Modern Rock

Modern rock is term commonly used to describe a rock music format found on American commercial radio. Generally beginning with late 1970s punk but referring especially to any rock music of the 1980s, 1990s or 2000s, the phrase "modern rock" is used to differentiate the music from "classic rock", which focuses upon music recorded in the 1960s and 1970s. More specifically, it is usually used to describe a "radio-friendly" variation of alternative rock. Many rock radio stations now refer to their format as modern rock. Modern rock stations primarily play current artists like an active rock station would, but active rock radio stations also mix their current music with classic rock. Modern rock was solidified as a radio format in 1988 with Billboard's creation of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The 1988 episode of the VH1 show I Love the '80s discussed INXS, The Cure, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, and Erasure under the topic of modern rock.