The Beatles dressed for 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' album Image via AP Images Add Collider on Google Add as Preferred Source Follow on Google Discover By Audrey Connelly Published Nov 2, 2026, 12:08 AM EST Audrey Connelly is a writer living and working in Boston, MA. Music is and has always been one of the most important parts of her life. While rock & roll is her true love, Audrey's taste runs the gamut. Deep cuts, overplayed Billboard Hot 100 hits, trip hop, reggae, musical theater. It's all fair game. However, if she's being totally honest, she is not a huge fan of (most) country music, but she is (mostly) willing to give anything a listen or two. She has previously contributed to Atwood Magazine and has brought her passion for writing and music – specifically classic and alternative rock – to Collider. Sign in to your Collider account Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Alternative rock , in many ways, is an anti-genre. The musical style is varied and widespread, hinging upon themes of nonconformity and artistic independence – labels and markers are not conducive to creative freedom. Alt-rock fractures off into subgenres such as grunge , post-punk, shoegaze, and britpop. It incorporates a plethora of musical styles that have come before, bridging the music of the past with the sound of the future. Alt-rock dissolves the boundaries of genre, allowing ample room for innovation and experimentation.
While it is commonly thought that alternative rock began in the late '80s or early '90s, the roots of the style actually go back much further. It traces its roots all the way back to the 1960s , when psychedelic rock and the counterculture were flourishing in communities across the world. Without the experimentation and boundary-pushing of artists during this time, alternative rock as we know it would never have come to fruition. Here are seven songs from the 1960s that made the genesis of alt-rock possible.
David Bowie in Moonage Daydream Image via Neon For a mainstream artist, David Bowie was incredibly alternative. Known as the “chameleon of rock,” he was constantly changing and evolving, bending gender and genre to his will . Bowie had his finger on the pulse of emerging music styles, and he wanted to try them all. He set a precedent for musicians to be true to themselves and nourish their individuality. Bowie prioritized creativity over career success , and managed to achieve both. His unique approach to music is directly responsible for the millions of records he has sold.
One of his most out-of-the-box tracks is “ Space Oddity .” Released as a single in 1969, this song was partially inspired by Stanley Kubrick 's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey . The song defies genre, falling somewhere in the realm of psychedelic folk/ progressive rock . The lyrics tell the story of fictional character Major Tom and his journey into space, resulting in his tragic demise. Through this character, Bowie explores feelings of isolation and anxiety, both of which are recurrent themes in the alt-rock of later decades.
Colin Blunstone from The Zombies Image via INFphoto.com English rock band The Zombies broke onto the scene with their 1965 hit single “ She’s Not There .” The song is about an adolescent breakup, written from the perspective of a boy who has been dumped by a…