Alternative cover a LARGE spectrum of music...kinda hard to accurately catagorize now days...they tend to bleed together.
Ask a band who inspired them and you might be surprized.....lots will say Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Elvis, The Doors, Led Zeplin, 3 Dog Knight, even Cream......small minds breed ignorance.
And of the music we see today - to think some of our great musical pioneers led to what we have now....