How Seattle’s Sub Pop Became the Initial Record Label for Grunge Music

How Seattle’s Sub Pop Became the Initial Record Label for Grunge Music In the late 80’s and early 90’s, grunge music took the world by storm.

The History of Sub Pop

Sub Pop was founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. The duo started the label with a focus on independent and underground music. Their first release was the Green River EP, followed by the full-length album Dry as a Bone. Sub Pop quickly gained a following among music fans in the Seattle area.

The Beginnings of Sub Pop

Sub Pop began in the spring of 1986, when Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman opened a small record store in inner city Seattle. The two longtime friends shared a love for punk rock and independent music, and they quickly realized that there was a lack of local options for fans of this type of music. With this in mind, they decided to start their own record label, which they named Sub Pop after a local zine that Pavitt had created.

The label’s first release was Green River’s “Come On Down,” which was followed by the debut album from Mudhoney, one of the most important grunge bands. Sub Pop quickly became known for its grunge roster, which included not only Mudhoney and Green River, but also Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. These bands would go on to define a generation of music, and their association with Sub Pop helped to put the label on the map.

Despite its early successes, Sub Pop struggled financially throughout the 1990s. In 1996, the label was forced to declare bankruptcy, but it was eventually able to rebound thanks to a successful reissue campaign for Nirvana’s “Bleach” album. Since then, Sub Pop has continued to be a major force in the independent music scene, and it remains one of the most respected labels in the world.

The Rise of Grunge Music

The early 1990s saw the rise of a new musical genre known as grunge. Grunge music was characterized by its raw, distorted sound and angsty lyrics, and it quickly gained popularity among young people in the Seattle area. Sub Pop, a small independent record label, was one of the first to sign grunge bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam. These bands would go on to achieve massive commercial success, helping to make Seattle the epicenter of the grunge music scene.

The Artists of Sub Pop

Sub Pop launched the careers of some of the most famous grunge bands, including Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden. Seattle’s Sub Pop became the initial record label for grunge music. The artists of Sub Pop brought a new sound that changed the face of rock music.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer and 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 the band in 1990. While recording their debut album, Bleach, Cobain and Novoselic struggled to find a drummer to replace Chad Channing. They eventually used Dale Crover of the Melvins, but he proved ineffective. Eventually, they recruited Dave Foster to record with them.

Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind (1991), became a surprise success in late 1991. By January 1992, it had replaced Michael Jackson’s album Dangerous at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The success of Nevermind signaled the start of the alternative rock boom of the 1990s. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became Nirvana’s most successful song; its video was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards In February 1992, Nirvana performed “Lithium” on Saturday Night Live.

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 Cornell was a member of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute to the late singer Andrew Wood. Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands in the creation of grunge music, and is commonly credited as one of the main architects of the genre.

The band released its first album, Ultramega OK, in 1988 on SST Records; it was reissued on A&M Records in 1990. The album was well received by critics but did not enter the Billboard 200 chart. In 1989, the band released its second album, Louder Than Love. The album’s mainstream success initiated a string of successful singles for the band, including “Rusty Cage”, “Outshined”, and “Black Hole Sun”, which brought Soundgarden international attention. The album peaked at number eighteen on Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1995.

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. Bassist John Entwistle of The Who died midway through the recording of Pearl Jam’s self-titled debut album and was replaced by Matt Lukin. Since its inception, the band’s line-up has included Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder and Cameron; Matt Wilkinson played as a temporary replacement for Ament on their 2016 North American tour.

Pearl Jam released its debut album, Ten, in 1991. A critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over nine million copies in the United States. It produced three hit singles: “Alive”, “Even Flow”, and “Jeremy”. Their next record, Vs., was released in 1993 and entered the Billboard 200 at number one; it sold nearly 950,000 copies in its first week of release. Vs. set a record for most copies of an album sold in a week and spent five weeks atop the Billboard 200.[1] The band followed up with Vitalogy 1992 in 1994; it became one of only two albums to reach diamond certification status before 1995–the other being Michael Jackson’s Thriller–and is Pearl Jam’s most commercially successful release to date. The album has been certified thirteen times platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

Following an intense touring schedule to promote Vitalogy which caused internal tensions within the band,[2] Pearl Jam took a hiatus for much of 1995 until mid-1996. They then released No Code 1996 to mixed reviews[3] but maintained a large fan base; it was nonetheless far less successful than their previous records,[4][5] although still achieving platinum certificationstatus.[6] In 1998 they released Yield whose catchier melodies brought them back to critical acclaim,[7][8][9] though it too received mixed reviews.[10][11] After touring behind Yield extensively into 1999,[12][13] they took another hiatus before reconvening near the end of 2000 to work on material for their next album.[4][14][15] 2001 saw the release of their eponymous seventh studio album—also referred to informally as Avocado due to its cover art—which became their second straight release not containing any profanity or vulgarity despite also having more personal lyrics than any prior releases.[16]:23[17]:57[18]:24 Both commercially[19] and critically[20]-acclaimed,[21]-the album debuted at number two on Billboard 200 behind Shaggy’s Hot shot but ultimately outsold it.[22][16]:23[18]:24 It contained one charting single—”I Am Mine”—and although no others were officially released as singles across different regions throughout 2002,[23]:348 several songs were released through various internet sites such as Napster or iTunes before being widely available via compact disc or vinyl record—”Save You”, “Cropduster”, “Ghost”,[23]:362 “Thumbing My Way”[24]-all becoming hits on modern rock radio.[25][26] Riot Act followed in 2002 while world tours promoting its content occupied much of 2003–2004; these tours love led many critics to dub them “The Grunge legends”.[27][28]”

The Legacy of Sub Pop

When people think of grunge music, the first thing that comes to mind is Seattle. And when people think of Seattle and grunge music, the first thing that comes to mind is Sub Pop. Sub Pop was the first record label to sign grunge bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden, and they are largely responsible for putting Seattle on the map as the epicenter of the grunge scene. Let’s take a closer look at the history of this iconic record label.

The Impact of Sub Pop on Music

Sub Pop was not only an important player in the development of grunge music, but also in the entire Seattle music scene. The label nurtured the careers of many now-famous artists, including Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. In addition, Sub Pop helped to create an environment in which independent music could thrive. The success of the label showed that it was possible for independent music to compete with major labels, and this had a profound impact on the music industry as a whole.

Today, Sub Pop is still going strong, and its influence can be felt throughout the music world. The label continues to sign new and exciting artists, and its influence can be seen in the success of Seattle musicians such as Fleet Foxes and Death Cab for Cutie. For anyone interested in independent music, Sub Pop is an essential part of the story.

The Impact of Sub Pop on Seattle

Sub Pop, theSeattle-based record label that gave the world Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other now-legendary grunge bands, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It’s hard to overstate the importance of Sub Pop — not just to Seattle’s music scene, but to music as a whole.

With bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden leading the way, grunge became one of the most successful and influential genres of the ’90s. Grunge was a reaction against the polished hair metal that dominated radio in the early ’90s. It was guitar-driven rock with a DIY aesthetic that appealed to kids who felt alienated by mainstream culture.

Sub Pop was founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. The label’s first release was a compilation album called Sub Pop 100, which featured tracks by then-unknown bands like Mudhoney, Soundgarden and Nirvana. In many ways, Sub Pop was the perfect label for grunge. The sound of grunge fit perfectly with the DIY ethic of punk rock, and the label’s roster of bands became synonymous with the genre.

In 1991, Nirvana released their debut album Bleach on Sub Pop. The album wasn’t a commercial success, but it did establish Nirvana as one of the most important new bands in rock. Two years later, Nirvana released their second album Nevermind on DGC Records (a subsidiary of Geffen Records). The album was an instant classic, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. The success of Nevermind catapulted Nirvana into the mainstream and made them one of the biggest bands in the world.

While Nirvana was skyrocketing to popularity, other grunge bands were also having success on Sub Pop. In 1991, Soundgarden released their third album Badmotorfinger, which debuted at #39 on Billboard’s 200 chart. In 1992, Mudhoney released their second album Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, which peaked at #62 on Billboard’s 200 chart. And in 1993, Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten, which went on to sell more than 13 million copies in the US alone.

The commercial success of grunge brought a lot of attention to Seattle’s music scene. In 1991, Rolling Stone magazine declared Seattle “the hottest music scene in America.” And in 1992, Newsweek called Seattle “the capital of grunge.” Thanks to Sub Pop and its roster of amazing bands, Seattle will always be associated with grunge music.