10 Best Alternative Rock Bands Of All Time
8. The Jesus And Mary Chain
Quintessential Lyric: (From 'Happy When It Rains')
"Talking fast couldn't tell me something / I would shed my skin for you / Talking fast on the edge of nothing / I would break my back for you"
Anthem: Head On
The 1989 track is a post-punk classic, that found further popularity after being covered by the Pixies (more on them later). As with the majority of Jesus and Mary Chain tracks, the creative force behind the writing was brothers Jim and William Reid. Lyrically the song is a testament to the band's tempered joy that embraces the darker aspects of life. However it keeps the audience's hooked with layered guitar feedback, synth bass, and drum machine.
Defining Album: Darklands (1987)
Following the phenomenal debut Psychocandy, Darklands saw the band become masters of post-punk and pioneers of the increasingly popular alternative rock movement. From the opening chords of the album's first track (the titular song) the album pulls listeners in, with its solid melody and muted but self-assured lead vocals from William rather than Jim. Musically Darklands harks back to classic rock, while maintaining fresh and innovative. It keeps a toe in the contemporary, but forges its own path. Plus it gave us two of the band's most enduring staples Happy When It Rains and April Skies.