The Top Grunge Music of 2008
Contents
2008 was a great year for Grunge music. Here are the top 10 songs that made the year special.
Intro
Grunge music became popular in the early 1990s. It is a type of alternative rock that is characterized by its heavy sound and distorted guitars. Grunge music often has feedback and distortion, which gives it a “raw” sound.
The term “grunge” was first used in print in the Seattle alternative weekly newspaper The Rocket in August 1991, to describe the local music scene. Rock critic Mark Deming defines grunge as a style of rock music that emerged from Seattle, Washington, in the late 1980s and became a dominant form of popular rock music in the early 1990s. This is generally seen as beginning with Mudhoney’s release of their self-titled EP in 1988.
Grunge was commercially successful in the early 1990s, with Nirvana’s Nevermind (1991) becoming the best-selling album released on an independent record label and Pearl Jam’s Ten (1991) becoming one of the most successful albums on any record label. Mudhoney’s Superfuzz Bigmuff (1990) and Green River’s Rehab Doll (1988) EP also sold well. By contrast, many of the bands associated with grunge did not achieve commercial success; only Mudhoney enjoyed sustained major label success after grunge reached mainstream popularity.
Best Albums
Nirvana- Nevermind
Nirvana- Bleach
Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach, was released in 1989 and was the band’s first album to gain widespread attention. The album’s sound was a major departure from the polished pop music of the time, instead featuring a raw and aggressive sound that would come to define the grunge genre. Bleach was a commercial success, reaching #35 on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The album’s success helped to launch Nirvana into the mainstream, and their follow-up album, Nevermind, would catapult them to superstardom.
Pearl Jam- Ten
Ten is the debut studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. A landmark record of the grunge genre, Ten showed Pearl Jam refining their sound from the band’s debut album, Vs. (1993). Although it was not an immediate success upon release-peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart months after its release-Ten’s success was prolonged due to heavy radio play of its singles “Alive”, “Even Flow”, and “Jeremy”. The album has been certified thirteen times platinum by the RIAA in the United States and has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Pearl Jam was one of many grunge bands to achieve mainstream success in the early 1990s, though they did so with a distinctly different sound than that of other commercial grunge acts such as Alice in Chains and Nirvana.”
Alice in Chains- Facelift
As one of the leading bands of the Seattle grunge movement of the early 1990s, Alice in Chains was influential on the development of the genre. They were known for their heavy metal-tinged sound combined with Layne Staley’s eerie vocals. The band released their debut album, Facelift, in 1990. The album was a commercial success, selling more than three million copies in the United States and spawning the singles “Man in the Box” and “Would?”. “Man in the Box” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Best Songs
If you are a fan of grunge music, you might be wondering what the top songs of 2008 were. Grunge music became popular in the early 1990s with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. 2008 was a great year for grunge music with many new and exciting bands emerging. In this article, we will countdown the top 10 grunge songs of 2008.
Nirvana- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a song by American rock band Nirvana. It was released as the lead single from the band’s second album, Nevermind (1991), in September 1991. The surprise success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point where grunge entered the mainstream. The song was dubbed an “anthem for apathetic kids” of Generation X, and remains one of Nirvana’s signature and most popular songs.
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain said that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was an attempt to write a song in the style of the Pixies, a band he greatly admired: Cobain wanted to write a song in their style which he deemed as “really kind of reckless.” He explained: “I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I wasn’t trying to be personal.” Cobain came up with his famous distorted guitar riff for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” after watching fellow Seattle musician Mark Lanegan perform an acoustic version of Led Zeppelin’s “In My Time of Dying” at a roadside bar. Cobain recalled that while he was watching Lanegan, he suddenly thought to himself,’I have gotta write something like that,'”and immediately began writing lyrics for what would become “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
The earliest known live performance of “‘Smells Like Teen Spirit”‘ took place on April 17, 1991, at Ok Hotel in Seattle, Washington; however, it was not performed acoustically like most grunge songs were at that time. The first proper acoustic performance of “‘Smells’Teen Spirit'” occurred on September 25, 1991—three days before its single release—at Reading Festival in England.
Pearl Jam- “Alive”
Alive is one of the best songs by Pearl Jam. It was released in 1991 as part of the band’s debut album, Ten.
The song is about a young man who is struggling to find his place in the world. The lyrics are full of angst and frustration, but there is also a sense of hope and triumph in the chorus.
Alive is an undeniable classic and one of the best grunge songs of all time.
Alice in Chains- “Man in the Box”
Alice in Chains is one of the defining bands of the grunge movement, and “Man in the Box” is one of their most iconic songs. The track was released as the lead single from their album Facelift, and it instantly become a hit. It’s still a staple of rock radio today, and its signature riff is instantly recognizable.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, grunge is still a hugely popular genre of music, particularly among college students and young adults. It may not be as mainstream as it once was, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still hugely popular and loved by many. So if you’re looking for some good grunge music to listen to, be sure to check out the top grunge songs of 2008. You won’t be disappointed.
