When the ball dropped on New Year's Eve at the beginning of 1990, Phil Collins had the No. 1 album in the world. The following week, it was Milli Vanilli. Those facts alone should be enough to convey the sorry state of music after the '80s was done with it.
But within the next four years, the top of the Billboard 200 would be occupied by the likes of Nirvana, Beastie Boys, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots. Obviously, a much needed sea change occurred. Although nobody's ever been able to clearly define what makes a band "alternative," the '90s is the decade that brought it to the mainstream
