[2] The 1988 episode of the VH1 show I Love the '80s discussed INXS, the Cure, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, and Erasure as modern rock artists representative of that year.
Up until grunge went mainstream, the format featured a wide variety of up-tempo danceable music from a diverse group of artists that were being played in rock discos and clubs.
Ranging from genres like reggae, folk, hip hop and EDM, common indie rock artists heard on the format included Young the Giant, Of Monsters and Men, Atlas Genius, the Neighbourhood, Arcade Fire, Weezer, Twenty One Pilots, the 1975, Arctic Monkeys and Bastille.
In their place, many modern rock radio stations began playing crossover pop artists including Billie Eilish, AJR, Post Malone, Glass Animals, the Kid Laroi, and Machine Gun Kelly, among others.
New music from heritage acts like Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Killers, Weezer, and the Black Keys pulled the format back towards its roots in the mid-2020s.