Donita Sparks

The hype about punk rock has always been that anyone can do it.

Four hundred issues after the very first book to carry our name ran off the printers back in 1985, we look back on 36 years of our favorite-ever AP covers, the stories they told and the secrets behind their creation. You can pick up an issue here, starring twenty one pilots. Read more: In issue […]

The ‘90s: the decade punk went mainstream. First, SoundScan made radio safe for Nirvana and the grunge-ified hordes. Then Green Day and other pop-punk acts moved in and squatted at the top of the Billboard charts. True, it seemed to be finished two years later, only to be reinvigorated at the turn of the century. […]

Alternative Press is resurrecting the Alternative Press Gallery, our section dedicated to the world of music photography. With each issue, we’ll take a look into the archives, highlighting some of the most iconic photographers and memorable shoots from the history of the magazine and beyond. Along the way, we will explore the great moments that […]

“Joan Jett doesn’t play rock ’n’ roll,” I wrote two years back, reviewing her SXSW showcase for The Austin Chronicle. “She is rock ’n’ roll.” It’s true. The individual born Joan Marie Larkin in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, embodies the music and spirit better than anyone this side of Keith Richards. As Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong […]

The ’90s were chock-full of absolute icons, and no, we’re not referring to the Princess Diana Beanie Baby or JNCO jeans when we say that. From Nirvana to *NSYNC, pop and grunge ruled the airwaves. However, it seems like some women-fronted acts don’t get nearly enough credit for all of their contributions to the music […]