My question was inspired by the two cellos video going around that shows two men in period costumes playing AC/DC's Thunderstruck using only 2 cellos. It led me to wonder if there were alternative, punk or heavy metal genres that existed during that time. Was the music that is popularly known from that era essentially their version of Pop to Top 40?
During the Classical Period was there a genre of music that would be their version of alternative, heavy metal or punk?
I can't think of anything remotely similar to that. You are taking modern subcultures and their music and putting them in a different historical context.
If you mean to find music from that time that was kind of getting away from "the establishment," Beethoven was kind of a rebel in some ways.
Was the music that is popularly known from that era essentially their version of Pop to Top 40?
Again, that is a modern thing taken into a completely different context.