Beat Happening was a 1980s indie rock band, the most popular of International Pop Underground's roster of influential alternative rock stars. Based out of Olympia, Washington Beat Happening began recording in 1983 after several years of performing. While on a trip to Tokyo, the bandmembers recorded "Three Tea Breakfast", an EP that established the band's reputation.

"Beat Happening" (1985), their full length debut, was critically acclaimed, as was "Jamboree" (1988). By the release of "Dreamy" in 1991, Beat Happening was one of the most popular bands in the indie rock community, leading to their pivotal role in the International Pop Underground Festival, which brought anti-corporate rock its earliest mainstream acceptance. In the 1990s, the members of Beat Happening have moved on to various related projects, though in 2000 they released the "Angel Gone" single, their first new recording in eight years.

A Beat Happening box set, "Crashing Through", was released in 2002.

Calvin Johnson was one of the founders of seminal indie rock label k records. The label has been championed by many, including the late Kurt Cobain, who tattooed the K Records logo on his arm. The label achieved modest success and continues to hold its independent integrity, claiming to have been "exploding the teenage underground into passionate revolt against the corporate ogre since 1982."