History of alternative rock

Throughout much of its history, alternative rock has been largely defined by its rejection
of the commercialism of mainstream culture.
Alternative bands during the 1980s generally played in small clubs, recorded for indie
labels, and spread their popularity through word of mouth.
Lyrics in alternative rock songs typically address topics of greater social concern, such
as drug use, depression, and environmentalism, an approach
that developed as a reflection of the social and economic strains in the United States
and United Kingdom of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Alternative rock became more popular and spread among other college stations in the
mid-1980s, which served as one of the major outlets of exposure
for the music. Alternative rock was played extensively on the radio in the UK.Artists that
had cult followings in the United States received greater
exposure through British national radio and the weekly press, and many alternative
bands had chart success there.Finally, in the late 1980s in North
America, commercial stations such as Boston, Massachusetts's WFNX and Los
Angeles, California's KROQ began playing alternative rock, pioneering the
modern rock radio format.