New Order　

Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, the enigmatic New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of the 198 ..more

The Style Council　

Guitarist/vocalist Paul Weller broke up the Jam, the most popular British band of the early ’80s, at the height of their success in 1982 because he was dissatisfied with their musical direction. ..more

The Smashing Pumpkins　

Of all the major alternative rock bands of the early ’90s, the Smashing Pumpkins were the group least influenced by traditional underground rock. Lead guitarist/songwriter Billy Corgan fas ..more

Depeche Mode　

Originally a product of Britain’s new romantic movement, Depeche Mode went on to become the quintessential electro pop band of the 1980s. One of the first acts to establish a musical identity based ..more

The Cure　

Out of all the bands that emerged in the immediate aftermath of punk rock in the late ’70s, few were as enduring and popular as the Cure. Led through numerous incarnations by guitarist/vocalist R ..more

Deftones　

Deftones were one of the first groups to alternate heavy riffs and screamed vocals with more ethereal music and hushed singing -- spawning a fair amount of imitators in their wake. The group first ..more

Talking Heads　

This eclectic, sometimes eccentric, and highly acclaimed rock band was formed in early ’70s when David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth met at the Rhode Island School of Design. Almost 10 years s ..more

Nine Inch Nails　

Nine Inch Nails were the most popular industrial group ever and were largely responsible for bringing the music to a mass audience. It isn’t really accurate to call NIN a group; the only officia ..more

Bjork　

A visionary artist who effortlessly blends avant-garde and pop elements, Bjork soon eclipsed the popularity of her former group the Sugarcubes when she launched her solo career after the group’s ..more

David Byrne　

Patti Smith　

Punk rock’s poet laureate, Patti Smith ranks among the most influential female rock ＆ rollers of all time. Ambitious, unconventional, and challenging, Smith’s music was hailed as the most exc ..more

Tame Impala　

The sound of spacy, guitar-heavy psychedelic pop has never really gone out of fashion since the Beatles brought it to the mainstream in the late ’60s, with proponents like Pink Floyd and the F ..more

Nirvana　

Prior to Nirvana, alternative music was consigned to specialty sections of record stores, and major labels considered it to be, at the very most, a tax write-off. After the band’s second album, 199 ..more

Red Hot Chili Peppers　

Red Hot Chili Peppers was once called a mixture-rock band for its diversity of music styles. Fusing rock, funk, punk and rap into one, the pioneering modern rock band looks set to go on with its 20 ..more

Propaganda　

Synth-pop band Propaganda was formed in Germany by vocalist Claudia Brucken and drummer Michael Mertens plus keyboard players Susanne Freytag and Ralf Dorper. The quartet moved to Engla ..more

Linkin Park　

Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music. Th ..more

Pixies　

Combining jagged, roaring guitars and stop-start dynamics with melodic pop hooks, intertwining male-female harmonies, and evocative, cryptic lyrics, the Pixies were one of the most influential Amer ..more

Ultravox　

Rejecting the abrasive guitars of their punk-era contemporaries in favor of lushly romantic synthesizers, Ultravox emerged as one of the primary influences on the British electro-pop movement of th ..more

Green Day　

Out of all the post-Nirvana alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. At their core, Green Day were simply punk rev ..more

XTC　

XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late ’70s. From the tense, jerky riffs of their early singles to the ..more