There was a time when the modern rock charts did not exist. Similar music through the last three decades was listed by different names, including post-modern rock and alternative music. The generally accepted sound of modern rock also differs slightly depending on where the band and its influences are from. American modern rock usually features a harder sound with lyrics that speak about the rejection of commercialized mainstream culture. The British version usually has a sound that is akin to the pop genre, with lyrics focusing on British concerns.

Before the appearance of the first modern rock charts, punk was going strong. As the genre waned, a new sound was born out of it. This post rock genre of music used many of the same elements, but had its own style and character.  During the 1980s, the term “modern rock” was often used to describe the genre and set it apart from the ever popular classic rock genre. Throughout the 1980s, modern rock stations began broadcasting. These included Long Island’s WLIR-FM and Boston’s WFNX.

By 1988, modern rock became an officially accepted radio format when the American music industry publication, Billboard, created the modern rock charts. That same year, an episode of I Love the 80s aired on VH1 covered the bands Morrissey, INXS, the Cure, Erasure and Depeche Mode, describing them as the year’s representative modern rock artists. Although this could easily be viewed as an indication of the growth of the genre, it truly came into its own with the rapid popularity of Nirvana’s grunge music in 1992.

After Nirvana expanded the genre, brought in new fans and reintroduced old ones, the modern rock charts became very popular. A number of radio stations switched to the grunge format.  Even today, many stations still play some of the most remarkable music from the genre, usually including songs from bands that were popular in the 1990s and later. This would include songs by Nirvana, Primus, Soundgarden, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Blur and Oasis.

At what point did this genre, along with the alternative rock charts, become so hugely popular?  The name “alternative” rock was frequently used around 1990. Even before the term emerged, a similar type of music was given a few different names. In the late 1970s, the Vice President of A&R for Elektra Records referred to a variety of rock groups as “alternative music.”  Later in the 1980s, college radio brought about the term “college” rock.

Prior to the phrase “alternative rock” and “alternative rock charts,” cutting edge music was often referred to as post-modern or new music genres. DJs and promoters during the 1980s believe that the term was first coined by American FM radio stations as far back as the 1970s.

The alternative rock charts have also been around for quite a long time. Early in the 1980s, numerous small record labels grew out of punk subculture.  During this time, Sounds, NME and Cherry Red publications presented the alternative charts, which focused on smaller record stores.  By January of 1980, the first national chart was distributed, referred to as the indie chart.

Today, a variety of bands have been included in alternative rock charts. The genre has grown immensely from its underground roots to become a popular mainstream category. Although the band make up may vary and the original sound was born out of punk rock, there are usually a few common themes found throughout the genre. These usually focus on the rejection of mainstream culture and its commercialization.

The alternative rock charts include a large variety of sounds, from those found in Britpop to gothic rock, grunge and twee (or indie) pop. In the late 1980s, bands including Public Image Limited, the Sugarcubes and New Order were touring the United States, marking the growing popularity of alternative rock. In the meantime, the British version of alternative rock could be described as more pop sounds with a focus on British issues in lyrics.

The 1990s saw an enormous growth in the alternative rock genre. Well known bands including Faith No More, Dinosaur Jr., Jane’s Addiction and R.E. M. began to guide the direction of the genre. Arguably the most notable of them all was Nirvana, which brought on the grunge movement with Smells Like Teen Spirit. Today, the alternative rock charts have seen a number of greats including Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Alice in Chains.

Long before John Mayer tickets were ever sold, the singer-songwriter decided to leave his classes at Berklee College of Music to become of a member of a two man band with his college friend Clay Cook. The band, called LoFi Masters, played gigs in local clubs and coffee houses. After playing together, the pair realized that their goals for the group were too dissimilar. Mayer was pushing towards a pop music sound that did not interest Cook. The group dissolved and Mayer began a solo career.

John Mayer tickets were still lesser known at this point. Along with local producer Glenn Matullo, Mayer recorded an independent EP called Inside Wants Out. Despite the dissolution of LoFi Masters, Cook co-wrote a number of the songs found on Inside Wants Out. A full band was used to record the track No Such Thing. Co-producer David “DeLa” LaBruyere took up the bass guitar as well. Afterwards, Mayer and LaBruyere started playing together in Georgia venues as well as those in neighboring states.

During this time, John Mayer began to establish a reputation for himself. Soon, John Mayer tickets would become far more commonplace. In March of 2000 Mayer appeared at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. His appearance caught the eye of Aware Records.  Mayer released an internet only album with Aware Records called Room for Squares.

Aware went through some changes during this time, signing a deal with Columbia Records. The agreement would give Columbia first pick when signing Aware artists.  This transaction also lead to Columbia’s remix and re-release of Mayer’s Room for Squares. The re-release was improved and included the first four songs from Inside Wants Out.

Venues were selling many John Mayer tickets, including a concert held in Birmingham, Alabama in 2003.  The performance was recorded and released as a live DVD and CD. Later in 2004, Mayer released his second album Heavier Things, which received positive reviews from Rolling Stone, Blender and AllMusic. Although the reviews were positive, they were also somewhat reserved. Heavier Things earned a place at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

During Spring of 2005, the John Mayer Trio was formed, which included Mayer along with drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino. Mayer’s album Battle Studios was released in November of 2009. This would be the musician’s fourth studio release. Today, John Mayer tickets are a popular item among fans.

Prior to forming his band, Dave Matthews was reluctant to play for a crowd.  He met up with lawyer Ross Hoffman who convinced Matthews to play a demo of a few songs for him to find other musicians to play as well. With Hoffman’s encouragement, Matthews spoke to Carter Beauford who was playing on a BET jazz show at the time.  After Carter, Matthews also approached Moore.  They weren’t selling Dave Matthews Band tickets yet, but it was a start.

In early 1991, the Dave Matthews Band recorded their first in studio demo, which included Recently, Tripping Billies and That Song That Jane Likes.  Tinsley was not yet a full time band member, but played in the recording of Tripping Billies. Contrary to popular belief, the band’s earliest performance was taped on March 14^th, 1991 at TRAX.  Many believed their first performance was actually at the Earth Day Festival in 1991.

Dave Matthews Band tickets were still not available, partially because the band had not yet come up with an official name. The group considered going with the name Dumela, which means “hello” in Tswana (a South African language). The name didn’t really stick and they ditched the idea.  The widely accepted story is that Moore spoke to a venue on the phone and, since no name was available, gave them “Dave Matthews” instead. The individual writing the information down added the word “band” after the name.  After that, the name just stuck.

Things continued to progress for the band as the years passed by. Dave Matthews Band tickets became a highly sought item among music lovers. By 2000, the band has set up a recording studio for themselves just outside of Charlottesville, overseen by producer Lillywhite.

Tragedy impacted the music during this period. Dave Matthews lost an uncle to alcoholism, which pushed him to write some of the darkest songs in his career. Overall, conditions brought on by personal issues and the atmosphere in the studio had a negative impact on the Dave Matthews Band.

Eventually the atmosphere improved and the band got back to work. Dave Matthews Band tickets were ever growing in popularity, with a great deal of fan support.  For the band’s 20 year anniversary, four multiple day, multiple artist events were scheduled.

In 1983, a band that called themselves the Blackwood Convention played a Halloween gig in a ROTC dormitory basement. The group consisted of bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman and guitarists Jeff Holdsworth and Trey Anastasio.  The second gig, held the following month, saw the band first billed under the name Phish. Phish tickets were still not something sold in mainstream venues.

After 1986, the band’s official line up was formed as it is known today, with Marc Daubert and Jeff Holdsworth leaving and Page McConnell joining up in September of 1985. Fishman and Anastasio decided to transfer to Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont in 1986. Fish tickets were not something mainstream music lovers were vying for. The band produced at least six experimental, self-titled cassettes at while at the college, with the first circulated in two different variations. The first received greater distribution than the second and was officially released in 1998 as the White Tape.

With the 1990s on the horizon, Phish tickets were becoming far more popular than they once were. The band had accumulated a large following. They attempted to land a gig at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club. Initially the club owners refused to book Phish because they felt the band was too obscure to be a profitable option. Proving them wrong, Phish rented the club out on January 26^th, 1989 and played to a sold out audience. During this time, the band had a vast following of fans that would travel from far to support them and see them play.

In the 1990s, many music fans bought Phish tickets. The band developed an interactive play style that involved the audience. They would give a cue that the audience would respond to, bringing them into the concert. 1992 saw the band’s newest addition to their performances, the Big Ball Jam. During the performance, each band member would toss a large beach ball into the crowds and play a note each time the ball the band member threw was hit. This gave the audience a fun way to create an original tune. Today, a great deal of money has been spent on Phish tickets, including a reunion performances in 2009.

Prior to the yearly offering of Coachella tickets and the concert that started it all; no rock performance had ever played at the Empire Polo Club. On November 5^th, 1993, the famous rock band Pearl Jam held a performance at this venue that drew in nearly 25,000 fans. The reason for the previously un-used location was to act on a boycott the band and its managers were enacting on popular concert ticket seller, TicketMaster.

Fans sat on the lawn or stood as they observed the performance. At the time, Coachella tickets were not available and the concert was simply a single Pearl Jam performance. During the performance, the musicians and those who work behind the scenes as well as the audience discovered that this location would work for large concerts.

It took another six years before the first Coachella tickets were sold, but eventually the site was revisited as organizers put together the initial Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The event is usually referred to simply as Coachella Fest.  The event spanned two days and saw around 25,000 attendees.  Headlining acts included the Chemical Brothers, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Underworld, DJ Shadow, Morrissey, Tool and Jurassic 5.

Coachella tickets have become very popular, with each year’s lineup including many big name acts.  The initial event was held in 1999, but was skipped in 2000 due to financial difficulties. 2001 saw a reunited Jane’s Addiction while 2002 included Bjork and Siouxsie and the Banshees. 2003’s event included the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers who would later return to the concert in 2007. More recent headliners include Paul McCartney, the Killers, My Bloody Valentine, the Verve, Aphex Twins, Faith No More, Gorillaz and the Cure.

Long before the founding members had any idea just how many U2 tickets would eventually be sold, the band emerged as a teenage endeavor. Formed on September 25^th, 1976 in Dublin, Ireland, the group began playing in 14 year old Mullen’s kitchen. At the time, Bono took up vocals, Evans played guitar with his older brother, Dik Evans, and Clayton (who was a friend of Evans) provided his bass skills. Others including friends Peter Martin and Ivan McCormick were also present. Very early on, Bono took over to govern the direction of the band. Despite their lacking skill and experience with instruments and music, the band pushed on under their first name, Feedback.

Feedback saw changes very early on, with McCormick leaving after a few weeks and Martin never returning after the initial practice session. The material the band used was mostly cover songs. Although this is very different from the sounds that sell U2 tickets today, it gave the band members something to improve their skills with. At the time, the band listed their musical influences as including the Clash, the Jam, the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks.

1977 did not see U2 ticket sales, but it did see a name change from Feedback to the Hype. Due to growing up and attending college, Dirk Evans was slowing becoming distance from his fellow band members.  Eventually the band made a move towards a four piece group and Evans was officially phased out by March of 1978.  The band even performed a farewell concert, which was held in Howth at the Presbyterian Church Hall and featured Evans walking offstage. This also brought on the final name change to U2. The band began to grow in the Irish market. Eventually, U2 tickets would become a hot commodity for rock fans all over the world.

Kings of Leon tickets are very popular today, but over ten years ago the band was not known.  The group emerged in 1999 as an American rock band that formed in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Early on, the Kings of Leon had a less varied sound, with a combination of blues elements and Southern rock that issued overall upbeat overtones. Since their early days, the group has expanded its sound to span a more varied collection of genres, including alternative rock.

The Followill brother’s early life was spent moving around frequently as the siblings and their mother followed their preacher father, who was employed by a United Pentecostal Church.  This lifestyle meant a significant amount of travel for the boys and very little time in a stationary setting. After their parents divorced in 1997, the Followill siblings moved to Nashville, Tennessee. It was during this time that they truly embraced rock and roll music, something they were not permitted to do before. At this point, Kings of Leon tickets and CDs were still a distant glimmer on the horizon.

The boys were ambitious but did not yet have the skills they needed to create the music that sells Kings of Leon tickets today.  While living in Nashville, the Followills became acquainted with songwriter Angelo Petraglia. Petraglia assisted them with their song writing talents and helped them improve. He also introduced them to new musical influences, including the Clash, Rolling Stones and Thin Lizzy.

Within six months, Nathan and Caleb were taken on by RCA Records. The company insisted that the pair bring on more members before launching their musical career. Nathan and Caleb brought in cousin Matthew and younger sibling Jared. They also came up with their band name based on the name of their father and grandfather, who were both named Leon.

After signing with RCA Records and filling out the group, it wasn’t yet time to start promoting Kings of Leon tickets. The band was given one month to give the company material. After locking themselves in, the group was able to give RCA California Waiting, Molly’s Chambers, Holy Roller Novocaine and Wicker Chair.

The history of the band is perhaps part of what makes Bon Jovi tickets such a coveted item for fans. The band emerged in 1983 as an American hard rock performance born in Sayreville, New Jersey.  Nearly a decade earlier in 1975, John Bon Jovi played guitar and piano as a member of his teenage band Raze. By the time he was 16 years old, the future lead singer formed a 12 piece cover band known as the Atlantic City Expressway.

Less than one year before forming the band he would be most recognized for, John Bon Jovi was working part time in a shoe store for women. He took on a position at Power Station Studios, a Manhattan-based recording studio co-owned by his cousin, Tony Bongiovi. This seemed like a golden opportunity for the mostly unknown rock star. He made a number of demos and submitted them to record companies but went mostly unnoticed. At the time, no one would have any idea just how desirable Bon Jovi tickets, cassettes and CDs would eventually become.

Despite the general rejection from record companies, John Bon Jovi continued working towards his musical goals.  He personally visited WAPP 103.5 FM, a local radio station known as the Apple based out of Lake Success in New York.  After meeting with the station’s promotion director, John Lassman, his song Runaway was accepted. The track would be included in a compilation of local talent produced by the radio station. At first reluctant, John eventually agreed to include the song.  He wasn’t selling Bon Jovi tickets yet, but it was a step in the right direction.

Runaway was produced by the All Star Review, a group of studio musicians which included future Bon Jovi bassist Hugh McDonald. After it’s time with the Apple, Runaway picked up speed quickly. It was given air play time throughout the New York area. Eventually partner stations and even major markets began to pay attention. The band continued to pick up steam, with Bon Jovi tickets, music and merchandise becoming a popular item among hard rock fans.

Buying Concert Tickets Online

Some music lovers prefer the convenience and speed of buying concert tickets online. Many websites offer tickets for sale for concerts all over the world. To get started, the music fan can search for the band name and the key phrase “concert tickets.” This should yield numerous results. Many bands also maintain websites that usually list their performance schedule and links to places where their fans can purchase tickets for each concert. Some websites, such as TicketMaster, provide visitors with a large selection of concert tickets for performances all over the United States. Fans should look for concert ticket sellers who serve their area and the musical act they plan to see.

Concert Tickets Offline

Although it is regarded as one of the most convenient places to buy concert tickets, the internet is not the only way to purchase them. Some people prefer to contact the concert venue directly to find out where tickets are being sold. Shops in some communities offer tickets. Where a music fan can buy them will vary depending on what is available in their local area. Popular sellers may also offer a phone number that gives fans another way to reserve their concert tickets.

Provided the show is not sold out, concert tickets may be available at the door at the time of the performance. The fan can walk right up and purchase their tickets this way. The problem with this method is that a highly anticipated performance is more likely to be completely sold out before the performance. You may run the risk of not being able to see the concert even though you are there.

Some people buy too many tickets (either unintentionally or on purpose) and attempt to sell tickets to others who arrive to see the concert. Those who do this intentionally as a way to make a profit are called scalpers. Ticket scalping is usually not permitted. If you purchase tickets this way, you can usually expect to pay far more than you otherwise would have had the concert tickets been reserved through a traditional seller.