The Most Played Song Live by 35 Big Alternative Rock Bands

What are the most played songs live of some of your favorite alternative rock bands?

Alt-rock has evolved from the ’70s and ’80s to where it was more secondary in popularity to where it became the dominant form of rock through the ’90s and into the early 2000s, and now it’s back more playing a background role in the rock scene. But through it all, some pretty iconic bands have made a name for themselves by pushing the boundaries of what we consider rock.

Whether it be the early forefathers in The Clash and the Talking Heads, the ’80s college rock pioneers such as R.E.M., The Replacements and the Pixies or more modern day alt-rock acts such as Cage the Elephant, Silversun Pickups or Twenty One Pilots, alternative rock has always given us something interesting to explore, both on record and live.

It’s interesting to dig in and see how bands approached their live shows. By looking at the stats provided by Setlist.fm*, you’ll see some legendary bands that didn’t really tour that much. You’ll see some bands stacking their most played songs off the success of one album (yes, we’re looking at you No Doubt, Garbage and The Killers), or others who actually have gone with a non-radio hit as their most played …. very alternative of you Oasis, Muse and The Black Keys among others.

READ MORE: 25 Big Rock + Metal Albums Turning 30 in 2024

What other interesting tidbits might you find in the band’s most played live stats? See what some of alternative rock’s biggest bands have played live. And if you might be wondering where some other big alt rock act’s stats can be found, we suggest looking at our Grunge, Nu-Metal and Emo/Pop-Punk most played live lists.