The Seminal Independent Record Label Associated With Grunge

The Seminal Independent Record Label Associated With Grunge is a historic label that was influential in the grunge music movement of the early 1990s.

The History of the Label

Sub Pop is a iconic record label, most commonly known for being the label that “launched” Nirvana into the mainstream with their album Bleach. The label was originally founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. The label has been home to a plethora of now-famous artists, such as Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and of course, Nirvana.

The Label’s Beginnings

The label was started in the early 80s by two men, Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman, in Seattle, Washington. The label’s first release was a compilation album called “Deep Six”, which featured six relatively unknown Seattle-based bands. The album sulfured to attract attention to the local music scene and the label began to rapidly grow. They soon signed major acts such as Green River, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and TAD. These bands would go on to help define the grunge sound and prove immensely successful. The label also released albums by lesser known but still influential bands such as Screaming Trees, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam.

The Label’s First Big Break

In 1990, the label finally had its first big break when Nirvana’s album “Bleach” was released. The album was a surprise hit, and it put the label on the map. From there, the label went on to release albums from other iconic grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains.

The Label’s Rise to Prominence

The label was founded in Seattle in 1988 by music impresario Sub Pop. It was one of the first independent record labels to be associated with grunge, a then-burgeoning subgenre of alternative rock that would come to dominate the American music scene in the early 1990s. The label’s flagship act was Nirvana, a trio of teenagers from Aberdeen, Washington, whose second album, “Nevermind,” became a global phenomenon in 1991. The album’s massive success helped to propel grunge into the mainstream and made household names out of Nirvana’s frontman, Kurt Cobain, and drummer, Dave Grohl. Other seminal grunge bands on the label included Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam.

The Label’s Most Famous Artists

Seattle-based independent record label Sub Pop rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s thanks to its association with the grunge movement. The label’s most famous artists include Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed by singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting and best-known being Dave Grohl, who joined in 1990. Though never officially breaking up, Nirvana was effectively disbanded following Cobain’s suicide in 1994.

Since its debut album Bleach was released on the independent label Sub Pop in 1989, Nirvana had widely popularized a musical movement known as “grunge” and served as an emblem for audiences across the world who felt disenfranchised by mainstream society.

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Seattle, Washington. 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 Matt Cameron (drums), who joined in 1998. Bassist Boom Gaspar has also been a touring member with the band since 2002. drummer Matt Chamberlain has been a touring member since 2011. The band’s fifth member is vocalist-guitarist Ken Alternates, who perform with the band live and record on an occasional basis and fill in for absent members.

Pearl Jam rose to prominence with their debut album, Ten, in 1991. One of the key bands of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, their popularity later extending to other alternative rock subgenres. Ten was one of the best-selling alternative albums of the 1990s and is certified diamond by the RIAA in the United States. In 2006, Pearl Jam was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of their first year of eligibility along with Nirvana and Kiss among others.

Soundgarden

Soundgarden was 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 keyboardist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands associated with the grunge movement of the early 1990s, and is credited as one of the key groups that brought the genre to mainstream attention.

The band achieved success with its third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991), which spawned several successful singles, including “Jesus Christ Pose”, “Rusty Cage”, and “Outshined”. After releasing its fourth album, Superunknown (1994), to critical acclaim and commercial success, Soundgarden found itself as part of a mass media backlash against alternative rock acts that began in the mid-1990s. Despite achieving chart success with singles such as “Spoonman” and “Black Hole Sun”, the band was unable to maintain this momentum and released only one more album before disbanding in 1997.

In 2010, Soundgarden was reuniting for new tour dates and working on new material. On May 17, 2017, Cornell died by suicide at the age of 52.

The Label’s Legacy

The label was home to some of the most important grunge bands of the early 1990s, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The label’s founder, Bruce Pavitt, was instrumental in bringing these bands to the mainstream. He fostered an environment that allowed these bands to experiment and grow, and the result was some of the most important music of the 1990s.

The Label’s Influence on the Music Industry

As the most commercially and artistically successful independent record label of the early 1990s, Seattle-based Sub Pop played a pivotal role in the rise of grunge and the alternative music scene.

Founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jon Poneman, Sub Pop began as a local cassette-only label specializing in underground rock. In 1988, the label released its first vinyl album, Bleach by Nirvana. The album was barely distributed outside of the Pacific Northwest, but it caught the attention of music critics and industry insiders. Nirvana would go on to sign with major label DGC Records in early 1991, and Bleach would later be certified platinum.

Sub Pop continued to release groundbreaking music throughout the early 1990s by artists such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. The success of these bands helped make Seattle the epicenter of the alternative music scene and put Sub Pop on the map as one of the most influential independent record labels of all time.

The Label’s Influence on Popular Culture

The label’s influence on popular culture is undeniable. Although the grunge movement is often seen as a reaction to the polished and manufactured sounds of popular music, many of the most skilled and successful practitioners of the genre got their start on this label. The legacy of this label extends beyond grunge, however; it has also been responsible for launching the careers of some of the most important alternative and indie rock bands of the last few decades. While the label is no longer as influential as it once was, its impact on popular music is still felt today.