Alt-Country: The '90s

Inspired by country instrumentation, the electric guitar crunch of alt rock and the attitude of punk, alt-country started as a niche movement in the late ‘80s. But when Uncle Tupelo released No Depression in 1990, the movement spread. Thanks to a core of bands like Wilco, The Jayhawks and Whiskeytown—fronted by a young Ryan Adams—this country sideshow became a solid standalone genre.