Alice in Chains’ debut arrived at the outset of the ’90s without a name for the market they were supposed to attract. Their sound was too unique to be considered metal and more visceral than mere straight-ahead rock, but it was soon lumped in with that of other prominent bands emerging from the overcast skies of Seattle around the same time. Gritty, down-tuned guitars kept their legion of fans headbanging to “Man in a Box” and “Would?,” offering sharp contrast to their mellower acoustic output (”Got Me Wrong,” “No Excuses”). However, it was Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley’s thick and dissonant harmonies which became one of their most imitated and original features, spawning endless copiers. Heroin-tinged lyrics and jagged, odd-time riffs foreshadowed their supposed demise, but their influence lives on in many of today’s copycat bands.
- Jessy Terry

Along with Slipknot, Los Angeles-based System of a Down are far and away the most impressive mainstream metal band today. Despite the fact that they appeared amid a maelstrom of crappy Korn-inspired rap metal that was controlling the airwaves, their hyperactive song structures and truly warped vocal stylings put them way beyond the pap being served up by many of their Ozzfest colleagues at the time. When music this extreme makes it onto the radio it’s always a good thing. They broke nationally with their second record, Toxicity, which shot to No. 1. Through the next several albums, System of a Down took lessons learned from Tool and other bands from the “alt metal era” of the early 1990s and transmuted them, adding eastern European folk elements, a wide array of traditionally non-metal instruments, and strong political content in the lyrics department. By the time they released Mesmerize and Hypnotize, an epic album released in two parts — and seven months apart — in 2005, the band had ramped up their vision, incorporating a wider range of influences than ever before, with the vituperous madman vocals of singer Serj Tankian as potent as ever.
- Mike McGuirk

When they first appeared on the commercial pop landscape back in 1994, it wasn’t without a fair amount of derision from the indie rock cognoscenti. After all, these guys were copping the indie rock style, using the same pop culture references and the same hooks, but putting it out on a major label with no grassroots support behind them. They had no “cred,” as it were. Where did Weezer come from anyway? The answer is: nowhere. Rivers Cuomo founded the band as an outlet for his love of Van Halen, Cheap Trick and Kiss just a year before getting signed. The group was quickly thrust into the spotlight following the mad rush of Nirvana’s success, and suddenly “Buddy Holly” and “Undone” were radio hits. The allure of this gaggle of power pop-loving kids with huge amps and no real star appeal wasn’t lost on a generation of geeky punks. In the five years between Pinkerton and the band’s self-titled 2001 album, they had become somewhat of a phenomenon; their influence began to slowly dominate commercial alt rock radio. Their enormous pop hooks, crunchy guitar chords and quasi-ironic rock had gained critical respect and support among even the most jaded of indie rock fans. With their ability to craft arena-ready guitar pop that transcends mawkishness or trendy aggression, Weezer remain one of the bright lights on the Top 40 landscape.
- Jon Pruett

Endurance and validity have long been words attributed to the music and career of England’s most legendary alternative band. Going on almost 25 years together and almost as many lineup changes, the band have gone from being the closet secret of the goth crowd to popular acceptance to sold-out stadium tours with nary a break in quality. Robert Smith’s romanticism with all things morose was exemplified on their sparse early releases like Pornography and Faith. Smith’s formerly monotone vocals took a turn upon the release of The Top in ‘84 and suddenly he had adopted a kind of feline yelp in his vocals, and tracks like “The Caterpillar” bubbled with an odd, lively energy. Through the end of the ’80s the band honed their incredible pop skills to much acclaim as “In Between Days” and “Just Like Heaven” piped out of every incense-lit bedroom from here to Calcutta. Just as their early fan base had begun to drift as the band explored the exceedingly vibrant pop of “Why Can’t I Be You” and “Hot Hot Hot!!!,” they released Disintegration in ‘89. A wonderfully dark and beautiful record, marked by Smith’s relentlessly stunning guitar work and fluid imagery, it proved to be the band’s biggest success. It also laid the groundwork for how the band would spend most of the ’90s. Spiking their work with an almost irritating giddiness and melodic melancholy, the band continue to be masters of lush, crimson-hued pop.