Rock evolved into something more cerebral. Instead of banging their heads, musicians started thinking with them and used rock to comment on the world around them. With its breakthrough "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, Nirvana was the most significant poster child for the alternative movement. And Seattle was the place to be, spawning numerous "grunge" bands.
In 1991, Lollapalooza started the summer-tour trend by bringing different alternative bands together for concerts across the nation. REM, the darlings of college radio, became huge mainstream stars when "Losing My Religion" hit MTV--just one indication that the indie scene was not to last. The wake-up call came in 1994 with Kurt Cobain's death, which sparked non-stop coverage and a huge tribute from MTV. Suddenly, underground bands were making money and becoming household names. Alternative had gone mainstream.
