The Best of 90s Music: Grunge and Heavy Metal
A look back at the best of 90s music, including grunge and heavy metal. Featuring Nirvana, Metallica, and more.
Grunge
Grunge was a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the early 1990s. The style is characterized by distorted guitars, messy hair, and angst-filled lyrics. Grunge became a cultural phenomenon in the early 1990s with the help of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.
Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. Formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, the group went through a succession of drummers before settling on Grohl in 1990. Despite releasing only three studio albums in their seven-year career, Nirvana has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and important alternative rock bands of all time. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock and roll culture.
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), as well as drummer Matt Cameron (also of Soundgarden). Since its inception, the band’s popularity has started to grow, culminating with their debut album Ten, which entered the Billboard 200 chart at number two and was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2013. The band followed up this success with Vs. (1993), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified five times platinum by the RIAA. In 1994, Pearl Jam released their third studio album Vitalogy, which became the band’s second-most successful album to date, selling over nine million copies worldwide.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr, who was replaced in 1993 by Mike Inez. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released five studio albums, three EPs, two live albums, four compilations, and one box set. The band has been known for its distinctive vocal style which often included the harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell.
The band rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. Along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, they achieved mainstream success after signing to major label A&M Records in 1992. The band’s third album, Dirt (1992), was a commercial success and has been certified quadruple-platinum by the RIAA.
After Staley’s death in 2002, Cantrell and Kinney continued to record and tour with fill-in vocalists William DuVall taking over permanent lead vocal duties by 2006. Starr left the band in 1996 before the recording of their fourth album, but rejoined for tours in 2006 and 2010–11. In 2013 drummer Sean Kinney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Alice in Chains along with Jerry Cantrell (guitarist), Layne Staley (singer) , Mike Inez (bassist) and Sean Kinney (drummer).
Heavy Metal
If you’re looking for the best of 90s music, you can’t go wrong with grunge and heavy metal. These two genres dominated the music scene in the 1990s and continue to influence musicians today. Grunge is a subgenre of rock that emerged in the early 1990s. It’s characterized by its raw and grungy sound. Heavy metal is a genre of rock that is characterized by its heavy sound and aggressive lyrics.
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield, who then recruited bassist Cliff Burton and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. Metallica’s fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship placed them as one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer. Metallica earned a growing fan base in the underground music community and won critical acclaim with its 1991 album, Metallica (commonly referred to as The Black Album), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2000, Metallica was among a number of artists who filed a lawsuit against Napster for sharing the band’s copyrighted material without permission. A settlement was reached and Napster became a pay-to-use service.
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. The group was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson following Mustaine’s dismissal from Metallica. Megadeth is known for its distinctive, fast-paced guitar work, often involving complex guitar solos, and lyrics addressing topics such as death, war, politics, and religion.
The band has released fifteen studio albums, two live albums, five compilations, and forty-eight singles. Although they initially generated controversy with their aggressive music and outspoken views, they were praised by music critics in later years for their technical mastery and creativity. Megadeth has sold over 38 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling heavy metal bands of all time.
Slayer
One of the most influential and controversial bands of the 80s and 90s, Slayer was founded in Huntington Park, California in 1981. The band rose to prominence with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, which is considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time. Throughout their career, Slayer has been known for their aggressive, fast-paced style of music and dark, satanic lyrics. They have released 11 studio albums and have sold over 5 million records worldwide.
