Taken from this http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/9214-radio-friendly-unit-shifters-25-years-of-billboards-alternative-music-chart/
1988–1993: The Sun Never Set on the British Empire
Key Modern Rock No. 1s: The Cure, “Fascination Street” (1989, 7 weeks); Kate Bush, “Love and Anger” (1989, 3 weeks); Peter Murphy, “Cuts You Up” (1990, 7 weeks); Depeche Mode, “Enjoy the Silence” (1990, 3 weeks); Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now” (1991, 5 weeks); R.E.M., “Losing My Religion” (1991, 8 weeks); Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, “So You Think You’re in Love” (1991, 5 weeks); Morrissey, “Tomorrow” (1992, 6 weeks); New Order, “Regret” (1993, 6 weeks)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1: “Give It Away” (1991, 2 weeks)
1993–1996: When Alt Became Pop
Key Modern Rock No. 1s: Nirvana, “Heart-Shaped Box” (1993, 3 weeks); The Lemonheads, “Into Your Arms” (1993, 9 weeks); Beck, “Loser” (1994, 5 weeks); Green Day, “Basket Case” and “When I Come Around” (1994–95, 5 and 7 weeks, respectively); the Cranberries, “Zombie” (1994, 6 weeks); Live, “Lightning Crashes” (1995, 9 weeks); Alanis Morrisette, “You Oughta Know” (1995, 5 weeks); Bush, “Glycerine” (1995, 2 weeks); Oasis, “Wonderwall” (1995–96, 10 weeks); Butthole Surfers, “Pepper” (1996, 3 weeks); Primitive Radio Gods, “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand” (1996, 6 weeks)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1s: “Soul to Squeeze” (1993, 5 weeks); “My Friends” (1995, 4 weeks)
1997–1999: Faux-ternative
Key Modern Rock No. 1s: Third Eye Blind, “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997, 8 weeks); Matchbox Twenty, “Push” (1997, 1 week); Sugar Ray, “Fly” (1997, 8 weeks); Marcy Playground, “Sex and Candy” (1997–98, 15 weeks); Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris” (1998, 5 weeks); Barenaked Ladies, “One Week” (1998, 5 weeks); Everlast, “What It’s Like” (1998–99, 9 weeks); Lit, “My Own Worst Enemy” (1999, 11 weeks)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1: “Scar Tissue” (1999, 16 weeks)
1999–2002: The Mook Shall Inherit the Earth
Key Modern Rock No. 1s: 3 Doors Down, “Kryptonite” (2000, 11 weeks); Papa Roach, “Last Resort” (2000, 7 weeks); Fuel, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” (2000–01, 12 weeks); Crazy Town, “Butterfly” (2001, 2 weeks); Staind, “It’s Been Awhile” (2001, 16 weeks); Nickelback, “How You Remind Me” (2001, 13 weeks); Linkin Park, “In the End” (2001, 5 weeks); Puddle of Mudd, “Blurry” (2002, 9 weeks)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1s: “Otherside” (2000, 13 weeks); “Californication” (2000, 1 week); “By the Way” (2002, 14 weeks)
2003–2008: The Oligopoly
Key Modern Rock No. 1s: Foo Fighters, “All My Life” (2002–03, 10 weeks); Linkin Park, “Numb” (2003–04, 12 weeks); Incubus, “Megalomaniac” (2004, 6 weeks); Green Day, “American Idiot” (2004, 6 weeks); Foo Fighters, “Best of You” (2005, 7 weeks); Incubus, “Anna Molly” (2006–07, 5 weeks); Linkin Park, “What I’ve Done” (2007, 16 weeks); Foo Fighters, “The Pretender” (2007, 18 weeks); Incubus, “Love Hurts” (2008–09, 3 weeks)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1s: “Can’t Stop” (2003, 3 weeks); “Dani California” (2006, 14 weeks); “Tell Me Baby” (2006, 4 weeks); “Snow (Hey Oh)” (2007, 5 weeks)
2009–2013: The Return of the New Wave
Key Alternative Songs No. 1s: Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody” (2009, 3 weeks); Muse, “Uprising” (2009–10, 17 weeks); Phoenix, “1901” (2010, 2 weeks); the Black Keys, “Tighten Up” (2010–11, 10 weeks); Cage the Elephant, “Shake Me Down” (2011, 6 weeks); Foster the People, “Pumped Up Kicks” (2011, 5 weeks); Gotye featuring Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know” (2012, 12 weeks); fun., “We Are Young” and “Some Nights” (2012, 2 weeks and 3 weeks, respectively); Alex Clare, “Too Close” (2012, 4 weeks); the Neighbourhood, “Sweater Weather” (2013, 11 weeks); Lorde, “Royals” (2013, 4 weeks to date)
Inevitable Red Hot Chili Peppers No. 1: “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” (2011, 4 weeks)
Which was the worst era?
Poll Results
| Option | Votes |
| 1999–2002: The Mook Shall Inherit the Earth | 24 |
| 2003–2008: The Oligopoly | 13 |
| 1997–1999: Faux-ternative | 6 |
| 2009–2013: The Return of the New Wave | 3 |
| 1988–1993: The Sun Never Set on the British Empire | 0 |
| 1993–1996: When Alt Became Pop | 0 |
― Eric Burdon & War, On Drugs (Cosmic Slop), Wednesday, 18 February 2015 23:49 (nine years ago) link