The Verve Pipe And The Role Of College Radio

Starting in the early 1980's, college radio stations became a force for the alternative rock radio surge in popularity. College alternative stations in their early days provided an audience for "socially · conscious" bands such as U2 and R.E.M., harkening back to the "hippie" counterculture movement in the 1960's, as mentioned on this website. Over time, the role of college radio began to shift. In the mid · 1990's, Michigan State University's student · operated radio station WDBM, nicknamed "The Impact", helped launch a local East Lansing band, The Verve Pipe, to national success!

Known for playing music by local bands, The Impact played many songs by the Verve Pipe, helping them build a local fan base. Coupled with the band touring many college towns around Michigan, the combination grabbed the attention of RCA Records, who signed them in 1995. Their first RCA release, Villans, earned the Verve Pipe their first national success with the singles Photograph and The Freshmen, the latter becoming a Billboard Modern Rock number one in 1997, not to mention a number 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart!

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Notable New Bands And Artists: Everclear

Everclear hailed from Portland, Oregon and had an almost immediate impact on Album Rock audiences. The band combined lyrical commentary of everyday situations, combined with a musical style that featured "alternative" guitar riffs. Their sound produced a number one on the Mainstream Rock charts, Santa Monica (Watch The World Die), early in 1996. Everclear went on to be one of the more successful bands in Rock for the remainder of the 1990's.

Oasis First In Double Digits

It happened in much less dramatic fashion than on its sister chart, the Album Rock Tracks chart, with its record holder for most weeks at number one holding for more than a decade with only one serious challenger. Wonderwall by Oasis beat out many Modern Rock Tracks number ones that spent either 8 or 9 weeks at the top. Nevertheless, it's 10th week at number one on said chart on February 23rd 1996 was enough to secure the new record for longest stay at number one. This also marked the first time a Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number one song reached a double · digit total at the top in terms of weeks.

Oasis first saw national success with American rock audiences a year earlier when their 1995 track Live Forever achieved great popularity. Oasis continued their success over the next few years.