10 Most Iconic Alternative Rock Albums
8. Murmur - R.E.M.
By the time the '90s alternative boom rolled around, R.E.M. didn't need to prove anything to anyone. Even though their run of albums with Automatic for the People yielded some of their biggest hits, their tenure as the world's greatest college rock band brought them a level of credibility that none of their brethren could really support. While most bands take a while for that kind of credit, these Georgian natives got started right out of the gate with Murmur.
Granted, it's not like you're coming hear for the in-depth lyrical messages, with most of Michael Stipe's words being borderline incoherent from one song to the next. That's not the main draw though, as most of these songs get by on their natural gift for melody, with Peter Buck's chiming guitar playing perfectly off of Stipe's vocal at every turn.
Though it may have only gotten a reputation on college radio at the time, this was one of the first times when alt-rock managed to cross over into the mainstream, with MTV naming it one of the best albums of the year alongside Thriller by Michael Jackson. This would only be the beginning too, with the alternative charts coming out to give bands like R.E.M. the boost they deserved. While Murmur may not be the biggest selling alt rock album of all time, it did give way to the most important band in the scene.