The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave.
The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie /rock hip-hop groups.
The Athens music scene grew in the early 1970s and later during the 1980s with the Georgia Theatre and 40 Watt Club as the aforementioned bands scored breakout hits.
Other notable bands were Widespread Panic, Dreams So Real, Indigo Girls, Vigilantes of Love, Matthew Sweet, The Method Actors, Love Tractor, Pylon, Flat Duo Jets, The Primates, Modern Skirts, The Whigs, and Corey Smith.
In his insider book, Party Out of Bounds: The B-52's, R.E.M., and the Kids Who Rocked Athens,  Rodger Lyle Brown has described the indie rock scene in Athens.

National acts that have come out of Athens include: The Whigs, Reptar, Danger Mouse, Dreams So Real, Jucifer, Servotron, Vic Chesnutt, Drive-By Truckers, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lera Lynn, The Sunshine Fix, Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert, Corey Smith, Harvey Milk, The Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, Widespread Panic, Perpetual Groove, Five Eight, Dead Confederate, Thayer Sarrano, Jet by Day, and Mothers.
R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck still maintain residences in Athens.
 The photo book, Athens Potluck, by Jason Thrasher documents the musical legacy of the town.

Every summer since 1996 the city has hosted AthFest, a nonprofit music and arts festival in the downtown area.
The music of Athens, Georgia, includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M. and The B-52s, and several long-time indie /rock hip-hop groups. The Athens music scene grew in the early 1970s and later during the 1980s with the Georgia Theatre and 40 Watt Club as the aforementioned bands scored breakout hits. Other notable bands were Widespread Panic, Dreams So Real, Indigo Girls, Vigilantes of Love, Matthew Sweet, The Method Actors, Love Tractor, Pylon, Flat Duo Jets, The Primates, Modern Skirts, The Whigs, and Corey Smith. In his insider book, Party Out of Bounds: The B-52's, R.E.M., and the Kids Who Rocked Athens,  Rodger Lyle Brown has described the indie rock scene in Athens.
National acts that have come out of Athens include: The Whigs, Reptar, Danger Mouse, Dreams So Real, Jucifer, Servotron, Vic Chesnutt, Drive-By Truckers, Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lera Lynn, The Sunshine Fix, Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert, Corey Smith, Harvey Milk, The Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, Widespread Panic, Perpetual Groove, Five Eight, Dead Confederate, Thayer Sarrano, Jet by Day, and Mothers. R.E.M. members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck still maintain residences in Athens.  The photo book, Athens Potluck, by Jason Thrasher documents the musical legacy of the town.
Every summer since 1996 the city has hosted AthFest, a nonprofit music and arts festival in the downtown area.
Athens, Georgia