College Rock
Link to Spotify playlist: Mus115 - 19. College Rock
College Rock is not really a genre of rock, more a bunch of genres that were not mainstream enough for major label airplay, and thus was only played on college radio stations, which did not have to worry about mass appeal or commercial success. It was a thing in the 80s and 90s, but faded out when NPR, of all things, waged a war against college radio stations.
Claiming they were a detriment to broadcasting, NPR lobbied aggressively to destroy these small-fry noncommercial competitors, who were often forced to disband or convert to closed-circuit (campus-only) format. By the early nineties, college radio was squeezed to pathetic micropower status. Bullied and pummeled by All Things Considered, it ceased to exist as a variant to mainstream radio rock.[1]
In addition, the rise of grunge and indie styles often took the place of the college radio alternate styles.
Some notable college radio bands that made it big into the mainstream (could possibly be considered alternative?):
Hüsker Dü
R.E.M.
Elvis Costello
Red Hot Chili Peppers