My Love for Alternative Music

by Faith Valdivia: Staff Writer

Photos by: Kathy Gustad: Brightonian Adviser

Linkin Park in Denver, Colorado September 2025

People often think of emos and goths when they hear the word “alternative.” But the alternative label actually has very little to do with clothing- it’s all political and music based. 

Some of the most popular alternative bands include My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Linkin Park, Nirvana, The Cure, Paramore, Pierce the Veil, and so many more. Some of my personal favorites, to name a few, are Flyleaf, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, Green Day, and Evanescence. Of course I love more than just these five bands, these are just the ones I have been listening to more recently. 

I’ve also recently gotten into goth music. The two English bands I find myself listening to the most under this genre are She Wants Revenge and Ghosting. I also like a German band called Lacrimosa. Ghosting only has 22.3K monthly listeners on Spotify, they’re a very underrated band. If you like goth music, I suggest giving them a listen! 

I discovered Flyleaf because of a recommendation I got from a friend. I really love their music, them being a Christian band is a bonus for me. It’s hard to find alternative bands who are openly Christian, because in reality, there aren’t many. 

One of Flyleaf’s most popular songs is All Around Me. There has been some debate around what the song is really about. Some people believe that it is about a past lover, and others insist that it is about Jesus Christ. While most of their songs are about Christ, fans are allowed to interpret their songs however they wish. 

These are all wonderful bands, you should definitely listen to a few of them! These are all great introductory bands for those who want to get into alternative music.