The Best Grunge Music Videos
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Looking for the best grunge music videos? Then check out our list of the top 10 grunge videos of all time! From Nirvana to Pearl Jam, these videos capture the raw energy and emotion of the genre perfectly.
Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was released in September 1991 as the first single from their album Nevermind. The song became a global phenomenon, helping to popularize grunge music and making Nirvana one of the most popular bands of the 1990s. The music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, features the band performing in a high school gymnasium filled with cheering students. Bayer later said that he wanted to create a “monumental” video that would be “like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”
Pearl Jam- Jeremy
Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” is one of the most iconic music videos of the 90s. The video was directed by Mark Pellington and features footage of frontman Eddie Vedder lip synching to the song while children in a classroom act out the events described in the song. The video was meant to be a shocking commentary on school shootings, but many viewers found it too graphic and it was banned from many TV networks. Despite this, “Jeremy” remains one of Pearl Jam’s most well-known songs and one of the defining music videos of the grunge era.
Alice in Chains- Man in the Box
Alice in Chains is one of the most successful and well-known grunge bands of all time, and “Man in the Box” is one of their most iconic songs. The music video for “Man in the Box” was released in 1992 and was directed by Kevin Kerslake.
The video begins with a close-up of lead singer Layne Staley’s face as he sings the opening lines of the song. We then see the band performing in a dark room lit by fluorescent lights. Throughout the video, we see shots of Staley’s face intercut with footage of the band performing.
The video has a dark and gritty aesthetic that perfectly matches the song’s subject matter. The focus on Staley’s Face also allows us to see the emotion he is conveying through his lyrics. “Man in the Box” is a great example of how Alice in Chains could take a dark subject matter and turn it into something beautiful.
Soundgarden- Black Hole Sun
Grunge music emerged in the early 1990s as a response to the overproduced and polished sounds of mainstream pop music. Grunge musicians were often considered to be slovenly and unkempt, in contrast to the clean-cut images of many popular bands at the time.
The music video for Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” is a perfect example of the grunge aesthetic. The video features footage of the band performing in a dark, dilapidated room, with little to no productionValue. The video is intentionally low-key, and it perfectly captures the raw energy of grunge music.
Stone Temple Pilots- Creep
Stone Temple Pilots’ Creep is a classic grunge song, and the music video is just as gritty. The video features the band performing in a dark room, with close up shots of the band members’ faces. There are also shots of the band members walking through a dark city street, which gives the video a feeling of isolation and despair.
