{{Short description|Radio format}} '''Classic alternative''' is a radio format focusing on alternative music from the late 1970s to early 1990s, with particular focus on the early days of MTV.<ref>[https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/classic-alternative-becoming-new-classic-rock/ Is Classic Alternative Becoming the New Classic Rock? - Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things]</ref><ref>[https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/music/2018/08/26/utah-people-still-love/ In Utah, people still love 'alternative' music. But what is that, exactly? - The Salt Lake Tribune]</ref><ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/204350/wkkl-returns-with-classic-alternative/ WKKL Returns With Classic Alternative - RadioInsight]</ref>
==Typical genres== * New wave: A major part of this category, especially early bands like The Cars, The Police, Blondie, Devo and Talking Heads.<ref>[https://ww1.musicchoice.com/audio-channels/classics/rock Rock - Music Choice]</ref> * Power pop: Bands such as The Knack, The Smithereens<ref name="withoutcollegeradio">[https://www.collegeradio.org/10-legendary-bands-that-wouldnt-be-legendary-without-college-radio/ 10 Legendary Bands that Wouldn't Be Legendary without College Radio - CollegeRadio.org]</ref> and The Romantics are often included in this category. * College rock: The major building block of American alternative rock, and thus artists in that genre are played often. The early works of R.E.M. (in particular), The Replacements<ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/123187/how-npr-killed-college-rock How NPR Killed College Rock|The New Republic]</ref> and They Might Be Giants usually show up on classic alternative stations.<ref name="withoutcollegeradio"/> * Post-punk and British alternative/indie rock: Common on many classic alternative stations, and often added for variety. Artists include New Order, Public Image Limited and The Smiths.<ref name="observer.com">[https://observer.com/2016/10/post-punk-101-what-is-post-punk/ Post-Punk 101: What Is Post-Punk?||Observer]</ref> * Gothic rock and dark wave: Bands such as The Cure, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and Killing Joke.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/style/goth-rock-ma0000002623 Goth Rock Music Genre Overview|AllMusic]</ref> * Grunge: Sometimes played on classic alternative stations, but more often found on modern rock stations. Includes artists such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam.<ref>[https://colemaninsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Coleman-Early-Peek-at-Classic-Alternative-January-2004.pdf Microsoft Word - Coleman's Early Peek at Classic Alternative - January 2004–]</ref> * Synthpop: Bands such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode<ref name="observer.com"/> and Pet Shop Boys and songs like "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls and "Take On Me" by a-ha are essential on classic alternative stations. * Dream pop and shoegaze: Bands such as Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, and The Jesus and Mary Chain.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/style/shoegaze-ma0000004454 Shoegaze Music Genre Overview|AllMusic]</ref> Uncommon, and depends on the amount of post-punk played on the station. * New Romantic: Bands such as Spandau Ballet and Adam and the Ants. * Ska revival: Bands such as Madness and The English Beat. * Indie pop and modern indie rock: Artists including Aztec Camera, Sonic Youth and Orange Juice.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/style/indie-rock-ma0000004453 Indie Rock Music Genre Overview|AllMusic]</ref> *Punk: Bands including Ramones and The Clash.
==Background== Some stations with an "all-'80s" format have added elements of the 1980s and '90s classic alternative format to their regular playlist. Cox's KHPT in Houston and WPOI in Tampa are prime examples of all-'80s stations that heavily relied on artists such as Peter Schilling, The Cranberries and New Order. KHPT flipped to a classic alternative format after its run as an all-'80s station. The same goes for KJAQ in Seattle, one of the first stations in the country to try this format.
Digital cable music service Music Choice (originally DMX) provided a station labelled New Wave for several years. The station was later renamed "Retro-Active", and later Classic Alternative, all of which played seventies to eighties new wave, post-punk, synthpop, etc. After several years, the station filtered in 1990s (and even sometimes post-millennium) artists. However, an artist like David Bowie can often fit in classic alternative because he meets the criteria.<ref>Bill Virgin, "[http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/tv/article/Radio-Beat-It-sounds-like-90s-music-could-be-1128948.php Radio Beat: It sounds like '90s music could be the next big format on Seattle dials]"</ref><ref>Damien Cave, "[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-bump-bizkit-off-dial-20040130 Nirvana Bump Bizkit Off Dial - "Classic alternative" radio brings back the golden Nineties]"</ref>
SiriusXM offers a classic alternative station, 1st Wave, which was launched in 2008 following the merger between Sirius and XM and replaced similar stations on both services.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snider |first1=Mike |title=As Sirius, XM signals merge, customers are confused |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=6276205&page=1 |website=ABC News |accessdate=10 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1st Wave artists defined 'alternative' by experimenting with new wave & punk music before it was cool |url=https://blog.siriusxm.com/discover-1st-wave-where-totally-rad-80s-alternative-music-is-forever-young/ |website=Hear & Now |accessdate=10 August 2020 |date=28 November 2017}}</ref>
The format began to see wider adoption in late-2022 and 2023, particularly among stations and brands that have had a legacy in modern and active rock formats in their respective market. In December 2022, WNNX in Atlanta relaunched the heritage "99X" brand of sister station WWWQ as a classic alternative station,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |date=5 December 2022 |title=WNNX Brings Back 99X |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/245799/bittersweet-stunt-symphony-for-rock-100-5-atlanta/ |access-date=5 December 2022 |work=RadioInsight}}</ref> while in July 2024, Corus Entertainment extended its ''Edge'' brand—long associated with its heritage modern rock station CFNY-FM in Toronto—to Calgary's CFGQ-FM using a classic alternative format (positioned as "Iconic Alternative").<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2024-07-31 |title=Corus launches 107.3 the Edge in Calgary |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/corus-launches-107-3-the-edge-in-calgary/ |access-date=2024-08-02 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref> In October, Corus then switched its Winnipeg active rock station CJKR-FM to classic alternative,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2024-10-08 |title=Corus rebrands Power 97 as 'Winnipeg's Iconic Alternative' |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/corus-rebrands-power-97-as-winnipegs-iconic-alternative/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}</ref> while CFNY followed suit in April 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-13 |title=CFNY Goes Iconic Alternative |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/346195/cfny-goes-iconic-alternative/ |access-date=2026-04-14 |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Rock music}}
Category:Radio formats Category:1970s in music Category:1980s in music Category:1990s in music Category:2000s in music Category:2010s in music Category:Rock radio formats