A Guide to Grunge Music

A look at the history of grunge music and how it became one of the most popular genres of the 1990s.

What is Grunge Music?

Grunge music is a genre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Grunge music is characterized by its distorted guitars, angry-sounding vocals, and dark or bleak lyrical content.

The Origins 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, sloppy fashion of its adherents, grunge was also associated with a DIY aesthetic, strongly influenced by punk rock. Music writer Kurt St. Thomas defined grunge as a “llest throw of the dice – hard rock played with the spirit of punk.”

The genre combines elements of punk rock and heavy metal, often using loud guitars, aggressive rhythms, and isolationist lyrics. Like other styles emerging from the DIY punk scene (such as hardcore punk), grunge favored workmanlike songwriting over virtuosity. Grunge incorporated influences fromlocalhost:4000/goth-rock, death metal, and indie rock to form its own unique take on dark, nasty hard rock music.

The genre began to take shape in the late 1980s with releases from bands such as Green River (whose 1984 EP Dry As a Bone is often considered a proto-grunge record), Soundgarden, and Mudhoney – all part of the Seattle music scene’s flourishing indie circuit. By early 1991, when Nirvana released their groundbreaking album Nevermind, grunge had exploded into the mainstream consciousness, quickly becoming one of the most popular musical genres of the decade.

The Sound of Grunge

The grunge sound was born in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s, when a few garage bands blended punk and metal to create a new, heavier style of music. The sound was raw and angry, and the lyrics were often dark and depressing. The first grunge bands were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

Grunge music is often described as “sludge rock” or “muddy rock” because of its heavy, distorted sound. Guitars are usually tuned down low to create a thicker, more “sludgy” sound, and overdrive and distortion are used to give the music an abrasive edge. Grunge songs are usually slow to mid-tempo, and they often feature anguished vocals and dark, personal lyrics.

Grunge fashion is also characterized by its ” DIY ” aesthetic—clothes are often worn second-hand or purchased from thrift stores, and expensive designer labels are eschewed in favor of more affordable brands like Levis or flannel shirts. Grunge fashion is also known for its simplicity—jeans, t-shirts, flannel shirts, and Converse sneakers are common grunge staples.

The Grunge Scene

Grunge music became popular in the early 1990s with the rise of Seattle-based bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Grunge music is a mix of punk and metal and is characterized by its raw, heavy sound.

The Seattle Scene

The grunge scene was centered in Seattle, Washington in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The city’s rainy weather and industrial aesthetic influenced the dreary, melancholy sound of grunge music. Grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains rose to prominence in the early 1990s with their heavy guitars, angsty lyrics, and flannel fashion. Grunge quickly became mainstream due to the popularity of Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind. Although grunge was short-lived as a musical movement, its impact is still felt today.

The Grunge Look

Grunge fashion is the style of clothing, footwear, and accessories worn by young people in the early 1990s, particularly in the American Pacific Northwest. It became popular as a fashion style after the success of grunge bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Grunge fashion is characterized by plaid shirts, ripped jeans, flannel shirts, and Birkenstock sandals.

Grunge Bands

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s. Grunge music is typically characterized by distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. Grunge bands often have a DIY aesthetic and are often associated with punk rock. Some of the most popular grunge bands include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

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 the band in 1990. Though they initially distributed their music through independent channels, they achieved mainstream success with the release of their second album, Nevermind (1991). Following extensive tours and the release of In Utero (1993), Nirvana disbanded after Cobain committed suicide in 1994.

Since their debut album Bleach was released on June 15, 1989, Nirvana became one of the most popular bands of the early 1990s due to their critical and commercial success with Nevermind in 1991. The success of Nevermind surprised the music industry. Following extensive tours and two more studio albums—In Utero (1993) and MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)—Nirvana achieved global success through word-of-mouth marketing about their concerts. In 1996, following Cobain’s suicide, Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with drummer Grohl accepting on behalf of himself and his two deceased bandmates.[16] Since its establishment, hundreds of grunge bands have been formed across the world.

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. 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. Since its inception, the band has sold more than 85 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling bands of all time. In 2006, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Pearl Jam was ranked at number four on a 2005 list of the greatest American rock bands by Rolling Stone magazine. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 7, 2017. Vedder will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 15, 2017. The band has won two Grammy Awards, ten MTV Video Music Awards and two Brit Awards. As a live band they are considered to be one of the best in history by many critics and fans alike.

Soundgarden

Soundgarden is 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 grunge movement in the early 1990s.

The band built its audience with constant touring and media exposure on MTV’s “Headbangers Ball”. After signing to A&M Records in 1988, Soundgarden released its debut album, Ultramega OK (1988), and developed a following with tours supporting Faith No More and opening for Alice in Chains. Its second album, Louder Than Love (1989), debuted at number one on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart.

Soundgarden reached a commercial breakthrough with Badmotorfinger (1991) and Superunknown (1994), which propelled the band to its biggest success; “Black Hole Sun”, “Spoonman”, and “Fell on Black Days” peaked at number one on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, while “My Wave” and “The Day I Tried to Live” reached number two. Down on the Upside (1996) followed an extended hiatus during which Cornell pursued solo projects. In 1997, unprecedented legal wrangling over royalties led to the breakup of the band until its reunion in 2010.

The Legacy of Grunge

Grunge music emerged in the early 1990s as a reaction to the overproduced and glitzy sounds of hair metal and pop music. Grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden brought a raw and unpolished sound that was a stark contrast to the polished records coming out of Los Angeles and New York. The grunge movement was about more than just the music; it was a complete subculture with its own fashion, attitude, and set of values.

The End of an Era

The Seattle grunge scene reached its peak in the early 1990s with the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. These two albums brought mainstream attention to a previously underground music scene, and both went on to become two of the best-selling albums of all time.

By the mid-1990s, grunge was no longer an underground phenomenon; it had become a fully-fledged commercial success. However, this newfound commercial success came at a cost. The raw, angry energy that defined grunge was replaced by a more polished, radio-friendly sound. As a result, many grunge bands disbanded or changed their sound altogether.

While grunge may no longer be as popular as it once was, its impact on music cannot be overstated. Grunge ushered in a new era of rock music marked by honesty and emotionality. It also inspired future generations of musicians to pursue their dreams and follow their own unique visions.

The Influence of Grunge

The grunge music scene of the early 1990s was a major force in rock music, spawning a generation of popular bands and influencing musicians for years to come. Grunge combined elements of punk rock and heavy metal, creating a harsher, more aggressive sound that countered the polished poprock that was popular at the time. The Seattle-based grunge scene was particularly influential, with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam becoming global superstars.

The success of grunge music brought attention to the underground music scenes in other parts of the country, and helped to launch the careers of many other popular bands. Grunge also had a major impact on fashion and culture, with its DIY aesthetic and flannel shirts becoming iconic symbols of the era. Though grunge music fell out of favor in the late 1990s, its influence can still be heard in today’s rock music.