In the early ‘80s, campus radio stations were a safe haven for bands deemed too raw or irreverent for mainstream media. They provided crucial support to future icons like The Smiths and R.E.M., both of whom resided on the melodic end of the post-punk spectrum, balancing jittery jangle with erudite lyricism. But college rock also encompassed the more abrasive noise pop pioneered by the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Hüsker Dü. By decade's end, the term had become a catch-all for myriad strains of left-field rock (be it the ska-metal fusion of Fishbone or the surrealist screech of the Pixies), setting the stage for the ‘90s alt-revolution.