No Alternative


No Alternative is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy that was released in 1993. It was the third compilation put together by the Red Hot Organization, a charity dedicated to raising money for and awareness of AIDS relief. The album features original tracks and cover versions from bands who went on to define the alternative rock scene of the 1990s. It was released with two different versions of album art: the standard version depicting a boy, and the alternate version depicting a girl.
A television special hosted by MTV and a VHS home video release featured live performances, music videos, and information about AIDS.
On 20 April 2013, as part of the annual internationally celebrated Record Store Day, No Alternative was released for the first time on vinyl as a special 20th anniversary edition LP. Stereogum lauded the album in a retrospective piece, saying that "it captures the American alternative scene at its commercial, cultural, and critical peak." In an interview with Radio New Zealand, producer Paul Heck discussed the history of the Red Hot Organization and the anniversary of No Alternative, saying that the response from the musicians asked to contribute was "overwhelmingly positive" and that some artists even wrote songs specifically for the compilation.

Album track listing

No. No. TitleArtistWriter
11SuperdeformedMatthew SweetMatthew Sweet
22For All to SeeBuffalo TomBuffalo Tom
33Sexual HealingSoul AsylumOdell Brown, Marvin Gaye, David Ritz
44Take a WalkUrge OverkillUrge Overkill
55All Your Jeans Were Too TightAmerican Music ClubMark Eitzel
66BitchGoo Goo Dolls with Lance DiamondMick Jagger, Keith Richards
77Unseen Power of the Picket FencePavementScott Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus
88GlynisThe Smashing PumpkinsBilly Corgan
99Can't Fight ItBob MouldBob Mould
1010Hold OnSarah McLachlanSarah McLachlan
1111Show MeSoundgardenBen Shepherd
1212BrittleStraitjacket FitsShayne Carter, Straitjacket Fits
1313Joed OutBarbara Manning and the San Francisco SealsGraeme Downes
1414Heavy 33The VerlainesGraeme Downes
1515EffigyUncle TupeloJohn Fogerty
1616It's the New Style Beastie Boys and DJ HurricaneBeastie Boys, Rick Rubin
1717Iris The BreedersKim Deal
–18Burning Spear Sonic YouthKim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Richard Edson
–19Hot Nights Jonathan RichmanJonathan Richman
1820Memorial Song / Memorial Tribute Patti SmithPatti Smith
1921Verse Chorus Verse NirvanaKurt Cobain

Home video track listing

  1. Matthew Sweet – "Superdeformed"
  2. * directed by Kevin Kerslake
  3. Neneh Cherry – "Athens, Georgia 1993"
  4. * directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe
  5. Urge Overkill – "Take a Walk"
  6. * directed by Matt Mahurin
  7. Hole, Luscious Jackson, Free Kitten, Huggy Bear & Bikini Kill – "No Alternative Girls"
  8. * directed by Tamra Davis
  9. The Smashing Pumpkins – "Hot Heads"
  10. * directed by Jennie Livingston
  11. Sarah McLachlan – "Hold On"
  12. * directed by Nick Gomez
  13. The Breeders – "Iris"
  14. * directed by Hal Hartley
  15. Patti Smith – "Memorial Tribute"
  16. * directed by Derek Jarman
US live performances:
  2. Goo Goo Dolls – "Bitch"
  3. * directed by Beth McCarthy
  4. The Smashing Pumpkins – "Glynis"
  5. * directed by Beth McCarthy
  6. The Smashing Pumpkins – "Today"
  7. * directed by Beth McCarthy
  8. Buffalo Tom – "For All to See"
  9. * directed by Beth McCarthy
UK live performances:
  2. The Breeders – "Iris"
  3. * directed by Neil Breakwell
  4. Suede – "The Next Life"
  5. * directed by Derek Jarman
Spoken word:
  2. Maggie Estep – "No More Mr Nice Girl"
  3. Lou Reed – "Busload of Faith"
  4. David Wojnarowicz – "Untitled"

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