Alternative is actually Alternative Rock, a subset of Rock Music overall. Alternative Rock is basically any mainstream Rock Music that is inspired by 80's underground or college rock (these styles didn't really become mainstream until the 90's, which is the decade Alternative is most associated with). read more
Rock vs Alternative Rock. A sub genre of the main music genre of rock, alternative rock started gaining ground in the early 1980s, with its cultural origins mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom. read more