Ahh, the Top 40. We know them, we love them, we hear them every single minute of every single day we spend in the car. They have access to every radio station and even the television. At first, these songs are catchy and help the day go along a little faster.

But then, after hearing the same song on the radio more than once within an hour's time, it gets a little annoying unless you just really, really like the song. Not only this, but so many of the songs in the Top 40 and on pop radio sound so much alike.

After a recent road trip back to my hometown, I realized this and quickly got annoyed with the songs on the radio. After some time spent with my very music-savvy best friend, I came back home with some great new music recommendations.

(Side note: One great thing that Alt Rock has over the Top 40 is that nearly every song you listen to sounds different and has a great deal of soul in the melody and lyrics) So, without further ado, here are 5 Alternative Rock bands that are 100x better than the current Top 40

5. Waterparks

4. The Story So Far

3. Neck Deep

2. Hands Like Houses

1. PVRIS

Although I have a special place in my heart for pop music and the Top 40, hearing the same songs over and over gets old very quickly. Even if Alternative Rock isn't your cup of tea, I urge you to branch out into the world of music past the songs playing on the radio and find new and interesting songs and bands that you can share with others. After all, discovering new things is what keeps life fun!