What exactly does this term mean? I've heard it used as a blanket term for synthpop, post-punk, and new wave, and including groups as diverse as Blondie, Madness, Rick Springfield, The Cars, The Talking Heads, ABC, and The Smiths. I take it to mean 1978-1985 underground rock and its descendents, including some stuff going through the late '80s.

Modern Rock is a term to describe Rock Music in the mainstream.  Like a radio-friendly variation of alternative rock

I think Modern Rock is a pretty useless and misleading term.

A generic radio term (ie: it's not used much outside of radio) to describe basically any mainstream rock music usually made in the last 15 years.

I've never heard any 80s rock (or earlier) considered "modern rock", "classic rock" is is more the generic term used for anything rock made before 1990-1991.

Wikipedia describes it as a "radio-friendly" variation of alternative rock.

I've never heard anything called "modern rock" past 1991 except early grunge or late 80's alternative.

A generic radio term (ie: it's not used much outside of radio) to describe basically any mainstream rock music usually made in the last 15 years.

I've never heard any 80s rock (or earlier) considered "modern rock", "classic rock" is is more the generic term used for anything rock made before 1990-1991.


I would say New Wave, underground '80s, etc. is "modern rock", but most mainstream rock I would define as "classic" if it was released before Nirvana's Nevermind, so basically 1955-1990/'91.

It's used by radio stations and Billboard for the sake of tracking general popular rock music, but stylistically I don't think it has any specific implications.