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Alternative for the Masses
The '90s Alt-Rock Revolution - An Oral History
Brief Description
Get the definitive story of the '90s alt-rock movement straight from the musicians and figures who lived it. No period in the history of rock music offered such an abrupt shift in prevailing tastes as the 1990s. While just a short while before, radio and MTV...
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Alternative for the Masses: The Oral History of the '90s Alt-Rock Revolution offers insights, opinions, and memories from an incredible cast of musicians and producers who created the music.
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Description
Get the definitive story of the '90s alt-rock movement straight from the musicians and figures who lived it.
No period in the history of rock music offered such an abrupt shift in prevailing tastes as the 1990s. While just a short while before, radio and MTV were clamouring for hair metal bands, suddenly alt-rockers such as Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Primus, Smashing Pumpkins, and of course, Nirvana, brought a sea change not just in what the most popular bands sounded like, but also in fashion, politics, and seemingly all aspects of pop culture.
In Alternative for the Masses: The Oral History of the '90s Alt-Rock Revolution, veteran music critic Greg Prato presents more than 60 new interviews conducted exclusively for the book—with an emphasis on the 1990-1995 peak period—including insights from renowned names like:
- Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Dischord Records)
- Frank Black (Pixies)
- Corey Glover (Living Colour)
- Moby (solo artist/DJ)
- Al Jourgensen (Ministry)
- Les Claypool (Primus)
- Kennedy (host of MTV's Alternative Nation)
- Matt Pinfield (host of MTV's 120 Minutes)
- Butch Vig (producer of Nirvana's Nevermind)
- Tanya Donnelly (Belly, Breeders)
- Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live)
Prato also includes excerpts from one of the last interviews with Steve Albini, arguably the period's most influential recording engineer and producer, responsible for influential albums by the likes of Nirvana and PJ Harvey, among many others.
Prato sets out his book in thematic chapters covering topics such as:
- The Lollapalooza music festival
- The impact of Nirvana
- Alt-rock's many subgenres
- Notable producers of the period
- The impact of women rockers
- MTV's influence
- Drugs and addiction
- and much more!
Do you long for the days when it seemed rock artists were all about daring to be different, speaking their minds, and shaking up the music industry? The last decade before the internet, downloads, and streaming took over music? Alternative for the Masses will take you back to that time when alt-rock truly promised something different.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780760398425
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 30 October 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Motorbooks
Illustration: 57
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 30.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 871g
Pages: 384
Collections
About the Author
Greg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist who has written for Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Songfacts. He has written over 40 books, including such popular titles as Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music; The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s; and Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool, among many others.
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