Alternative Rock's Origins....

Alternative rock music started off with a very small audience, throughout most of the 1980s most alternative rock bands remained as underground bands and only on very few occasions did they succeed in getting a mainstream audience, eg the Rolling Stones were one of these exceptions. Alternative bands increased their underground fan-base by releasing low budget albums regularly. In the US new alternative band slowly started to form and this increased more and more till the underground scene was filled with these alternative artists. Even though American alternative artists in the 1980s never had amazing album sales they still ad a considerable influence on the next generation and had already build a strong foundation for the genre leading the next alternative rock generation to success.

In comparison British Alternative rock was better distinguished in the UK, as British alternative music had small elements of pop included in it; bands tended to incorporate elements of dance and  club culture, which made it appeal to a larger audience resulting in larger fan-bases and more successful album sales. From the 1980s radio stations in the UK played alternative rock regularly, espacially by DJ's such as John Peel (who was one of the first people to broadcast rock, metalcore, alternaive music etc. on the British radio). Many alternative American bands received greater exposure and success in Britain through the British radio and press.