in the 90's caused their international fame to fade somewhat, but they retain a global cult following.
- CHVRCHES - An Scottish synthpop trio who has achieved underground success with songs like "Recover" and "The Mother We Share".
- City And Colour - Solo act of Alexisonfire guitarist/singer Dallas Green. Alternative rock/folk.
- Clockwork Quartet
- Cobra Starship - A punk-pop group who first gained exposure by writing the theme song to Snakes on a Plane. They eventually turned completely to dance-pop to score a pair of smash hits.
- Cocteau Twins - The Trope Maker of Dream Pop.
- Codeine - Slowcore pioneers.
- Cold - Hard rock band who gained attention by signing with Fred Durst's label; they had many rock radio hits in the new millenium.
- Coldplay - Arguably the most well-known rock band of the 2000s.
- 2000 - Coldplay
- 2002 - A Rush of Blood to the Head
- Collective Soul - This band from Georgia had three pop hits in the mid-90's but continued their success through the end of the decade on rock charts.
- Crash Test Dummies - Canadian band who were important in the establishment of the Hot AC radio format. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" became their only American hit.
- Paula Cole - Most famous for the Dawson's Creek theme "I Don't Want to Wait;" had one other hit with "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone."
- Imani Coppola
- Counting Crows - Adam Duritz is the leader of this rock band who had a chart-topper in 1994 with "Mr. Jones".
- Creature Feature
- Julee Cruise
- The Cure
- 17 Seconds (1980)
- Disintegration (1989)
- Curve
- Crowded House
- Together Alone (1993)
- The Dandy Warhols
- Dangers
- David Crowder Band
- Dead Can Dance
- The Dead Milkmen
- Dead Sara - A modern throwback to 90s' grunge and chick rock.
- The Dead Weathernote
- Death Cab for Cutie - One of the 21st century's defining indie-pop bands.
- Death In June - Trope Codifier for Neofolk
- The Decemberists - Indie Folk/Rock band from Portland, Oregon, most known for their songs about Mariners, Forest Queens and Chimbley Sweeps.
- Deco27
- Deerhunter
- Lana Del Rey
- Dengue Fever
- Depeche Mode
- dEUS
- Worst Case Scenario (1994)
- In a Bar, Under the Sea (1996)
- The Ideal Crash (1999)
- Pocket Revolution (2005)
- Devotchka
- Ani Difranco
- Dillon Dixon Band
- Dinosaur Jr.
- The Dirtbombs
- The Divine Comedy
- Nicole Dollanganger
- Siobhan Donaghy note
- Dr. Carmilla & the Mechanisms
- Driftless Pony Club
- Echo & the Bunnymen
- Eels - Although they had only one radio hit in the USA, this group has a pretty strong fan following.
- Beautiful Freak (1996)
- Editors
- Efterklang
- Elbow
- Electric Six
- Elephant 6
- Empires
- Evanescence - Probably the most popular female-fronted rock band of the new millenium.
- Eve 6 - California pop-punk band who scored one of the 1990s' biggest modern rock hits with "Inside Out."
- Evelyn Evelynnote
- Everclear
- Explosions In The Sky
- Failure
- Faith No More - One of the earliest Alternative Metal bands, also counts as this.
- The Fall
- Fall of Efrafa - Post-rock/crust punk/sludge metal band who really like Watership Down.
- Fall Out Boy - Perhaps the most popular punk band since Green Day hit the mainstream in the mid-1990s.
- Fastbacks - Long-running Seattle punk band whose local fans turned into national icons.
- Feeder
- Feist
- Felt
- Fields Of The Nephilim
- The Fireman - A collaboration between Paul McCartney and Killing Joke bassist-turned-music producer Youth.
- 2008 - Electric Arguments
- Fishbone
- FKA Twigs
- Flaming Lipsnote
- Fleet Foxes - Seattle-based band known for their folk sound and use of a capella.
- Flipper
- Florence + the Machine - British singer who gained American popularity in 2010.
- Flyleaf - This punk-metal band from Texas packs a wallop from both secular and Christian fans.
- Foals
- Ben Folds - Leader of the one-hit wonder Ben Folds Five.
- Foo Fightersnote - Dave Grohl's post-Nirvana project rode a light-hearted brand of rock to superstardom in the '90s and beyond.
- Foo Fighters (1995)
- Foster the People - Los Angeles-based trio formed in 2009. Mostly known to the greater public for only one song, "Pumped Up Kicks."
- Franz Ferdinand - Known mostly for their 2005 hit "Take Me Out," but still have a strong following.
- 2004 - Franz Ferdinand
- The Fratellis - Named after the villains from "The Goonies," they are one of the most popular alternative-rock bands in the UK.
- Freelance Whales
- The Front Bottoms
- Frou Frounote
- John Frusciante: Former guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who has had a successful solo career of his own.
- fun. - NYC indie pop trio who skyrocketed to mainstream success in 2012.
- Hannah Fury
- Peter Gabriel
- So (1986)
- Gacktnote
- Diamanda Galás
- Galaxie 500
- Gang of Four
- Garbage - Alternative Dance and Dance Rock band fronted by Shirley Manson.
- The Gaslight Anthem
- Lisa Germano
- Lisa Gerrard
- Gin Blossoms - One of the most popular rock bands of the mid-'90s, they are best known for such hits as "Hey Jealousy" and "Follow You Down."
- Girlyman
- The Go-Go's
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Gogol Bordello
- The Goo Goo Dolls - Originally a punk-rock group, they have since gone a more adult-contemporary route with hits such as "Iris."
- Gorillaznote - An indie-rock-rap group featuring a cartoon band.
- Gorillaz (2001)
- Demon Days (2004)
- Gotye - Also known as the drummer for The Basics, had a breakout hit in 2012 with "Somebody That I Used To Know" (and the rest of the Making Mirrors album as well)
- Ellie Goulding - electronic singer who broke through across The Pond with her single "Lights".
- Halcyon (2012)
- John Grant
- Grizzly Bear
- Grouplove - An indie rock/indietronica band from Los Angeles, best known for their song "Tongue Tied".
- Guided By Voicesnote
- Guniw Tools
- Halsey
- Happy Mondays - Dance-rock group who pioneered "Madchester."
- PJ Harvey - British indie-rock songstress who first became popular in the mid-1990s.
- 1992 - Dry
- 1993 - Rid of Me
- 1995 - To Bring You My Love
- 1998 - Is This Desire?
- 2000 - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
- 2004 - Uh Huh Her
- Harvey Danger - A punk-rock band whose only big hit was 1998's "Flagpole Sitta."
- Juliana Hatfield - Ex-Blake Babies frontwoman who had an even more successful solo career.
- Havalina Rail Co.
- Have A Nice Life
- Hawthorne Heights
- The Heavy - This band's music has indie rock, neo soul, funk, and blues blended together. Known almost solely through their songs constant use in TV advertisements and video game soundtracks.
- Hey Violet - switched from Hard Rock to alt rock
- His Name Is Alive
- The Hives - Garage Rock quintet from a small town in Sweden, famous for their insanely entertaining live performances
- Hole
- Live Through This (1994)
- The Hold Steady
- Hollywood Undead - A popular rap-metal group from Los Angeles whose members all use stage names and wear creepy masks.
- The Horrors
- Hot Hot Heat - Post-punk group who had a few minor hits in the mid 2000's.
- Hozier - Irish indie rock musician who rose to prominence through his use of SoundCloud and Spotify, and had a surprise crossover hit stateside with "Take Me to Church" in 2014.
- Hurt - Rock band from Virginia.
- Hüsker Dü - Highly influential punk-rock trio from Minnesota.
- IAMXnote
- Imagine Dragons - Quite possibly the only alternative rock band to successfully cross over to mainstream popularity in The New '10s.
- Incubus - Alternative-metal band who had massive success in the 2000's.
- Inkubus Sukkubus
- Interpol - Indie rock group from New York City who gained popularity as part of the post-punk revival movement.
- Issues - Their odd mixture of Metalcore, Nu Metal, and Top 40 Pop has led them to moderate success commercially (much more than their predecessor Woe, Is Me)
- Jacks Mannequin - Piano-based side project of Something Corporate's Andrew McMahon.
- Jack White - Originally a Garage-Rocker from Detroit, now a little more Country since he moved to Nashville. Member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.
- Jake Bugg
- The Jam
- Jane's Addiction - A rock band who laid the bricks for the 90's alternative-rock boom.
- Jars of Clay - Christian rock band whose "Flood" was the first song by such a group to have pop crossover success.
- Jawbox
- Jellyfish
- The Jesus and Mary Chain - Scottish indie-rock band; Trope Codifiers of Noise Pop
- 1985 - Psychocandy
- The Jesus Lizard
- Jimmy Eat World - Breakout stars of the emo-pop movement; they scored a crossover hit with 2002's "The Middle."
- Joyce Manor
- Joy Division
- K Flay
- Kagrra
- Kaiser Chiefs - British post-punk revivalists who had some American success in the mid-2000's.
- Kaizers Orchestra
- Kanako Itou - Her style, despite being labelled as J-pop, mixes various genres.
- Kasabian - One of the most popular British rock bands of the 2000's.
- Keane - Piano-based indie rock band who had an American hit in 2005 with "Somewhere Only We Know."
- Kenickie
- Kings of Leon - Southern-rock band who had massive mainstream success starting in 2009.
- The Killers - One of the biggest rock bands of the mid-2000's whose 80's style pop won audiences all across the world.
- Killing Joke - Post-Punk band heavily influential in the development of Industrial Metal.
- Kimya Dawson
- King Charles
- King Missile
- Kinnie Starr
- Kirsty Maccoll
- Kitchens of Distinction
- 1992 - The Death of Cool
- Klaxons
- Klima
- Koi
- Kongos - An alternative rock band from South Africa best known for their songs, "Come With Me Now" and "I'm Only Joking".
- Korn - arguably the Ur-Example of Nu Metal. Excluded from the metal section for a long time due to their hatred of being classified.
- La Dispute - A post-hardcore band that frequently includes spoken word elements and unconventional musical form.
- Lady Lamb
- The La's - Trope Codifiers of Britpop that sadly only made one album.
- Love and Rockets
- L7
- Mary Lambert - Singer-Songwriter whose claim to fame is actually on Macklemore's "Same Love".
- Laura Marling - Singer-Songwriter who has been compared to Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen (and pretty much every other folk musician to which one can be positively compared.)
- Tendon Levey - Outsider / avant-pop musician known for his unusual, goat-like voice and his prolific tendencies (70 albums recorded between 2007 and 2011).
- Jenny Lewis
- The Libertines
- Lifehouse - Started as a post-grunge band, but after the success of "Hanging by a Moment", they shifted their sound to more adult-friendly rock.
- Limp Bizkitnote - Hugely controversial rap-rock band who were MTV darlings in the late 90's and early 00's.
- Linkin Parknote - One of the most popular rock bands of the 2000's, they brought nu-metal to pop radio stations, and eventually underwent a complete 180-degree turn stylistically.
- Hybrid Theory (2001)
- Meteora (2003)
- Minutes to Midnight (2007)
- Live - Rock band who pioneered the post-grunge movement.
- Ed Kowalczyk - Singer/songwriter for the band.
- Living Colour - One of the first all-black alternative rock groups; their best known song "Cult of Personality" is known for being the theme song of pro-wrestler CM Punk.
- Lorde - New Zealand artist who took the world by storm in 2013 at only 16-years-old and became the arguable face of Indie Pop.
- The Love Club (2013)
- Pure Heroine (2013)
- Lord Huron
- Los Campesinos!
- Lostprophets - Welsh rock band who had massive success in the UK and moderate success in the US, including a number-one modern rock hit.
- Courtney Love - Better-known for being Kurt Cobain's widow than for her own music.
- Love Spirals Downwards
- Low
- Lower Dens
- Ludo
- Lush
- John Lydon
- The Mae Shi
- The Magnetic Fields
- Clare Maguire
- Malukah
- Man Man
- Man or Astro-man?
- Manic Street Preachers
- Man With A Mission
- Clint Mansell
- Marcy Playground
- Marmozets - A female-fronted band from England consisting of two different sets of siblings. One of heaviest bands to be referred to as "indie".
- Johnny Marrnote
- Mashrou Leila
- Maxïmo Park
- Maximum the Hormone
- Mayday Parade
- Mazzy Star
- Sarah McLachlan
- Meat Puppets
- Meg And Dia
- The Megas
- Meg Myers
- Mercury Revnote
- Mer Shopping Missbruk For Studenter
- mewithoutYou
- Metric
- Mew
- MGMT
- Oracular Spectacular (2008)
- Ingrid Michaelson
- The Microphones
- The Glow Pt. 2 (2001)
- Midnight Oil
- Mindless Self Indulgence
- Miracle of Sound
- Mission of Burma
- Mr. Bungle
- Modest Mouse
- MS MR
- Alanis Morissette
- Jagged Little Pill (1995)
- Morphine
- Morrisseynote
- Jason Mraz
- Mudhoney
- Peter Murphynote
- Muse
- My Bloody Valentine
- 1991 - Loveless
- My Brightest Diamondnote
- My Chemical Romance
- My Life Story
- My Vitriol
- Mystery Jets (Incidentally, their biggest hit, "Young Love," featured the aforementioned Laura Marling)
- The Neighbourhood: This group's electro R&B-influenced sound has made them a popular indie band in mid-2013.
- The Nationalnote
- Neon Trees
- Never Shout Never
- The New Pornographers
- New Radicals
- New Yesterday
- New York Dolls
- Nirvananote - Trope Codifier for Grunge and brought Alternative Rock to the mainstream.
- Bleach (1989)
- Nevermind (1991)
- Incesticide (1992)
- In Utero (1993)
- MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
- Mojo Nixon
- No Devotion
- Oasis
- Of Monsters and Men: indie folk band from Iceland.
- Ogre You Asshole
- The Oh Hellos: Indie folk band from Texas, taking an eclectic approach to how they make music.
- OK Go: A Power Pop band known for their wacky, creative and innovative music videos.
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
- Pale Saints
- Amanda Palmernote
- The Paper Chase
- Parade of Lights
- Parenthetical Girls
- Pato Fu
- Pavement
- Charlie Peacock
- Pearl Jamnote
- Ten (1991)
- Peace
- Penn Badgley (of MOTHXR)
- Pepe Deluxé
- Perfume Genius
- Liz Phair
- 1993 - Exile in Guyville
- The Pillows
- The Pixiesnote - Early Alternative Rock band from Boston who significantly influenced the underground Grunge scene. More popular abroad than at home.
- Placebo
- A Place to Bury Strangers
- Plumb
- Poe
- Poets of the Fall: Finnish Alternative Rockers with an especial knack for Surprisingly Good English, Breakaway Pop Hits and winning at Genre Roulette. Otherwise notable for their videogame soundtrack contributions, particularly as the fictional personas from the Alan Wake games, Heavy Mithril band Old Gods of Asgard.
- Pomplamoose
- Pop Will Eat Itself - Alternative Rock jokesters from the Black Country where Clint Mansell started his career.
- The Posies
- Prefab Sprout
- Pretty Balanced
- Primal Scream - A band who produce their best work when they hire other people to help with production and tell their lead singer to shut up and stop writing terrible lyrics.
- Primus
- Public Image Ltd.note
- Puddle of Mudd
- Pulp
- Queen Adreena
- Queens of the Stone Agenote
- 2002 - Songs for the Deaf
- R.E.M. (1983)
- Radical Face
- Radiohead
- The Bends (1995)
- OK Computer (1997)
- Kid A (2000)
- Amnesiac (2001)
- Hail to the Thief (2003)
- In Rainbows (2007)
- The King of Limbs (2011)
- A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
- Rage Against the Machinenote
- The Ramones
- Ramones (1976)
- Leave Home (1977)
- Rocket to Russia (1977)
- Road to Ruin (1978)
- End of the Century (1980)
- The Rasmus
- Rasputina
- Red Hot Chili Peppersnote
- 1999 - Californication
- 2006 - Stadium Arcadium
- Red House Painters
- Red Vox - an Alternative Rock band headed by Vinny of Vinesauce fame.
- Regurgitator
- The Reign of Kindo - a jazz/progressive rock band composed of very technical musicians.
- The Replacements
- The Residents
- The Third Reich 'n Roll (1976)
- Eskimo (1979)
- The Commercial Album (1980)
- Ride
- Damien Rice
- Rilo Kiley
- Rufus Rex
- Dead Beat (2011)
- Rise Against
- Royal Blood (a Genre Throwback to seventies Hard Rock)
- Said The Whale
- Saint Etienne
- Sakanaction
- Santigold
- Ximena Sariñana
- Say Anything...
- Screaming Females
- Sea Wolf
- Seether
- Bree Sharp
- Ed Sheeran
- Shellac
- Shiina Ringo
- Shinedown
- The Shins
- Shorthand Phonetics
- Sia
- Singapore Sling
- Sigur Rós - The other famous band from Iceland.
- Silverchair
- Silversun Pickups
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- The Sisters of Mercy
- 16 Horsepowernote
- Skillet
- Skunk Anansie
- Sky Ferreira
- Sleater-Kinney
- Sleigh Bells
- Slint
- 1991 - Spiderland
- Slowdive
- Smash Mouth
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Siamese Dream (1993)
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
- Adore (1998)
- Smile Empty Soul
- Elliott Smith
- The Smithereens
- The Smithsnote
- Sneaker Pimps
- Snow Patrol
- Sodagreen
- Sonic Youth
- Soul Asylum
- The Sound
- Soundgardennote
- Space
- Spiders (1996)
- Spacemen 3note
- Sparklehorse
- Regina Spektor
- Soviet Kitsch (2004)
- Sasha Spielberg
- Spiritualizednote
- Spoon
- De Staat
- Starflyer 59note
- Stereolab
- Sufjan Stevens
- The Stone Roses
- The Stone Roses (1989)
- Stone Temple Pilots
- The Stooges
- The Stooges (1969)
- Fun House (1970)
- Raw Power (1973)
- Stop Making Friends
- The Stranglers
- Strawberry Song Orchestra
- The Strokes
- Is This It (2001)
- St. Vincent
- Suede - Pioneered the Britpop genre in 1993, distinctive for their 70's Glam rock-inpired style.
- The Sundays
- Superchunk
- Swans
- Matthew Sweet
- Switchfoot
- David Sylvian
- Talking Heads
- Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
- More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
- Fear of Music (1979)
- Remain in Light (1980))
- Stop Making Sense (1984)
- Tally Hall
- Tears for Fears
- Teenagers in Tokyo
- Tegan & Sara
- Natalia Tena
- The Tea Party
- That Handsome Devil
- The The
- These New Puritans
- Them Crooked Vulturesnote
- They Might Be Giants
- They Might Be Giants (1986)
- Flood (1990)
- John Henry (1994)
- I Like Fun (2018)
- Third Eye Blind
- 30 Seconds to Mars
- This Is War (2009)
- This Mortal Coil
- Blood (1991)
- Thousand Foot Krutch
- Three Days Gracenote
- Thrice
- Throwing Muses
- Thursday
- The Tiger Lillies
- Toad the Wet Sprocket
- Tocotronic
- Tones On Tail - Side project of Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets)
- Tool
- Tove Lo
- The Tragically Hip
- Train
- Travis - Britpop/indie rock band from Glasgow, Scotland
- TV on the Radio
- Twenty One Pilots
- Two Door Cinema Club, a dance-punk band from Northern Ireland
- U2, who one of the most successful Rock bands of all time, started off as a Post-Punk band and later became Alternative Dance. One of the first Alternative Rock bands of any kind to find mainstream success.
- Urban Dance Squad
- The Used
- Suzanne Vega
- The Velvet Underground - The Ur-Example of Alternative Rock.
- The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
- White Light/White Heat (1968)
- The Velvet Underground (1969)
- Loaded (1970)
- Lou Reed
- Transformer (1972)
- Berlin (1973)
- Verdena
- Vertical Horizon
- Veruca Salt
- The Verve
- Maia Vidal
- The Vines
- Violet UKnote
- Violent Femmes
- Vocaloidnote
- Rufus Wainwright
- Tom Waits
- Closing Time (1973)
- The Heart of Saturday Night (1974)
- Nighthawks at the Diner (1975)
- Small Change (1976)
- Foreign Affairs (1977)
- Blue Valentine (1978)
- Heartattack and Vine (1980)
- Swordfishtrombones (1983)
- Rain Dogs (1985)
- Franks Wild Years (1987)
- Bone Machine (1992)
- The Black Rider (1993)
- Mule Variations (1999)
- Alice (2002)
- Blood Money (2002)
- Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006)
- Bad As Me (2011)
- Walk the Moon
- The Wallflowers
- Jason Webley note
- Wedlock - Electronic pop
- Ween
- GodWeenSatan: The Oneness (1990)
- Weezer
- The Blue Album (1994)
- Pinkerton (1996)
- The White Stripes
- White Blood Cells (2001)
- Elephant (2003)
- Wilco
- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
- Wild Beasts
- Wesley Willis
- Wir sind Helden
- Patrick Wolf
- Chelsea Wolfe
- Women
- Wussy
- X Japan
- Xiu Xiu
- XTC
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Yeasayer
- Yo La Tengo
- The Ziggens
- Zug Izland note
