Top 5 Alt-Rock Pioneers

Out of all the bands present of this list, the Pixies could be the one band that had the most influence on the alternative scene as a whole. Their unique brand of guitar tones and dark lyrics made them a true oddity when they surfaced in the 80's. Songwriter Black Francis had a unique way of writing songs that were incredibly heavy but still made for catchy pop hooks like on "Where is My Mind?" and "Here Comes Your Man." The band also possessed a certain understanding of dynamics, where they would have soft verses juxtaposed with loud choruses.

This had a huge effect on almost every alt-rock hit that came out in the 90's, from Pearl Jam's "Alive" to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to Radiohead's "Creep." Kurt Cobain often cited the Pixies as one of his favorite bands, and the group has received praise from many of rock's more successful acts like U2 and David Bowie. They may not have sold that many records in their prime, but the people who did listen back in the day were able to take those sounds to even greater heights.