Alt-Country: The '90s

Drawing on country instrumentation, alt rock's electric guitar crunch, and punk's attitude, alt-country started as a niche movement in the late ‘80s. But after 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.