Alternatives to Grunge

Everybody on this forum probably knows (if their over the age of 10) what grunge is, and the swift rise of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains during the early 1990's after the fall of Hair Metal. However, what other sub-genres could of taken over the rock/metal scene in 1990/1991, how would they have gotten into that position, and how long would they have stayed on top?
 
I'm really quite ignorant when it comes to pop music history, but I have an idea for this one. IIRC, 1987 was when The Offspring got together. So maybe they break out earlier, and renew an interest in punk/pop punk? I can see it fufilling the same kind of role that grunge did: a reaction against power ballads, ostentatious fashion and shows, and emotion; music with stripped-down instrumentation and simple, cynical lyrics.

What do you think?
 
Yet another Blues revival?

Probablly not. The purists were holding to tightly to 'their' music. Maybe if kids had been digging even deeper into the fundamental motifs of the core Delta blues and warped some fresher variations.

I cant see anything of Hispanic origin getting where it needs to go here, but WTF do I know being way to close to age sixty.

So, what was being played in the garages, on frat house lawns, and bars with a low age clientel back in 1990?
 
Yet another Blues revival?

Probablly not. The purists were holding to tightly to 'their' music. Maybe if kids had been digging even deeper into the fundamental motifs of the core Delta blues and warped some fresher variations.

I cant see anything of Hispanic origin getting where it needs to go here, but WTF do I know being way to close to age sixty.

So, what was being played in the garages, on frat house lawns, and bars with a low age clientel back in 1990?

What I know from my early 1990's history (which isn't saying much), Thrash metal was peaking in popularity at this time, despite the genre's connection to Hair Metal. I think Psychedelic sound was also popular, and was mixing up with Synthesised Rock and Metal (E.M.F anybody). Oh yeah, you also had Country Rock getting popular around this time *shudders*.
 
Madchester influenced music.

I have to agree with this.

We were ready to be either incredibly sad or incredibly happy in the early 90's, as long as it came with drugs.

Interesting to see would be a Disco-Punk movement, similar to what happened around 2004-2010 OTL coming about as a reaction to what had been coming out of Manchester.

i.e. a slightly more edgy Franz Ferdinand/of Montreal/LCD Soundsystem type sound as opposed to grunge.
 
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