It is not easy to define the underground. To quote the legendary Frank Zappa "The mainstream comes to you, but you have to go to the underground." gives us an idea. The definition of underground culture I use, is, culture that has not reached the mainstream but that has gained popularity among a small and loyal audience.
During the 1960s, the term underground acquired a new meaning in that it referred to members of the so-called counterculture, i.e. those people who did not generally conform to the mainstream of human experience such as hippies.
Applied to the arts, the term "underground" typically means artists that are not corporately sponsored and don't generally want to be.
An alternate usage of the term "underground" is in reference to something that is illegal or so controversial that it would be dangerous to be publicized. Or, it's so offensive that it will never be mainstream. Some artists use this as a badge of pride.
By looking at the underground, you see how fads are born. The way people dress and carry themselves is seen through going to concerts to support their local bands. Soon enough, they will be popular all in due time. Once a similar band goes mainstream or is seen on MTV, people will start to dress and act like them. .
Music has had a profound impact on history. Teenagers all around the world are constantly looking for new material and experimenting with different styles of music. By going to local concerts, you will see how teens react by just being there with other people just like themselves. Once they find a band they like, they will start going to every show, buy every shirt, hat, or sticker they have to sell. This culture is a sub-culture. A sub-culture is a set of people with distinct behavior and beliefs within a larger culture. Eventually, this sub-culture will grow to an amount so high, that they will become mainstream. Bands that "sell out" like this aren't really selling out but are gaining popularity.
