What were the most popular alternative rock bands of the 1990s?

Alternative rock emerged in the 1980s as a new style of rock music, and by the early 1990s, the genre had reached its peak in popularity. This was largely due to the success of alternative rock bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains, who came to be known as the "Big Four" of the Seattle grunge scene.

While the grunge movement is often associated with Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, alternative rock was popular across the United States and the world. The 1990s saw the rise of many other popular alternative rock bands such as Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer, Beck, and Oasis.

Radiohead's 1997 album "OK Computer" is widely regarded as a masterpiece of the alternative rock genre, while the Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 double-album "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" is another classic. Beck's 1996 album "Odelay" also received widespread critical acclaim.

Other notable alternative rock bands of the 1990s include Blur, Green Day, Hole, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, and Stone Temple Pilots, among many others.