The codes and conventions of alternative rock magazines are profound, with the masthead always at the top and the main artist looking directly at the audience. Typical color palettes include black, red and white, though alternative rock magazines can include more colors. Alternative rock first started in the 1980s and was not very successful initially, with one of the first popular bands being R.E.M. It is often confused with indie rock, though they are different subgenres.

2. Codes and Conventions
The codes and conventions of Alternative rock are
profound.
The masthead is always at the top of the magazine, with
the main picture of the band/artist looking directly at the
audience.
Typical alternative rock colour palette’s consist of
stereotypical rock colours, black, red, white. However,
alternative rock is a sub genre of rock, and so many
magazines can have more colours.

3. ALTERNATIVE ROCK MAGAZINES
Q MAGAZINE
NME
MAGAZINE
ALTERNATIVE
PRESS
MAGAZINE

4. HISTORY
Alternative rock first started out in the 80’s.
It was not very successful at first- didn’t have a lot of
publicity.
One of the first popular Alternative rock bands was
R.E.M.
In 1997 The New York Times defined alternative rock
as "hard-edged rock distinguished by brittle, '70sinspired guitar riffing and singers agonizing over their
problems until they take on epic proportions".
Indie rock and alternative rock are often confused.
Indie is mainly to describe British rock, whereas
Alternative is to describe American rock, but
nowadays they are both different sub-genres we can
easily recognize.