'90s Alt Rock

Dominated by Nirvana and R.E.M. in the States, and by Blur and Oasis in the U.K., alternative rock of the '90s was a truly glorious movement, reviving the world's shaken belief that rock 'n' roll could be sharp, shocking, and relevant in an era of ascendant hip-hop and cozy chart blandness. Kick off with "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

The huge scope of our alt-rock playlist will keep you satisfied for weeks, if not months, as the pop-rock mastery of Supergrass and Cornershop shares space with Radiohead's uncompromising experimentalism, the Chemical Brothers' techno-rock hybridization, and PJ Harvey's hard-rocking feminist confrontation. Rock your bones and your brains.

Some of the most unique tracks in our '90s alt-rock bran tub reside here, in the dark corner of the playlist. Once you've negotiated the surreal Mercury Rev ("Holes" — "dug by little moles" as the lyric goes), we recommend you try the re-jigged blues of Gomez ("Whippin' Piccadilly") or the bassy mumblings of the Tindersticks ("Bathtime").

If the 21st century delivers a battalion of alt-rockers as accomplished as those of the '90s, then the future is looking mighty bright. Lyrically, few writers hit the same crafty heights as Pulp's Jarvis Cocker; for rock transcendence, we've laid on masterworks by the Verve and Spiritualized; and then there's the biggest Brit-rock face-off since the Stones and the Beatles: Blur vs. Oasis. You can debate who won till the cows come home: there are no losers in this selection.