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College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock
Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. Alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene since the 1980s, such as Grunge music, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop....
 before the term "alternative" came into common usage. So named because it was primarily played on campus radio
Campus radio

Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the station is based....
 stations, these bands combined the experimentation of post-punk
Post-punk

Post-punk was a popular musical movement with its roots in the mid to late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the early 1970s....
 and New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 with a more melodic pop style and an underground
Underground music

Underground music refers to a variety of music subgenres that usually develop a subculture cult following despite their lack of mainstream appeal, visibility, or commercial promotion....
 sensibility. It is not necessarily a genre term, but there do exist some common aesthetics among college rock bands.






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College rock was a term used in the United States to describe 1980s alternative rock
Alternative rock

Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. Alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene since the 1980s, such as Grunge music, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop....
 before the term "alternative" came into common usage. So named because it was primarily played on campus radio
Campus radio

Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the station is based....
 stations, these bands combined the experimentation of post-punk
Post-punk

Post-punk was a popular musical movement with its roots in the mid to late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the early 1970s....
 and New Wave
New Wave music

New Wave is a genre of rock music which originated from the late 1970s. It emerged from punk rock as a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s....
 with a more melodic pop style and an underground
Underground music

Underground music refers to a variety of music subgenres that usually develop a subculture cult following despite their lack of mainstream appeal, visibility, or commercial promotion....
 sensibility. It is not necessarily a genre term, but there do exist some common aesthetics among college rock bands. Artists such as R.E.M.
R.E.M.

R.E.M. is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry ....
, 10,000 Maniacs
10,000 Maniacs

10,000 Maniacs was a United States-based alternative rock band, formed in 1981 and active with various line-ups through 2007. Their best-known member is Natalie Merchant, who left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career....
, U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
, and the Replacements
The Replacements

The Replacements were an American rock music band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota in 1979. The band was composed of guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bassist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars for most of their career....
 became some of the better-known examples in the mid 1980s. By the 1990s, however, the genre had been supplanted by grunge
Grunge music

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area....
 and indie rock
Indie rock

Indie rock is alternative rock that most notably exists in the Independent music underground music scene. It primarily refers to rock musicians that are or were unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels....
.

List of college rock artists

  • The Alarm
    The Alarm

    The Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from Wales in the early 1980s. They started as a local punk band with a spirited, energetic acoustic/folk influence and stayed together for ten years....
  • Aztec Camera
    Aztec Camera

    Aztec Camera were a Scotland New Wave music musical ensemble from Glasgow. They were a sensitive, tuneful pop music band formed in 1980 and centered around the then adolescence singer-songwriter, Roddy Frame....
  • Biff Bang Pow
  • Billy Bragg
    Billy Bragg

    Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an England musician who blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs....
  • The Bongos
    The Bongos

    The Bongos were a pop band active in the 1980s. They formed in Hoboken, New Jersey and were led by Richard Barone . The band also included Rob Norris, formerly of the Zantees and Frank Giannini ....
  • Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
    Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

    Edie Brickell & New Bohemians is a rock band that originated in Texas in the mid-1980s. The band is best known for their 1988 hit "What I Am" from the album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars....
  • Kate Bush
    Kate Bush

    Kate Bush is an England singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and Idiosyncrasy lyrics have made her one of England's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years having sold over 20,000,000 records worldwide....
  • Butthole Surfers
    Butthole Surfers

    The Butthole Surfers are an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but the core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drum kit King Coffey has been together since 1983....
  • Camper Van Beethoven
    Camper Van Beethoven

    Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group. An eclectic band even by the standards of 1980s underground music, Camper Van Beethoven mixed elements of Pop music, ska, world music, punk rock, Folk music, country music, and acid rock....
  • The Church
  • Cocteau Twins
    Cocteau Twins

    Cocteau Twins was a Scottish band active from 1979 to 1997....
  • The Cure
    The Cure

    The Cure are an English Rock music band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member....
  • The dB's
    The dB's

    The dB's were a power pop group of the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina....
  • Dead Milkmen
    Dead Milkmen

    The Dead Milkmen are a satirical punk rock band formed in 1983 in music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band initially consisted of Joe Genaro , Dave Schulthise , Dean Sabatino , and Rodney Linderman ....
  • Dinosaur Jr
    Dinosaur Jr

    Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur prior to legal issues that forced the group to change their name, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005....
  • Dream Syndicate
    Dream Syndicate

    Dream Syndicate was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California active from 1981 to 1989. The band was associated with the Paisley Underground music movement....
  • Echo & the Bunnymen
    Echo & the Bunnymen

    Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk group, formed in Liverpool in 1978. Their original lineup consisted of singer Ian McCulloch , guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine....
  • The Feelies
    The Feelies

    The Feelies are a Rock music band from North Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 after having released four LP album....
  • Guadalcanal Diary
    Guadalcanal Diary (band)

    Guadalcanal Diary is an alternative jangle pop group from Marietta, Georgia. The band formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1989. They reformed in 1997 and toured without a new album....
  • Robyn Hitchcock
    Robyn Hitchcock

    Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
  • Hoodoo Gurus
    Hoodoo Gurus

    Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd ....
  • The House of Love
    The House of Love

    The House of Love are an England rock music band initially active between 1986 and 1993. They reformed in 2005 and released a new album, Days Run Away....
  • The Housemartins
    The Housemartins

    The Housemartins were an England alternative rock band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxism politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time ....
  • Hüsker Dü
    Hüsker Dü

    H?sker D? was an United States punk rock band formed in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bass guitar Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
  • Indigo Girls
    Indigo Girls

    Indigo Girls are an American folk rock duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They got their start in Atlanta, Georgia as a regular act at The Little 5 Points Pub and were tangentially part of the Athens, Georgia college rock scene that included The B-52's, Pylon , R.E.M., The Georgia Satellites, and Love Tractor....
  • The Jesus and Mary Chain
    The Jesus and Mary Chain

    The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim Reid and William Reid ....
  • Let's Active
    Let's Active

    Let's Active was a jangle pop band based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The principal songwriter and sole continuous member was Mitch Easter, who kept the band active through most of the 1980s....
  • Love and Rockets
    Love and Rockets (band)

    Love and Rockets are an alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash , David J and Kevin Haskins . Former Bauhaus vocalist, Peter Murphy , had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983....
  • The Mekons
    The Mekons

    The Mekons are a United Kingdom Rock music band. Formed in the late 1970s, they are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands....
  • Midnight Oil
    Midnight Oil

    Midnight Oil, or the Oils to fans, was an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drum kit Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard instrument/lead guitarist Jim Moginie....
  • The Mighty Lemon Drops
    The Mighty Lemon Drops

    The Mighty Lemon Drops were an England rock music group active from 1985 to 1992....
  • Morrissey
    Morrissey

    Steven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths....
  • Bob Mould
    Bob Mould

    Bob Mould is an United States musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands H?sker D? in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s....
  • Mojo Nixon
    Mojo Nixon

    Mojo Nixon is an United States musician, who was part of the psychobilly movement....
     and Skid Roper
    Skid Roper

    Skid Roper is an American musician active in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is best known for his work with Mojo Nixon between 1985 and 1989.With Nixon, Roper served mainly as an instrumentalist....
  • New Order
    New Order

    New Order are an English alternative rock/electronic band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris . New Order was formed in the wake of the demise of their previous group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis....
  • Pixies
  • The Pogues
    The Pogues

    The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish music with influences from punk rock and jazz, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan....
  • The Pursuit of Happiness
  • The Replacements
    The Replacements

    The Replacements were an American rock music band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota in 1979. The band was composed of guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bassist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars for most of their career....
  • R.E.M.
    R.E.M.

    R.E.M. is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry ....
  • Sonic Youth
    Sonic Youth

    Sonic Youth is an American rock music rock band formed in New York City in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley ....
  • Soul Asylum
    Soul Asylum

    Soul Asylum is an United States alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota in 1983 in music.The band formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley ....
  • The Smiths
    The Smiths

    The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
  • The Smithereens
    The Smithereens

    The Smithereens are a rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States. The group, formed in 1980, has consisted of Pat DiNizio , Jim Babjak , Mike Mesaros , and Dennis Diken until 2006, when Mike left the band....
  • The Sugarcubes
    The Sugarcubes

    The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic alternative rock musical band formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. They received critical and popular acclaim internationally....
  • 10,000 Maniacs
    10,000 Maniacs

    10,000 Maniacs was a United States-based alternative rock band, formed in 1981 and active with various line-ups through 2007. Their best-known member is Natalie Merchant, who left the band in 1993 to pursue a solo career....
  • They Might Be Giants
    They Might Be Giants

    They Might Be Giants is a Grammy Award-winning Music of the United States alternative rock band which began as a duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell, and currently also includes Marty Beller, Dan Miller , and Danny Weinkauf....
  • Throwing Muses
    Throwing Muses

    Throwing Muses are an alternative rock musical ensemble formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects....
  • U2
    U2

    U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
  • Violent Femmes
    Violent Femmes

    The Violent Femmes, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1980, are an American alternative rock band, noted for laying the groundwork for folk punk....
  • XTC
    XTC

    XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. Though the band enjoyed some significant chart success , they are more known for their long-standing critical success than for making hit records....