alternative music

noun

Definition of alternative music

: music that is produced by performers who are outside the musical mainstream, that is typically regarded as more eclectic, original, or challenging than most popular music (such as conventional rock, pop, or country), and that is often distributed by independent record labels

Examples of alternative music in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Costello’s show at the Graceland Soundstage follows a couple other alternative music bookings at the venue this year, including L.A. punk band X and Midwest anti-folkers Violent Femmes. — USA TODAY, "Summer snow, yellow jacket super nests, laundered cat: News from around our 50 states," 26 June 2019 Mamby debuted in 2015 at Oakwood Beach with acts like Passion Pit and Cut Copy, positioning itself as a formidable electronic and alternative music fest — and the only one that could boast lakeside volleyball. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "Beachside fest Mamby’s move to Montrose creating waves between birders, boaters, neighbors and music fans," 14 June 2019 LaureLive has grown into one of the premier music festivals in Ohio and the midwest, drawing big crowds and showcasing some of the top names in pop, rock and alternative music. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland.com, "Taste of Lakewood and other things to do on Sunday, June 9," 9 June 2019 The music scene, specifically in central Baltimore … wasn’t reflective of women, LGBTQ people or black alternative music. — Sameer Rao, baltimoresun.com, "Mining Baltimore's past and present, Abdu Ali releases album of "Fiyah!!!"," 13 June 2019 Lately, the posh banking and diplomacy hub seems to be morphing into an alternative music mecca. — Jharna Thakkar, National Geographic, "Geneva's hidden gems: the ultimate weekend itinerary," 30 May 2019 The announcement on Tuesday included several other updates, including the second tweak in four years to the definition of alternative music. — Ben Sisario, New York Times, "Grammys Expand Number of Nominees in Four Top Categories," 26 June 2018 Light alternative music spilled out of the open doorway to passers-by. — Brandon Rasmussen, idahostatesman, "Plant yourself at this new spot now open for coffee, tea in Boise," 5 July 2018 The best alternative music album nominees, too, feel like textbook Grammy-world acts. — Mark Yarm, Billboard, "Do the 2018 Grammys Have a Problem With Rock?," 19 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alternative music.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.