Free Grunge Music: The Best of the Genre

Love listening to grunge music but don’t know where to find the best of the genre? Check out this blog for a list of the best grunge music albums that are available for free online!

What is Grunge Music?

Grunge music is a genre of rock that emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was characterized by heavy guitars, grungy vocals, and a dark, bleak outlook. Grunge music became popular in the early 1990s with the release of Nirvana’s album “Nevermind.” If you’re a fan of grunge music, check out some of the best free grunge music below.

The Origins of Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Grunge music is characterized by heavy guitar riffs, angst-filled lyrics and a DIY aesthetic. The genre was made popular by bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam andSoundgarden.

Grunge became a commercial force in the early 1990s with the release of Nirvana’s album “Nevermind,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The success of “Nevermind” was followed by a string of hits from other grunge bands, including Pearl Jam’s “Ten” and Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger.” Grunge music experienced a brief resurgence in the early 2000s with the success of bands like Linkin Park and Creed.

Despite its commercial success, grunge has often been associated with teenage angst and depression. In 1994, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, died of an apparent suicide at age 27. Cobain’s death was seen as a symbol of the struggles faced by many young people during the 1990s.

The Sound of Grunge

Grunge music is often described as a fusion of punk and heavy metal, and it is typically characterized by distorted guitars, grungy vocals, and a heavy, dark sound. The genre first emerged in the mid-1980s in the underground music scene of Seattle, Washington, and it became mainstream in the early 1990s with the advent of grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. Grunge music was often political and personal, and it often dealt with subjects like alienation, depression, and addiction. The genre went hand-in-hand with the grunge fashion of the time, which was characterized by flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and Doc Martens boots. Grunge fashion has made a comeback in recent years thanks to shows like Stranger Things and films like Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Best Grunge Bands

Grunge music emerged in the early 1990s as a reaction to the prefabricated pop of the 1980s. Grunge bands were often signed to independent labels and featured music that was heavy on distorted guitars and angst-ridden lyrics. Some of the best grunge bands of the genre include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. It was founded by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting and best-known being Dave Grohl, who joined in 1990. Though never commercially successful while together, Nirvana was hailed as one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to inspire musicians in a wide variety of genres.

Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, in their first year of eligibility. Cobain and Novoselic met while attending Aberdeen High, although they initially lacked common interests; according to Cobain, they were “complete opposites.” The pair eventually became friends while frequenting the practice space of the local band Melvins. Cobain wanted to form a band with Novoselic, but Novoselic did not respond for a long period of time. In persuading Novoselic to form a band with him, Cobain gave him a demo tape of his project Fecal Matter. Three years after the two first met, Novoselic notified Cobain that he had listened to the Fecal Matter demo and suggested they start a group together.[1]

In early 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard. The three practiced material from Cobain’s Fecal Matter demo tape but started writing new material soon after forming. During its initial months, the band went through a series of names, starting with Skid Row and including Domani (Italian for “tomorrow”), Ted Ed Fred, Jefferson Airplane (not to be confused with the 1960s psychedelic rock band), Stiff Woodies (which referring to erections), and itself as both Pen Cap Chew and Buntline Special.[8][9] Eventually, they settled on Nirvana unanimously.[10] Originally rejected by Flipside magazine due to their inexperience,[11][12]negligible record sales at that time,[13]and difficulties getting along touring together,[14]Nirvana built up a large underground following throughout 1989 with appearances on European independent record label compilation albums such as C-86[15]and D-I-Y,.

In early 1990 Burckhard’s friend Chad Channing joined Nirvana as its drummer.[16][17][18] Channing continued playing with the band until February 1991 when he quit due to musical differences; according to Cobain he “just didn’t seem enthused about anything.”[19] He was replaced briefly by Dan Peters from Mudhoney[20] before returning two weeks later.[21][22][23] In April 1990 Nirvana traveled to Seattle recording studio Reciprocal Recording with producer Jack Endino[24].

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of founder Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Matt Cameron (drums). Since its inception, the band’s line-up has remained unchanged.

Pearl Jam rose to prominence with their debut album, Ten, in 1991. Since then, the band has released nine additional studio albums. They have sold more than 85 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. In 2006, Rolling Stone ranked Pearl Jam as the thirty-second greatest rock and roll band of all time. In 2013, the magazine ranked them as the seventieth greatest artist of all time.

The band has won two Grammy Awards, ten MTV Video Music Awards and three American Music Awards. They have also been nominated for three Brit Awards—winning one for Best International Group—and have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Mojo Hall of Fame.

Soundgarden

Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band’s full-time drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. The band alt-rock/metal sound with grunge as the primary genre.

Cornell was known for his powerful vocal chops and Thayil his innovative guitar work. The band released its first EP, Screaming Life, in 1987 and its first album, Ultramega OK, in 1988. They gained a following with the release of their second album Louder Than Love (1989), which included their breakout single “Spoonman”. In 1991 they broke into the mainstream with the release of Badmotorfinger which featured the singles “Jesus Christ Pose” and “Rusty Cage”, followed by Superunknown (1994), an album that peaked at number one on Billboard 200 and garnered critical acclaim for singles such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman”, for which the band won two Grammy Awards; Down on the Upside (1996) was less successful but still performed well commercially; after touring to support it, Soundgarden disbanded due to tensions between Cornell and Thayil.

Cornell died by suicide on May 18th 2017. After his death various tributes were made to him by fans as well many other artists within the rock community

Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, 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. Although widely associated with grunge music, the band’s sound incorporates heavy metal elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released six studio albums, three EPs and two live albums. The band is known for its distinct vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell.

Kinney and Cantrell met as freshmen at Washington State University. The two quickly started writing songs together, first performing live in 1985. In 1986 they recruited bassist Starr; Starr played on the band’s first recording, the 1987 Facelift demo tape. Released on Columbia Records in August 1990, Facelift was the first grunge album to achieve mainstream success; it has been certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The success of Facelift led to Alice in Chains opening for established acts such as Van Halen and Queensrÿche; it also resulted in touring invitations from Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss.

In 1991 the band released its second album, Dirt; it became one of the best-selling albums of that year and went quadruple-platinum by 1992. After a brief tour promoting Dirt, Alice in Chains recorded Sap with producer Rick Parashar at London Bridge Studios in Seattle; Starr had been fired just prior to recording after relapsing into drug addiction following his departure from rehab several times. Sap was released on February 4, 1992; it debuted at number seven on Billboard’s 200 chart with sales of 182,000 copies its first week—the highest charting position an EP has ever achieved—and eventually peaked at number three on that chart while being certified platinum by the RIAA. “Would?”, which peaked at number two on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart that year as well as number nine on its Modern Rock Tracks chart (now known as Alternative Songs), remains one of Alice in Chains’ most popular songs.[8] The second single from Sap,”Again”, peaked at number nine on Mainstream Rock Tracks but only reached number 46 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart due to lack of radio airplay.[9] Disillusioned with the commercialism surrounding grunge,[10] Staley traveled to Cuba with a friend while cantrell worked on material for what would become Alice in Chain’s self-titled third album—the first not produced by Parashar.[11][12]

The band returned to London Bridge Studios to recordAlice in Chains (also referred to as “The Dog Album”), which was released on November 7, 1995 and debuted at number seven on Billboard’s 200 chart.[13] It has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA,[14] although sales figures have never been made public.[15][16] The Dinosaur Jr.-produced lead single”Grind”,[17] peaked at number 29on Mainstream Rock Tracks[18][19] —making it their highest-charting single until 2009—and also peaked at number 48on Alternative Songs.[20][21]”Heaven Beside You” reached number fiveon Mainstream Rock Tracks[22][23]andnumber 24on Alternative Songs,[24][25]while “Again” was included as a bonus track.”Over Now”, which signaled a shift away from grunge towards more pop-oriented song structures,[26][27][28] closed the album[29], though an unlisted hidden track titled “Love Song” featuring Layne Staley can be heard after about a minute of silence.[30](This is not to be confused with another hidden track appearing after almost eleven minutes of silence titled “Frogs”.)

The Best Grunge Albums

Grunge music became popular in the early 1990s with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the way. The genre is a mix of punk and heavy metal and is known for its dark and angsty lyrics. If you’re a fan of grunge music, check out our list of the best grunge albums.

Nevermind (Nirvana)

Released on September 24, 1991, Nirvana’s second album changed the course of rock music. It not only popularized the Seattle grunge scene but also catapulted the little-known trio to global stardom. Nevermind features some of Nirvana’s most well-known songs, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “In Bloom,” and “Come as You Are.” While the album was a commercial success, Kurt Cobain always downplayed its significance, calling it “the everyman record.”

Ten (Pearl Jam)

Ten is the debut studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. The album was written and recorded in just under three months, and titled to reflect the band’s career-starting release being their tenth. Althoughfilled with music referencing drug use,0social darknessand depression,it is also one of the most musically diverse grunge albums of the time, with critics noticing elements of hard rock, classic rock and folk in their sound.

The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart but was not highly praised by critics upon release. Retrospectively however it has been considered one of Pearl Jam’s best albums alongside their 1994 second release Vs., and is credited as having catapulted them into superstardom. The success of the singles “Alive”, “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” helped propel the album to five times platinum certification in the United States by 1995. It has sold more than 8.5 million copies since its 1991 release and continues to be a fan favorite today.

Badmotorfinger (Soundgarden)

Released in 1991, Badmotorfinger was Soundgarden’s third studio album and the one that finally broke them into the mainstream. It features their two most well-known songs, “Rusty Cage” and “Outshined,” both of which are still in regular rotation on rock radio. The album is a perfect example of the grunge sound, with its heavy guitar riffs and angst-filled lyrics. If you’re looking for a gateway into grunge music, this is the album to start with.

Dirt (Alice in Chains)

Dirt is the second studio album by Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 1992, through Columbia Records. Peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, the album was also well received by music critics. It has since been certified quadruple-platinum by the RIAA and gone on to sell five million copies worldwide, making it Alice in Chains’ most successful album. The singles “Would?,” “Them Bones,” “Angry Chair,” and “Rooster” were also successful, with the first two entering the top ten of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Dirt was Alice in Chains’ first album to feature bassist Mike Inez; drummer Sean Kinney did not play on the album as he had injured his hand in a car accident. Recorded in Seattle throughout 1991, the album was produced by Dave Jerden. Unlike its predecessor Facelift (1990), which had been recorded quickly to capitalize on the band’s rise to popularity, Dirt was given more time and funding for production and thus incorporated a greater range of musical styles and influences than its predecessor.

Themes of drug addiction and abuse are present throughout the record, with Staley recounting his experiences with heroin use and Layne Staley’s battle with addiction were themes that were heavily prevalent throughout Dirt. The opening track “Them Bones” is about heroin addiction while “Rooster” is written from the perspective of a Vietnam War veteran suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The final track “Would?” is a eulogy for Alice in Chains founding members Layne Staley and Mike Starr.

Despite being overshadowed at times by its more commercially successful follow-up, Alice in Chain’s second album is often considered their best by fans and critics alike.