By the mid-1990s, as elements of the movement began to attract mainstream interest, particularly grunge and then Britpop, post-grunge and pop-punk, the term alternative began to lose its meaning.
Cara mediados dos 90, cando elementos do movemento comezaron a atraer o interese do gran público, particularmente o grunge e despois o britpop, o post-grunge e o pop-punk, o termo alternativo comezou a perder o seu significado.