The Best of 90s Los Angeles Goth and Grunge Music
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Looking for something a little different than the popular music of the 1990s? Check out our blog post on the best of 90s Los Angeles goth and grunge music. You’ll find a wide range of sounds and styles to explore, from the dark and brooding to the angsty and raw. So dive in and take a listen to some of the best music that the underground scene had to offer!
Goth
The goth scene in Los Angeles during the 90s was one of the most unique and creative subcultures of its time. The musicscene Goth and Grunge combined elements of punk, metal, and industrial with a dark, often apocalyptic lyrical aesthetic to create a sound that was both accessible and extreme. The look was just as important as the sound, with fansashioning their own unique styles inspired by everything from Victorian vampire films to the post-apocalyptic films of the early 1990s. Goth and grunge were two sides of the same coin in Los Angeles during the 1990s, and together they created a musical and fashion movement that was like nothing the world had ever seen before.
Bauhaus- “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
Bauhaus- “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” is a song by English rock band Bauhaus. It was the band’s first single and was released on 6 September 1979 by Small Wonder Records. The song was written by guitarist Daniel Ash and bassist David J, inspired by the 1931 film Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. It is nine minutes and 36 seconds long and is considered a gothic rock classic. The song peaked at number 76 on the UK Singles Chart.
The Cure- “Pictures of You”
The Cure’s “Pictures of You” is considered one of the best gothic songs of all time. It was released in April 1990 as the fourth single from their album Disintegration. The song was a moderate commercial success, peaking at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, Pitchfork placed it at number 91 on their list of the Top 500 Tracks of the 1980s.
Siouxsie and the Banshees- “Kiss Them for Me”
One of the most influential goth bands of the 90s, Siouxsie and the Banshees were known for their dark, atmospheric sound. “Kiss Them for Me” is one of their most iconic tracks, and its mix of ethereal vocals and driving guitars perfectly encapsulates the goth sound.
Grunge
The early 1990s saw the birth of a new subgenre of rock music, grunge. Grunge music was characterized by its heavy, distorted guitars, angsty lyrics, and apathetic attitudes. The genre was initially popularized by Seattle-based bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. However, Los Angeles also had a thriving grunge scene, with bands like hole, Bush, and Stone Temple Pilots.
Nirvana- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a song by American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band’s second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marking the start of the grunge music genre. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was Nirvana’s biggest hit, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and placing high on music industry charts all around the world in 1991 and 1992.
The song was dubbed an “anthem for apathy” by Kurt Cobain. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 17 on its list “150 Best Tracks of the Ninety’s”. In February 2014, Gigwise readers voted “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as their favorite Nirvana song. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked it number 33 on its list of “The 100 Greatest Metallica Songs”.
Pearl Jam- “Alive”
“Alive” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. It is the opening track and first single from their debut album, Ten (1991), released on Epic Records. The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band recorded “Alive” during their first official studio session as a band at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, Washington on February 8, 1991.
The song was included on Pearl Jam’s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). Since its release, “Alive” has frequently been performed live by the band. Vedder has often played the song while hanging from the rafters of sports stadiums during encores. “Alive” formed the basis for Pearl Jam’s entire debut album; everything else was written around it during recording sessions in 1990 and early 1991.
The riff that forms the basis of the song was written by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. Guitarist Mike McCready did not want to use it as he felt it sounded too much like a Jimmy Page-esque Zeppelin riff and wanted something grunge-ier. However, Ament persuaded McCready to play along with Gossard’s demo recorded on a boombox; McCready relented after he realized that “Alive” could be punk rock if they played it with a fast tempo and added distortion to his guitar sound.”
Soundgarden- “Black Hole Sun”
Soundgarden was one of the defining bands of the grunge movement in the early 1990s. Hailing from Seattle, Soundgarden was one of the first grunge bands to achieve mainstream success. “Black Hole Sun” is one of the band’s most well-known and successful songs. It was released as a single in 1994 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film The Crow. The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts for seven weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995.
