Those of you who who spend more time listening to music – what do you think “Alternative” means?
In addition to Alternative Rock, I’ve found stations with Alternative Christian Contemporary, Alternative Christian Rock, Alternative Latino, Alternative Country.
What’s it all about Alfie?
I’ve listened to alternative for decades, going back to when the term was “free form”, “progressive” or “progressive rock”.
To me, it has always meant music and/or artists that similar to the heavily marketed, but without the big business (payola, pay for play, incentives and side deals that have gone on in that industry). For example some stations would get new singles first, with the expectation that they would play them heavily.
So the idea was, there are just as good but lesser known alternatives. WOR-FM in NYC in the 1960s is a good example. See “Saturday, October 8, 1966” on this page http://www.nyradioarchive.com/worfm.html
I can comment for the over 60 crowd – Alternative is what we wanted to listen to instead of the Top 40 “hits”. Not everyone wanted to listen to “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. Some of us wanted music that provoked thought and that was an alternative to so-called “Bubble Gum” and Top 40 music. Perhaps alternative is over used (likely) today. What would be Alternative Christian or Latino music – probably music from folks who aren’t in that genre’s Top 40.
Is Alternative Rock the opposite of the Rock Alternative?
Heh heh – that sounds very George Carlin-esque 🙂
Did you ever wonder why…
Oops, that’s Andy Rooney.
I believe the Alternative Latino might be the classical love ‘boleros’ of the 40s-60s instead of the trash salsa of today. The salsa was back then identified with black African music and only a certain amount of the populace listened to it. The 50’s was the golden age for these soft, romantic boleros that have faded from this genre. Back then the language was beautifully expressed by composers and perfectly spoken by performers. Today it’s impossible to understand the language as Spanish Ebonics have supplanted the exquisite rendering of the past. I am 75 years old and many times find myself listening to the old stuff.
Here is one self description of an “alt” station
“altradio is a great mix of indie, rock, blues, folk, Americana and oldies. It is about music as art, rather than just music; a mixture of old and new friends. It could be rooted in Progressive Radio of the 60’s and 70’s, but it covers music from the 50’s to the latest new groups, with everything in-between. It’s the ‘Progressive Alternative.'”
What I’m considering is a fundamental regrouping – putting “Alternative” as a genre “group” contrasted with “hit” … So Alternative Rock would be a subgenre of “alternative”, “progressive Alternative”, Etc…
Any opinions? Any volunteers?