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By: Layla Soler
Trends have always existed in a cycle. And in true cyclical fashion, bands from the late 90s and early 2000s are becoming cool all over again. Not in a “throwback playlist” way, but in a way where younger listeners are genuinely discovering and obsessing over artists like Paramore, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Deftones like they are brand new.
A lot of it starts online. TikTok and Instagram have turned older rock songs into background tracks for edits, fashion videos, and the occasional meme, which has pushed a whole new generation to actually go back and listen to the full songs. And once they do, they are finding something that feels very different from a lot of today’s music. The alternative sound is not the only thing making a comeback.
Baggy jeans, band tees, messy eyeliner, and that early-2000s alternative look are everywhere online again. But it is not just about fashion. It is tied to the music itself, like the style and the sound are part of the same feeling people are trying to recreate.
What is interesting is how much nostalgia is driving this, even for people who did not actually grow up during that era. A lot of Gen Z listeners are romanticizing a time they did not experience firsthand, mostly through clips, old photos, and rediscovered music communities online.
Even older fans are noticing it too. Old 99X playlists and alternative rock memories from the 90s have been resurfacing, with people talking about how important that era of radio was for discovering new music and feeling connected to a local scene.
And maybe that is part of the reason it is coming back now. Because in a music world that feels very digital and algorithm-driven, there is something about that era of rock that feels more grounded in a real scene, a real sound, and a real community.
