Yellowcard　

The punk-inspired quintet Yellowcard formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997 but didn’t solidify their lineup until a move to Southern California in early 2000. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Ry ..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

The Waterboys　

Led by the literate singer/songwriter Mike Scott, the group’s sole constant member, the mercurial Waterboys formed in London in 1981. Born December 14, 1958, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Scott fir ..more

Univers Zero　

Formed in 1974, Belgium-based chamber rock band Univers Zero initially featured co-composers drummer Daniel Denis and guitarist Roger Trigaux joined by bassoonist Michel Berckmans, violini ..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

Turnstile　

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

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

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

Stiff Little Fingers　

A taut, explosive Belfast-based punk band, Stiff Little Fingers (named after a Vibrators song) had the dubious distinction of being referred to as The Irish Clash. What must have seemed ..more

Soft Cell　

Art students Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed Soft Cell, a synth pop duo famed for its uniquely sleazy electronic sound, in Leeds, England in 1980. Originally, vocalist Almond and synth pl ..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

Sex Pistols　

The Sex Pistols may have only been together for two years in the late ’70s, but they changed the face of popular music. Through their raw, nihilistic singles and violent performances, the band revo ..more

Replacements　

The Replacements initially formed in 1979, when Paul Westerberg joined a garage punk band formed by brothers Bob (guitar) and Tommy Stinson (bass) and drummer Chris Mars. Originally cal ..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

Ramones　

The Ramones were the first punk rock band. Other bands, such as the Stooges and the New York Dolls, came before them and set the stage and aesthetic for punk, and bands that immediately follo ..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

Pogues　

By demonstrating that the spirit of punk could live in traditional Irish folk music, the Pogues were one of the most radical bands of the mid-’80s. Led by Shane MacGowan, whose slurred, incompre ..more

PJ Harvey　

During the alternative rock explosion, several female singer/songwriters rose to prominence, but few have proved as distinctive or as widely praised as Polly Jean Harvey. Over the course of her car ..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