Who Made Grunge Music?

Most people associate grunge music with the Seattle music scene of the early 1990s. However, the roots of grunge music go back much further.

The Beginnings of Grunge

Grunge music emerged in the early 1990s as a response to the mainstream music of the time. Grunge artists were influenced by punk rock and heavy metal, and they created a unique sound that was dark and aggressive. Grunge music quickly gained popularity, and by the mid-1990s, it was one of the most popular genres of music.

The Music Scene in Seattle in the Late 1980s

The music scene in Seattle in the late 1980s was defined by a mix of styles including punk, metal, and indie rock. This mix of genres created a unique sound that would come to be known as “grunge.” The term was first used to describe the music of Seattle-based bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. These bands would go on to achieve commercial success in the early 1990s, helping to make grunge one of the most popular genres of the decade.

The First Grunge Bands

Grunge leapt onto the national stage in the early 1990s with a sound that was at once immediately recognizable and yet somehow hard to define. It was a media-friendly term that helped music journalists and industry types succinctly categorize a scene and a sound that was, in many ways, antithetical to everything that came before it.

The first grunge bands began to form in the Seattle area in the 1980s, coalescing around a DIY punk ethic and a love of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and other hard rock groups of the 1970s. These bands – including Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam – would go on to achieve massive commercial success in the 1990s with a sound that was both heavy and melodic, dark and introspective.

Grunge was also about attitude – an attitude of disaffection and alienation that spoke to a generation of young people who were feeling lost and disconnected from the world around them. In many ways, grunge was the perfect musical representation of Generation X – a generation that was defined by its slacker ethos and its sense of ennui.

While grunge may have had its roots in the Seattle music scene of the 1980s, it wasn’t until the early 1990s – when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became an overnight sensation – that grunge exploded into the mainstream. From there, it wasn’t long before other Seattle bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains found themselves thrust into the spotlight as well.

It’s safe to say that grunge changed the course of popular music in the 1990s – and its influence is still being felt today. If you’re looking to explore this unique and important musical genre, then check out our list of The 10 Best Grunge Bands of All Time.

The Main Grunge Bands

Grunge music was made popular in the early 1990s by a few bands from Seattle, Washington. These bands were influenced by punk rock and heavy metal, and they created a new sound that was dark and angry. The main grunge bands were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. Let’s learn a little more about each of these bands.

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 often cited as a grunge band, the band’s stripped-down sound incorporates heavy metal and pop punk influences. Their sound, rooted in punk and rock, has drawn them much comparison to the Pixies, Hüsker Dü, and Jesus and Mary Chain.

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of founder Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), and Jeff Ament (bass). Since 1998, the band has also included drummer Matt Cameron (also of Soundgarden). Boom Gaspar (piano) has also been a session/touring member with the band since 2002. Drummers Jack Irons (also a founding member of Redd Kross and Eleven) and Matt Chamberlain (of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians and Stan Ridgway) have sat in with the band on occasion.

Pearl Jam rose to prominence as one of the leading bands of the grunge movement of the early 1990s with their debut album, Ten. That release was followed by Vs., Vitalogy and No Code in quick succession before Vs. became one of the fastest-selling albums ever in America – a status it still holds more than 20 years later. The band’s fifth studio album, Yield, followed in early 1998 and while it experimented with different sounds and textures, it still topped charts around the globe and went multi-platinum – further cementing Pearl Jam’s reputation as one of contemporary music’s most successful rock bands. Their sixth album, Binaural, released two years later was Grammy nominated for its innovative recording techniques that showcased a more experimental side to Pearl Jam’s sound.

With their 2002 seventh studio album Riot Act – which features artwork inspired by support for anti-war activist organisation Amnesty International – Pearl Jam again topped global charts while also exploring new musical territory including elements of funk metal on tracks like “Save You” and “Life Wasted”. In 2006 they released their eighth studio album Pearl Jam which debuted at No 1 in the US Billboard 200 chart and featured hits like “World Wide Suicide” and “Gone”. The following year saw them return to Australia for Big Day Out as well as playing to packed houses across Europe during their first full tour of the continent since 1995.

In 2009 they celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band with multiple sold out shows at Wrigley Field in Chicago as well as releasing Backspacer – an album that entered the US Billboard 200 chart at No 1 – proving that after two decades Pearl Jam remain one of rock music’s most enduring and relevant bands.

Soundgarden

With their blend of heavy metal and punk rock, Soundgarden became one of the most popular grunge bands of the early 1990s. The band released its debut album, Ultramega OK, in 1988 and its follow-up, Louder Than Love, in 1989. Soundgarden’s third album, 1991’s Badmotorfinger, featured the hit singles “Rusty Cage” and “Outshined.” 1992’s breakthrough album Superunknown yielded the hits “Black Hole Sun,” “Spoonman,” and “The Day I Tried to Live.” After a six-year hiatus, Soundgarden reunited and released King Animal in 2012.

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. 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, two live albums, four compilations, and one box set.

The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band’s breakthrough album, Facelift (1990), was the first to be released on a major label after signing with Columbia Records. The success of the album established the band as one of the most popular rock bands of the time. Their follow-up album, Dirt (1992), featuring the hit single “Would?”, became even more successful than Facelift and has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 1995, Alice in Chains was nominated for four Grammy Awards; they performed “I Stay Away” at the ceremony with a teenage Elton John filling in for Layne Staley on lead vocals.

Since Staley’s death in 2002, Cantrell has led the band on two U.S. tours with William DuVall taking over as lead singer; one tour in 2006 promoting their greatest hits compilation album Unplugged; and another in 2009 promoting their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). Starr quitAlice in Chains during recording of their fourth studio album and was replaced by Mike Inez; he has not performed with them since his departure. Kinney continues to tour with them today while DuVall performs all lead vocals and rhythm guitar parts created by Staley during their original run as a band.

The Legacy of Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s. Grunge music is characterized by its distorted guitars, angst-ridden lyrics, and dark, introspective lyrics. The genre was made popular by bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Grunge music had a huge impact on popular culture and continues to influence music today.

The Influence of Grunge on Modern Music

The simple, stripped-down sound of grunge music was a reaction to the overproduced, polished pop and hair metal of the 1980s. Grunge emerged in the early 1990s as a commercial force led by Seattle-based bands Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The style quickly spread beyond the Pacific Northwest and became a national sensation.

While grunge’s mainstream popularity was short-lived, its impact on modern music has been lasting. Grunge helped to usher in a new era of guitar-based rock that was heavier and more aggressive than what came before. The sound of grunge also influenced subsequent genres like alternative rock and nu metal.

Grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam rose to commercial success in the early 1990s with their heavy, distorted guitar sound and dark, angsty lyrics. The simple, “DIY” aesthetic of grunge was a stark contrast to the polished pop and hair metal that dominated the airwaves in the 1980s. Grunge music spoke to a generation of disaffected youth who were tired of the excesses of Reagan-era America.

Though its mainstream popularity was relatively short-lived, grunge left a lasting mark on modern music. The heavy guitar sound and dark lyrical themes of grunge helped to usher in a new era of guitar-based rock that was heavier and more aggressive than what came before. The sound of grunge also influenced subsequent genres like alternative rock and nu metal. Today, the legacy of grunge can still be heard in the music of modern bands like Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam.

The End of an Era

The legacy of grunge is often seen as the final nail in the coffin for hair metal and traditional rock music. Grunge signaled the end of an era, ushering in a new sound and a new attitude that would change music forever.

Grunge music was born out of the Seattle music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The sound was heavier and more aggressive than anything that had come before it, and the lyrics were often dark and introspective. The look was unkempt and anti-fashion, with flannel shirts and ripped jeans becoming the uniform of a generation.

Grunge quickly became a global phenomenon, propelled to superstardom by bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. But as quickly as it had arrived, grunge was gone, extinguished by the tragic death of Kurt Cobain in 1994.

In the years since Cobain’s death, grunge has taken on a nostalgic quality. The music is now seen as a snapshot of a specific time and place, an era when anything seemed possible. Grunge may be gone, but its impact on music is still felt today.