Soft to hard: rock music deciphered

Alternative rock songs from the 90s to the early 2000s are what made rock, rock. From our favourite bands to the break-out artiste of that time. The alternative rock craze pretty much affected everyone even the die-hard fans. Some of our favourite Rock songs were the ingenious works of rock bands, strumming of the guitars and the loud drums made us “rock on” to the songs. Some of the famous bands of all time were:

Nirvana; with Kurt Cobain as the lead singer, the famous rock group produced several hits that captured the hearts of die hard rock fans. With famous hit songs such as Smells like teen spirit and Lithium the band scaled its way up to win the Grammy awards for the best Alternative Music Album. Nirvana surely set the bar for the other rock bands. Then, 20 years ago, Kurt killed himself. And Nirvana was no more.

Aerosmith; their hit song, I don’t want to miss a thing was a chart topper ever since the 90s. The band’s lead singers were Steven Tyler (lead vocals) and Joe Perry (backing vocals) really gave the band its unique tone. The band was known to produce madcap hits that had fans addicted to their music. They have also won several awards since they started and they still continue to make great music. Last month, actor Johnny Depp joined them on stage in Mansfield, US, where they rocked the crowd with the song Tha Train Kept A-Rolling.

Linkin Park; No diehard rock fan has ever gone past the Linkin Park phase. From their hit songs Numb to In the End, this rock group surely made an impression on many rock fans. Chester Bennington as the lead singer for the band gave the band the much needed fame all the way to winning the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Rock. Like Jaguar with his hit songs, though, some ORFs (Orijino Rock Fathers) have grumbled that the band does sound a tad repetitive.

Evanescence; who could ever forget the famous band with hits such as Bring me to Life, Going Under, My Immortal and my all-time favourite Lithium. Amy Lee gave the band an edge with her lyrical voice and became one of the most popular acts. The band sold millions of copies of their albums worldwide but hey, can you blame them with their amazing tracks? The question stays rhetorical.

3 Doors Down; When one mentions 3 Doors Down, you definitely remember the hit song Kryptonite to When I’m Gone to the mellow hit, Here without you. Brad Arnold’s fitted as the lead singer, earning the band huge success. And as anyone who has ever sung along to Be Like That’ at karaoke will tell you, he rocks.

Nickleback; Nickleback are one of the most successful rock bands of all time, with the lead singer’s telegenic good looks and songs like Rock star having raked in this multi-platinum band a fortune. Blonde, blue-eyed lead singer Chad Kroeger is alone worth about $ 60 million (Sh5bn) and has been married for a year now to fellow Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne.

Green Day: From the brainy lyrics of Brain Stew quarter a century ago to 21 Guns recently, baby-faced Billy Bob Joel and his two English rock mates from high school deserve a 21-gun salute for some of the best rock songs ever written and performed in rock history’s pantheons. They even had their album American Idiot’ (2008) turned into a Broadway play smash in 2010.

Bon Jovi: Every Kenyan rocker, as they broke their audio-virginity in the years of yore (before these days of metal hymens and hard-core rock gore) screamed along in Carnivore or Choices on Baricho road about this being It’s My Life. This, in rock terms, is the original YOLO band.

All American Rejects; Whether it is moving you along with Move Along, giving you hell with Gives You Hell’, letting the cat out of the bag with Dirty Little Secrets’ or It Ends Tonight, this All American band was, and is, the best of rock – and far from being rejects, have been inducted into the immortal rock and roll’ walk of fame in Hollywood.

Oasis; They were the definitive break through alternative rock group in the mid-1990s, dominating the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with unforgettable songs like Don’t look Back in Anger. Sadly Liam Gallagher, the younger of the genius Gallagher brothers did. And wrecked their shot at being The New Beatles.