I would have to vote for The Smiths "How Soon is Now". Let me know your favorites.

Soul Asylum - Sometime to Return
Poster Children - If You See Kay
Primitives - Crash
Daisy Chainsaw - Love Your Money
Everclear - Heroin Girl

Here's a few of my favorites but this list can go for pages.

Ned's Atomic Dustbin: "All I Ask Of Myself Is That I Hold Together"

Brilliant! Simply brilliant!

I thought Whitesnake was metal?
They aren't alternative.
Just like Metallica isn't alternative, they are metal.

I am so glad everyone is not voting for "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
A good song, but way overrated.

My fave, but certainly can't be called the best:

Soundgarden "Blow up the Outside World"

Carter the Unstopable Sex Machine - "This is how it feels (after the watershed)



-k
###

I always thought "I stay away" or "No excuses" were great alternative songs. Or Rape Me by Nirvana, but it does really depend on your defination of alternative

OK, then.

"Headed for a Heartbreak", Winger.

(The "alternative" label is a joke, btw.)

Ben Folds Five's "Underground" is sometimes referred to as alternative, so i'll go with that.

BenFolds out.

Beds are Burning -- Midnight Oil

"Geek USA" by Smashing Pumpkins.
"Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (even though I don't like a single other RHCP song, I love this one)

I think Alternative is a genre (if you can call it that) that died out in the early 90s. Alternative is very mainstream...ie - the disc-jockeys that say, "Alt-rockers Nickelback!"

Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven

Front 242 - "Headhunter"

-matt

Pixies- Where is My Mind?

well here goes:

r.e.m.'s "radio free europe" is the best song to define the birth to alternative rock.
uncle tupelo's "weren't born to follow" or son volt's "drown" is the best y'alternative rock song.
rusted root's "send me on my way" is the best jam band alternative rock song.
husker du's "flip your wig" is the best sst 80's punk to alternative rock transition song
new pornographer's "letter from an occupant" best pop alternative song that never caught on
rust's "not today" is the best alternative rock song that the smashing pumpkins should have wrote.
rufus wainwright's "april fools" is the best loungy alternative rock song and best backing vocals in an alternative rock song
superchunk's "precision auto" is the best alternative rock song in your car
pixies' "debaser" is the best alternative rock if you want to beat someone's a**.
jon spencer blues explosion's "wail" is the best funky alternative rock song
belle and sebastian's "winter wooskie" is the best folky alternative rock song when you are falling in love
belle and sebastian's "i fought in war" is the best alternative rock song that should be in a Vietnam film
the rentals' "waiting" is best alternative rock song that was only played on radio stations for a week
the nixon's "sister" is the best alternative rock song that was played on the radio for over a year.
joe jackson's "is she really going out with him" is the best alternative rock song before alternative (velvet underground's complete catalog is close)
xtc's "dear god" is the best religous alternative rock song (haha!)
babes in toyland's "bruise violet" and L7's "pretend that we're dead" are the best aggressive female alternative rock songs
stone temple pilot's "plush" is the best acoustic version of an alternative rock song ever
king missle's "detachable penis" is the best spoken word alternative rock song (2nd is Bobby Gaylor's "Suicide")
trash can sinatras' "hayfever" is the best alternative rock song that time forgot
the lemonhead's "into your arms" is the best early 90's college alternative rock love song


and the list could go on.

Rococo - Cocteau Twins
On the Wheel - Curve
Sproston Green - The Charlatans UK

This is alternative to me - damn good songs never aired on the radio (that I know of).

joel

Its rock to me,I dont see music as a alternative so I have no answer,the media/MTV/Radio killed rock in the early 90's by putting labels on rock.

I don't understand how labeling bands would kill rock. Whether it's grunge, punk, modern, or classic, etc. it still falls under rock.

I probably wouldn't even rank them among my top 10 bands, but to me, Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is about as close to perfect as a rock song can possibly get.