I don't understand why they give out awards for the so-called "alternative" styles of music. It's like giving out awards for the bands that are most successful at being marginal: You sell too many records, you're not alternative anymore / You sell the same amount of records that everyone else in the alternative category, you won't get an alternative award. It's just about selling the right amount of records then, I guess.

"Oh Gosh! We've gone over the 30,000 mark! Quick, stop pressing any further albums so we're still "alternative!".

Silly.

You think too much

It can be alternative, as opposed to mainstream, and still sell lots. Think of Björk. Not that you hear many like her.

It ain't alternative if you can get it from record stores.

I don't believe the awards are necessarily for the artist that sold the most as opposed to the artist that most of the judges heard and liked. They are the same thing many times, but not always.

And alternative doesn't mean "alternative" (I'm referring to all the U.S. award shows). It means slightly less mainstream sounding.

Agreed that it's a silly title for a genre of music.