Tastes in music are very subjective. What may be music to one person’s ears could be complete garbage to another. So I did you a favor! I searched the Internet and found the top 99 alt songs of right-this-minute, for your listening pleasure.
Tastes in music are very subjective. What may be music to one person’s ears could be complete garbage to another. I remember two of my friends fighting for well over an hour about which song was Pearl Jam’s very best. I asked them, “Why can’t we just say ‘Pearl Jam is the best band ever’ (not my actual belief, just an example) and be done with it?” Of course, then we all argued for another hour over who really is the best band ever (Rancid) and whether or not a person is even capable of naming a ‘best band’. (I am. Rancid.)
Anyway, my reminiscing made me curious. If I had to find out the top 99 alt songs of right-this-minute, could I do that with relative ease? The answer: not really. Yeah, the information is out there, but it too is very subjective. So, once again, I decided to do you a favor. I scoured the Internet. I read lists. I checked all the charts. I looked at what people are listening to. Basically, I did all the work so you don’t have to!
So here you have it. The Top 99 Alternative Songs According to People Who Know. One of those ‘people who know’ may even be you…
1. Imagine Dragons – Shots
From the album Smoke + Mirrors.
2. Death Cab for Cutie – Black Sun
3. Incubus – Absolution Calling
4. AWOLNATION – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)
5. Modest Mouse – Of Course We Know
Want to understand why Modest Mouse is a music legend through their albums? Dive into this comprehensive guide.
6. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Ballad of the Mighty I
From the album Chasing Yesterday.
7. The Wombats – Greek Tragedy
8. Faith No More – Superhero
9. My Morning Jacket -Big Decisions
10. Blur – There Are Too Many of Us
11. Belle & Sebastian – The Party Line
From the album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance.
12. The Cribs – Burning for No One
13. Matt and Kim – Get It
14. Best Coast – California Nights
15. Lifehouse – Hurricane
16. Palma Violets – Danger in the Club
17. Halestorm – Apocalyptic
18. Hollywood Undead – How We Roll
19. Walk the Moon – Shut Up and Dance
From the album TALKING IS HARD.
20. Paul Weller – White Sky
21. Kaiser Chiefs – Falling Awake
22. Surfer Blood – I Can’t Explain
23. Swervedriver – Last Rites
From the album I Wasn’t Born to Lose You.
24. Of Montreal – Empyrean Abattoir
From the album Aureate Gloom.
25. Adelitas Way – I Get Around
26. Mew – Satellites
27. St. Vincent – Bad Believer
From the album St. Vincent.
28. Marilyn Manson – Deep Six
From the album THE PALE EMPEROR.
29. The Vaccines – Handsome
30. The Afghan Whigs – Algiers
From the album Do to the Beast.
31. To Kill A King – Love Is Not Control
From the album To Kill a King.
32. The Hives – Blood Red Moon
33. The Mountain Goats – Heel Turn 2
34. Papa Roach – Face Everything And Rise
From the album F.E.A.R.
35. The Hello Sequence – Stoic Resemblance
36. Interpol – Everything is Wrong
37. Gang of Four – Where the Nightingale Sings
From the album What Happens Next.
38. The Black Keys – Weight of Love
39. Built to Spill – Living Zoo
40. Beck – Blue Moon
41. Iron & Wine – Slow Black River
From the album Archive Series Volume No. 1.
42. Foo Fighters – Something From Nothing
43. Mark Lanegan – Harvest Home
From the album Phantom Radio.
44. Slipknot – The Devil In I
From the album .5: The Gray Chapter.
45. The Go! Team – Blowtorch
46. Seether – Same Damn Life
From the album Isolate and Medicate.
47. The Kooks – Bad Habit
From the album Listen.
48. The Airborne Toxic Event – One Time Thing
From the album Dope Machines.
The Airborne Toxic Event stopped by the Club at 50 West earlier this year to play this one for us. Check it out HERE!
49. Linkin Park – Final Masquerade
From the album The Hunting Party.
50. Sleater-Kinney – Surface Envy
From the album No Cities to Love.
51. X Ambassadors – Renegades
52. Cold War Kids – First
From the album Hold My Home.
53. The War on Drugs – Under The Pressure
From the album Lost In The Dream.
54. POP ETC – Running in Circles
55. Nico Vega – Bang Bang
From the album Lead to Light.
56. Rise Against – Tragedy + Time
From the album The Black Market.
Check out this awesome X96 Meet the Bands interview with Rise Against.
57. The Decemberists – Make You Better
58. Johnny Marr – Easy Money
59. Jamie T – Rabbit Hole
From the album Carry on the Grudge.
60. The Pretty Reckless – Follow Me Down
From the album Going to Hell.
61. Jamie T – Zombie
From the album Carry on the Grudge.
62. Death From Above 1979 – Trainwreck 1979
63. Sleater-Kinney – Bury Our Friends
From the album No Cities to Love.
64. Butch Walker – I Love You
From the album Afraid of Ghosts.
65. Dr. Dog – Heart it Races
66. Thousand Foot Krutch – Untraveled Road
From the album OXYGEN:INHALE.
67. HELLYEAH – Moth
From the album Blood for Blood.
68. Weezer – Back To The Shack
From the album Everything Will Be Alright in the End.
69. Sixx:A.M. – Stars
From the album Modern Vintage.
70. Billy Talent – Kingdom of Zod
From the album HITS.
71. Flyleaf – Set Me on Fire
From the album Between The Stars.
72. The Dodos – Competition
73. Theory Of A Deadman – Angel
From the album Savages.
74. Godsmack – 1000hp
75. Thirty Seconds to Mars – Stay
76. Bush – The Only Way Out
From the album Man on the Run.
77. Train – Angel in Blue Jeans
78. OneRepublic – Ordinary Human
79. Modest Mouse – Lampshades On Fire
80. Poets of the Fall – Daze
81. Manchester Orchestra – Top Notch
From the album HOPE.
82. Franz Ferdinand – Stand On The Horizon
83. Wild Beasts – Wanderlust
84. Elbow – New York Morning
From the album The Takeoff and Landing of Everything.
85. Ex Cops – Black Soap
From the album Daggers.
86. Mounties – Headphones
87. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Kathleen
From the album Kathleen and the Other Three.
88. Florence + The Machine – What Kind of Man
89. Night Riots – Contagious
90. Young the Giant – Crystalized
From the album Mind Over Matter.
91. New Politics -Everywhere I Go
New Politics stopped by the X96 studios to play this one for us live. Watch the video HERE!
92. Nothing but Thieves – Wake Up Call
93. Team Spirit – Teenage Heart
From the album Killing Time.
94. The Xcerts – Shaking In The Water
From the album There is Only You.
95. My Goodness – Cold Feet Killer
From the album Shiver + Shake.
96. Moon Taxi – Change
From the album Mountains Beaches Cities.
97. Death From Above 1979 – Virgins
From the album The Physical World.
98. Fenech-Soler – Last Forever
99. Twin Atlantic – Heart and Soul
From the album Great Divide.
Have 6 hours and 39 minutes to kill? Here’s the entire Spotify playlist for you:
Need more? Check out my list of 50 Alternative Songs from the 90’s You Should Never Forget.
