(CNN) — In the early to mid-’90s, in the post-“Nevermind” glory days of rock, “alternative” became mainstream and teens and 20-somethings across the United States formed bands, looking for stardom.
Nearly two decades later, for every “alternative” artist who’s still selling lots of music and lots of concert tickets (Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Beck), dozens have broken up, faded into obscurity or died too young.
That’s been the typical career arc for rock ‘n’ roll artists since the ’50s. Only a small percentage of rockers have made it past age 30 with their “it” factor intact. But now, some late-blooming alternative acts are redefining what’s possible in a rock ‘n’ roll career.
The National, the Hold Steady and Spoon have each hit their highest positions ever on the Billboard 200 album chart with albums released in the past few months. All three bands made up of 30-somethings have several things in common.
via Before I get old: Success for late-blooming bands – CNN.com via hypebot
