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American alternative rock musicians

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Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establishment persona, he widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X, and is widely recognized as one of the most influential rock musicians.
Courtney Love
American rock musician and actress (born 1964)
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Isabel Rodrigo is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She began her career as a child, appearing in commercials and the direct-to-video film An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success (2015). She rose to prominence with her leading roles in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark (2016–2019) and the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–2022).
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician and actor. He is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Pinhead Gunpowder, and provides lead vocals for Green Day's side projects Foxboro Hot Tubs, the Network, the Longshot and the Coverups. Armstrong has been considered by critics as one of the greatest punk rock guitarists of all time, as well as one of the greatest punk rock singers of all time.
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Michel Momsen is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, model, and former actress. Prior to her retirement from acting, she portrayed the character of Cindy Lou Who in the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Alexandra Anami in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Molly in Underdog (2007), and Jenny Humphrey on The CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl. Momsen has been the frontwoman of the American rock band The Pretty Reckless since their inception in 2009.
Moby
Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "among the most important dance music figures of the early 1990s, helping bring dance music to a mainstream audience both in the United States and the United Kingdom".
Tori Amos
American singer-songwriter and pianist
Anthony Kiedis
Anthony Kiedis is an American musician who is the lead vocalist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Kiedis and his fellow band members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American actor and musician. The older brother of actor Joaquin Phoenix, he was known as a teen actor before taking on leading roles in critically acclaimed films, becoming one of the preeminent acting talents of his generation. Phoenix's numerous accolades include the Volpi Cup and the Independent Spirit Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award.
Chris Cornell
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to numerous movie soundtracks. Cornell was the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend, musician Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls, and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
John Lydon
British-born Irish-American singer and songwriter
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary, known professionally as Flea, is an Australian and American musician and actor. He is a founding member and bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Flea is the only continuous member of the band and, alongside vocalist Anthony Kiedis, the only one to appear on every album. Flea has also been a member of the supergroups Atoms for Peace, Antemasque, Pigface, and Rocket Juice & the Moon, and has played with acts including the Circle Jerks, the Mars Volta, Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Alanis Morissette, Young MC, Nirvana, What Is This, Fear, and Jane's Addiction.
Krist Novoselic
American rock musician
Eddie Vedder
American singer and guitarist
Mike Dirnt
American rock musician, member of Green Day
Willow Smith
American singer and actress (born 2000)
Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical collages of wide-ranging genres. He has musically encompassed folk, funk, soul, hip hop, electronica, alternative rock, country, and psychedelia. He has released 15 studio albums, as well as several non-album singles and a book of sheet music.
Rick Rubin
American music producer (born 1963)
Lil Peep
American rapper and singer (1996–2017)
David Byrne
Scottish-American musician (born 1952)
Mark Ronson
British and American record producer (born 1975)
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, also known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite". Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.
Machine Gun Kelly
Colson Baker (born April 22, 1990), known professionally as MGK (stylized in all lowercase) and formerly Machine Gun Kelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and actor. The stage name "Machine Gun Kelly" is derived from the nickname of Prohibition-era gangster George Kelly Barnes.
Trent Reznor
American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and composer
Michael Stipe
American musician
Vincent Gallo
American film director, writer, model, actor and musician
Amanda Palmer
American musician and songwriter (born 1976)
Thurston Moore
American guitarist (born 1958)
Mark Hoppus
American musician and record producer
Lee Ranaldo
American rock musician (born 1956)
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie, known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound before shifting his performance style to country rock. A self-taught musician, he can play every instrument in his backing band and has overseen production on all but two of his albums.
Billy Corgan
American musician
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), known by his stage name Matisyahu (; ), is an American singer, rapper, beatboxer, and musician.
Kim Gordon
American musician and artist, most known as co-founding member of Sonic Youth (born 1953)
Rob Thomas
American singer (born 1972)
Jerry Cantrell
American guitarist and singer
Troy Baker
American voice actor (born 1976)
David Cook
American musician
Dexter Holland
American rock musician
Cat Power
American singer-songwriter
Scott Weiland
American singer (1967–2015)
Peter Buck
American musician; guitarist for R.E.M., songwriter, record producer
Josh Homme
American musician
Aimee Mann
American singer-songwriter
Mike Mills
American musician; multi-instrumentalist for American alternative rock band R.E.M.
Kim Deal
American singer-songwriter; alternative rock musician
Natalie Merchant
American singer
Elle King
American singer, songwriter, and actress
Black Francis
American musician
Gayle
American singer-songwriter
Kevin Rudolf
American singer, songwriter, and record producer (born 1983)
Jenny Lewis
American musician and actress
Joey Santiago
American guitarist
Jason Everman
American musician
Daniel Wayne Sermón
American musician, songwriter, and record producer
Benjamin Burnley
American rock musician
Ben Gibbard
American singer, songwriter and guitarist
Maggie Lindemann
American singer
William DuVall
American rock musician
Daniel Platzman
American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer