5 Grunge Music Artists You Need to Know
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If you’re a fan of grunge music, check out this list of five artists you need to know. From Nirvana to Soundgarden, these bands defined a generation of music.
Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Nirvana went through a number of lineup changes before they settled on the lineup of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. Nirvana achieved mainstream success with their second album, Nevermind, which was released in 1991.
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was the singer, guitarist and main songwriter for Nirvana, one of the most influential alternative rock bands of the 1990s. He was born in Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20, 1967. Cobain formed Nirvana with bassist Krist Novoselic in 1987 and drummer Dave Grohl in 1990. The band released its debut album, “Bleach,” in 1989. The follow-up, “Nevermind” (1991), became a surprise smash hit due to the popularity of its first single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Nirvana went on to achieve global success with such other singles as “Come As You Are,” “Lithium” and “In Bloom.” Cobain also found time to release a solo album, “MTV Unplugged in New York” (1994), before his untimely death at age 27.
Nevermind
Released in 1991, Nevermind was Nirvana’s breakout album. It popularized the Seattle grunge scene and made Nirvana one of the most successful bands of all time. The album features some of Nirvana’s most famous songs, including “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” and “Lithium.”
Alice in Chains
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley, August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he founded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle in 1987. He was also a member of the bands Mad Season and Temple of the Dog. During his time with Alice in Chains, Staley became known for his distinct vocal style and on-stage presence. considere one of the most talented vocalists in rock music history.
Facelift
Facelift is the debut studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains, released on August 21, 1990, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle between March and May 1990. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1992. The singles “Man in the Box”, “Sea of Sorrow”, and “Bleed the Freak” were well received by radio upon release and were placed on heavy rotation on MTV.
Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder (/ˈvɛdər/; born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist, one of three guitarists, and the primary lyricist of the American rock band Pearl Jam. He is known for his deep, baritone vocals.
Ten
Formed in Seattle in 1990, Pearl Jam is one of the most successful and influential grunge bands of all time. With a sound that is both heavy and melodic, the band has released ten studio albums, selling over 30 million copies worldwide. Members include Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Stone Gossard (guitar).
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. The band’s lineup includes Chris Cornell (vocals, guitar), Kim Thayil (guitar), Matt Cameron (drums), and Ben Shepherd (bass). Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands of the grunge movement in the early 1990s.
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell, the lead singer of American rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, died on May 18, 2017. He was 52 years old.
Cornell was one of the architects of the grunge movement. He formed Soundgarden in 1984 with Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto, and the band released its debut album, Ultramega OK, in 1988. The group’s third album, Badmotorfinger, in 1991 included the singles “Jesus Christ Pose,” “Rusty Cage” and “Outshined.”
Soundgarden broke through to a mainstream audience with the release of its fourth album, Superunknown, in 1994. The record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and featured the singles “Spoonman,” “My Wave,” “Fell on Black Days,” “Black Hole Sun” and “The Day I Tried to Live.”
Badmotorfinger
Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. The album brought the band to a new level of commercial success, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 and becoming the first Soundgarden album to be certified gold and platinum by the RIAA. Like its predecessor, Louder Than Love (1989), Badmotorfinger was recorded and produced by Terry Date at Seattle’s London Bridge Studios.
The album debuted at number 39 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992. Badmotorfinger is widely considered to be one of Soundgarden’s best albums, with many critics hailing it as a classic of the grunge genre. In Atwater Village, Los Angeles, a street has been named “Soundgarden Way” in honor of the album.
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots were one of the most successful grunge bands of the 1990s. They released their debut album, Core, in 1992 and it quickly went double platinum. The band continued to release hit albums and singles throughout the decade. They disbanded in 2003 but reunited in 2008 and continue to tour and release new music.
Scott Weiland
Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland was found dead on his tour bus Thursday night, just hours before the group was scheduled to perform in *Minneapolis. Weiland’s cause of death has not been determined, but a statement released by his family suggests that he died in his sleep.
Weiland formed Stone Temple Pilots in 1989 with brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo. The group rose to fame in the early 1990s with hits like “Sex Type Thing” and “Creep,” and won a Grammy for their 1994 album, *Purple.
Weiland had a well-publicized battle with drugs throughout his career, and was fired from Stone Temple Pilots in 2013. He went on to front the supergroup Velvet Revolver with Slash from Guns N’ Roses, and released several solo albums.
Weiland is survived by his wife Jamie Wachtel and two children.
Core
Stone Temple Pilots was an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric Kretz (drums). The band’s first album, Core, was released on September 29, 1992.
The album was a commercial success. It was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold 8 million copies worldwide. The album went to number three on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 109 weeks. “Sex Type Thing” was released as the lead single from the album and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. “Creep” became a radio success after being included in the soundtrack to the 1994 film The Crow. “Plush” won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1994.
