The Top 5 Grunge Bands of the 90s
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In this blog post, we countdown the top 5 grunge bands of the 90s. If you’re a fan of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or Soundgarden, then this list is for you!
Nirvana
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. The band became a leading force in the grunge music scene of the early 1990s. Nirvana achieved success with their second album, Nevermind. The album was released in September 1991 and quickly became a commercial and critical success. It was certified diamond by the RIAA in February 1994.
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was the singer, guitarist, and main songwriter for Nirvana, one of the most successful and influential rock bands of the 1990s. He was born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. Cobain’s parents divorced when he was nine years old. He grew up in a troubled home and was often bullied at school. In 1985, he started Nirvana with bassist Krist Novoselic. The band released its first album, Bleach, two years later.
Nirvana’s next album, Nevermind (1991), became a huge success due to the popularity of the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Cobain found sudden fame and fortune difficult to deal with and developed a severe drug addiction. In 1994, Kurt Cobain died of an apparent suicide at his home in Seattle, Washington. He was 27 years old.
Nevermind
Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. It was founded by singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-serving being Dave Grohl, who joined in 1990. Despite releasing only three studio albums in their seven-year career, Nirvana has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and important alternative bands in history. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock and roll culture.
Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder
Edward Louis Severson III (born December 23, 1964), known professionally as Eddie Vedder, is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, one of three guitarists, and the primary lyricist of the American rock band Pearl Jam. He is known for his powerful baritone vocals.
Ten
Ten is the second studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. The album was a commercial success, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over nine million copies in the United States. It produced three hit singles, “Alive”, “Even Flow”, and “Jeremy”. While critical reception remained mixed, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1992.
Soundgarden
Though considered one of the founding fathers of the grunge movement, Soundgarden didn’t find commercial success until the release of their fourth album, Superunknown, in 1994. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and went on to win two Grammy Awards.
Chris Cornell
One of the founders of grunge music, Soundgarden was a highly influential band in the 1990s. The group was formed in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, and included bassist Hiro Yamamoto and drummer Scott Sundquist. Soundgarden’s musical style blended heavy metal and punk rock, and they became one of the most successful bands of the genre with their 1994 album, Superunknown.
Upon release, Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 320,000 copies in its first week. The album contained the singles “Spoonman” and “Black Hole Sun”, both of which won Grammy Awards. Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 due to creative differences, but reformed in 2010 and released a new album, King Animal, in 2012.
Badmotorfinger
Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991 through A&M Records. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992.[1] In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Badmotorfinger as the third greatest grunge album of all time.[2]
The album was recorded in March 1991 at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Terry Date. It became the band’s first album to feature bassist Ben Shepherd.
The singles “Outshined” and “Rusty Cage” have both been certified gold by the RIAA. The music video for “Outshined” was nominated for Best Hard Rock Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is a Seattle-based grunge band formed in 1987 by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who then recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne Staley. The band’s debut album, Facelift, was released in 1990 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. The band’s success continued with the release of their second album, Dirt (1992), which was also certified double platinum.
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he founded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band’s first album, Facelift (1990), and second release, Dirt (1992), reached quadruple-platinum and triple-platinum status respectively in the United States and are widely regarded as two of the genre’s best releases. Staley’s vocal Archives placed him at number eight on MTV’s list of Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists Of All Time. He was also ranked No. 35 on Hit Parader ‘s list of Greatest Metal Vocalists Of All Time.
Dirt
Dirt is the second studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 1992, through Columbia Records. Peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, the album was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is Alice in Chains’ most successful album to date and spent 109 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.
The singles “Would?” and “Angry Chair” both charted on Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song “Rooster”, about Vietnamese veteran Alenzo Ward Carmichael, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1994. The album has been ranked number 336 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and number 11 on Metal Hammer’s “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”.
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots were one of the most successful grunge bands of the early ’90s. They released their debut album, Core, in 1992 and it immediately shot to the top of the charts. The band followed up their debut with the release of Purple in 1994, which was another huge success.
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2002 and 2008 to 2013, making six records with the band. He was also a member of Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008 and recorded one album with Art of Anarchy. Weiland also released four solo studio albums: 12 Bar Blues (1998), Happy in Galoshes (2008), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2011) and Blaster (2015).
Core
Stone Temple Pilots was one of the top grunge bands of the 1990s. They released their debut album, Core, in 1992. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was certified 8x platinum by the RIAA. It spawned the singles “Sex Type Thing” and “Plush”, which both reached the top ten of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
