Grunge Fucking Music: The Best of the 90s

If you’re looking for the best grunge fucking music of the 90s, look no further than this blog. We’ve got all the classics, plus some deep cuts that you’re sure to love.

What is Grunge?

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s. It was defined by its distorted guitars, angst-ridden lyrics, and DIY ethic. Grunge became a commercial success in the early 1990s and was considered the Seattle sound. Some of the most popular grunge bands include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

The History of Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. The early grunge movement revolved around Seattle’s independent record label Sub Pop and the region’s underground music scene. By the early 1990s its popularity had spread, with grunge bands appearing in California, then emerging in other parts of the United States and in Australia, building strong followings and signing major record deals.

Grunge was marketed to a wide audience by major record labels in 1991 when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became a surprise hit; Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain found himself described as the “spokesman of a generation”, with mainstream media defining grunge as the youth rebellion of Generation X. A large number of Siegal attacks were attributed to “grunge fashion”, which referring to anti-fashion trends seen in grunge music videos such as flannel shirts and Doc Martens shoes. Due to its popularity, some aspects of grunge culture have been assimilated by mainstream society, such as fashion (ripped jeans) and beauty (unkempt hair styles).

The Sound 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. Named after the dirty, scruffy appearance of its musicians, grunge developed as a reaction against the polished feel of mainstream pop music at the time.

Grunge songs are typically characterized by distorted guitars, angst-filled lyrics and a general sense of despair. The genre became hugely popular in the early 1990s with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the way, but it was short-lived; by the end of the decade, grunge had all but disappeared from the mainstream.

The Best Grunge Bands

The grunge scene of the early ’90s was one of the most important musical movements of the decade. Grunge music was a reaction to the overproduced and polished sounds of the ’80s hair metal scene. Grunge bands were often signed to independent labels and did not achieve mainstream success until the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind in 1991. Here are some of the best grunge bands of the ’90s.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. The group’s best-known line-up consisted of Kurt Cobain (lead vocals, guitar), Dave Grohl (drums, backing vocals), and Krist Novoselic (bass guitar). Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s.

The success of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from their second album Nevermind (1991) made them one of the most successful bands of the 1990s. Though they sold millions of records worldwide, they were much less well known in most other countries until after Cobain’s death in 1994. Cobain himself started to grow tired of their success, saying that he felt like a “sellout” due to all the attention they were receiving.

Nirvana’s final studio album In Utero (1993) was released to critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album featured a more abrasive sound that was a departure from the pop sensibilities of Nevermind. InUtero would go on to be certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Nirvana disbanded following Cobain’s suicide in April 1994.

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), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Jeff Ament (bass) and Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar). Since its inception, the band’s line-up has included Matt Cameron (drums, percussion), who joined in 1998. Boom Gaspar (piano) has also been a session/touring member with the band since 2002. Drummers Jack Irons, Matt Chamberlain and Dave Krusen rounded out the original lineup.

The band released its debut album, Ten, in 1991. A critical and commercial success peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart,[1][2] it sold more than 13 million copies worldwide and is one of Pearl Jam’s best-selling albums.[3] In 2006, Ten was ranked by Classic Rock Magazine as the fourth greatest hard rock album of all time.[4] Ten’s singles “Alive”, “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” reached number one on both Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts.[5][6][7]

In 1992 Pearl Jam ventured away from grunge with the release of their second album Vs.. Produced by Rick Parashar,[8] it featured a rawer sound compared with its predecessor while still maintaining much of its grunge influence. The album became one of Pearl Jam’s best-selling albums peaking at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and yielding their first US top 40 hit single “Go”.[1][5] The album also included their biggest ever hit single in America “Daughter” which peaked at number four on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart[9] and Modern Rock Tracks.[6] In 1993, Vs. won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance With Vocal for “Go”.[10] Later that year Eddie Vedder made his acting debut as Luke Wilson’s co-worker Billy Smith in Cameron Crowe’s film Singles.[11][12]

The following year saw great changes for Pearl Jam as they released their third album Vitalogy on December 6, 1994; drummer Dave Abbruzzese was fired after disagreements regarding touring plans,[13][14] and he was replaced by Jack Irons who had previously drummed with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eleven.[15][16] Allmusic described Vitalogy as having taken all that made Ten great “[and then some], and expanded upon it.”[17] The first single from Vitalogy was “Spin the Black Circle” which peaked at number eleven on Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] effectively crossing them over to rock radio stations across America. It was followed by two other singles: “Not for You”[18] which peaked at number five on Modern Rock Tracks[6].

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 bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands of the early 1990s grunge movement. The band built its audience with constant touring and releases throughout the 1990s, until they broke up in 1997 due to internal strife over Soundgarden’s creative direction.

In 2010, Soundgarden reunited to headline festivals worldwide and release a new album, Telephantasm. Their seventh studio album, King Animal, was released on November 13, 2012. On May 17th 2017, Chris Cornell committed suicide by hanging himself at the age of 52.

Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who then recruited bassist Mike Inez and singer Layne Staley. Lead guitarist Johnny Bacolas joined the band in 1993. The band’s big breakthrough came with their second album, Dirt (1992), which was released to critical acclaim and went on to sell more than four million copies in the United States. The album featured the hits “Would?”, “Rooster”, and “Down in a Hole”, as well as the Metallica collaboration “Tuesday’s Gone”.

The success of Dirt brought both fame and notoriety to Alice in Chains. The band became one of the most successful music acts of the early 1990s, selling over 20 million records worldwide, and touring extensively worldwide. However, their success was marred by the deaths of Staley and bassist Mike Starr (who was replaced by Mike Inez in 1993), as well as by drug addiction problems that plagued all four members at various times.

The band has released five studio albums, one live album, two compilations, 17 singles, and five music videos. They have sold over 30 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. Three of their albums have been certified diamond by the RIAA; they are Facelift (1990), Dirt (1992), and Alice in Chains (1995). The band has had 16 top ten songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, seven Grammy Award nominations, and five American Music Award nominations. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Best Grunge Songs

Grunge music was a genre of rock music that emerged in the early 1990s. Grunge songs are often characterized by their raw, distorted sound and their bleak, dark lyrics. If you’re a fan of grunge music, then check out this list of the best grunge songs of the 90s.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana

Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is not only one of the best grunge songs, but one of the best songs of the 90s. The song has a perfect mix of hooks, angst, and adrenaline, and it remains one of Nirvana’s most popular songs to this day.

“Alive” – Pearl Jam

“Alive” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. It is the opening track and lead single from the band’s debut album, Ten (1991). Written by guitarist Stone Gossard, “Alive” features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band members have commented that the composition of “Alive” was a collaborative effort and that it was one of the first songs they wrote together as a band.

Guitarist Mike McCready on “Alive”:

“‘Alive’ was one of the first songs Stone and I wrote together. We were jamming on a riff and I just started playing this un coordinate-able drum beat behind him! We looked at each other and realized we had something.”

“Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden

“Black Hole Sun” is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released in 1994 as the third single from their fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995.

The music video, directed by Peter Christopherson, is one of the most iconic and memorable of the 90s. It features horrific images of children with blackened eyes and melting faces, which were achieved with special effects make-up. The video was nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards, winning three, including Best Metal/Hard Rock Video. It was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Video, but lost to Michael Jackson’s “Scream”.

“Would?” – Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains rose to fame in the early 1990s with their dark and angstytake on the Seattle grunge sound. “Would?” is one of their most iconic and well-loved songs. It’s a haunting ballad about lead singer Layne Staley’s friend, Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, who died of a heroin overdose.