Like all important cultural movements, grunge wasn’t just a music genre, a fashion aesthetic, or an excuse to not bathe for several consecutive days. It was, above all else, an unapologetic dissenting cry against rock music’s tired norms. It was a disaffected, disillusioned, flannel-clad middle finger raised in the air against hair metal’s gloss and corporate rock’s polish. Until its end, it was unwavering in its convictions and uncompromising in its attack. Either you were into it and here for it, or you weren’t.
In this post, I give grunge its flowers by highlighting 9 albums that took the genre from local underground movement to global phenomenon in a matter of years. Along the way, you’ll get to know (or get reacquainted with) some of its most important moments and artists.
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Why Grunge Was So Important to 90s Rock
The first element to highlight about grunge is how lived-in it was. Ripped jeans, matted hair, no-BS chords, gritty production, and voices that cracked from the weight of their lyrics or, more powerfully, things unsaid. It sounded great, no doubt, but it also hit you right in your angsty feels. In the MTV era, full of well-manicured, elaborate videos, grunge was a revelation. Like someone, somewhere, finally got it.
It’s also worth noting how the TV network aided and abetted grunge at the dawn of the 90s, as if they were an island of misfit toys waiting to be discovered. Regional alternative uprisings made for intriguing content, especially during off-peak hours, and MTV was spinning videos of bands who’d barely escaped their local dive bars. In the eyes of Mudhoney’s Steve Turner, they were moving away from “bland, boring music” that had “been played to death.” Suddenly, the major labels were stampeding to sign anything with a fuzz pedal and a 206 area code.
But, like any sprint to oversaturation, not all grunge was created equal. Some albums made waves instead of riding them, providing new generations of fans with an excellent cross-section of the genre’s DNA. Both anarchic and authentic, it charted legitimately new sonic territory and left a lasting imprint on rock as a whole. As the saying goes, nothing was ever the same again.
Okay, enough preamble. Let’s dive in:
1. "Nevermind” by Nirvana (1991)
Let’s pluck the lowest-hanging fruit from the tree first, shall we?
When Nevermind hit the shelves, it was the Molotov cocktail that broke every pane in rock music’s glass house and forced a wholesale reinvention. There aren’t many of these in the genre’s history, but you can look at Nirvana’s second album as a watershed moment sonically. Almost everything after Nevermind sounded like Nevermind, despite Kurt Cobain’s repeated claims that it was the group’s worst record by far.
Led by the iconic "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the album's raw energy remains unmatched, as do Cobain's anguished vocals that continue to resonate with youthful masses. It topped the Billboard 200 and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most commercially successful LPs of all time. The latter stat would make Cobain crazy if he were still with us because, if we’re honest, that was never what the band was after. Their punk ethos could never square it. Yet here we are, living in the rock landscape Nirvana redefined.
2. “Ten” by Pearl Jam (1991)
Another titan of grunge’s peak period, Pearl Jam’s Ten has always sounded even more hard-edged and tightly wound than Nevermind ever did. Like several other records on this list, these are songs about personal turmoil, conforming to societal pressures, and, most devastatingly, survival against steep odds. Eddie Vedder's baritone ties everything together, reaching beyond world-weariness and anger to reach some improbably vulnerable places.
In my review of this album, here’s what I said about some of my favorite tracks:
The more I return to Ten, the more the deep cuts come to the forefront as the record’s strongest moments. “Why Go” and “Porch” are intense mosh-friendly rockers that see Vedder decrying injustices that range from wrongful incarceration to breakup-by-ghosting. Meanwhile, “Oceans” and “Black” offer up a more tender side of the band’s persona, with the latter still ranking among the best three or five Pearl Jam songs of all time. It’s melodic and evocative, steeping its sweet, nostalgic opening in a dark, vaguely dangerous tone. All that said, it would be more than understandable if you walk away with “Alive” and “Even Flow” rattling around in your head for days or weeks on end. I know that was the result when I first listened to [it].
3. “Superunknown” by Soundgarden (1994)
If you don’t mind your rock on the pitch-black, more psychedelic side, Soundgarden’s Superunknown is tough to beat quality-wise. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 2000 in 1994, everyone on this record is in top form. However, Chris Cornell’s heartrending vocals, soaring high above some intricate, dense arrangements, are arguably this LP’s most memorable trait. If not the best grunge album ever, it’s undoubtedly its most complex and mature.
Here’s more from my original review:
[In my reviews], I usually highlight a few standout tracks and performances—a task that’s a tall order here. Everyone in Soundgarden turns in such exceptional work that it’s difficult for me to put one ahead of another in any respect. You could successfully argue this is Kim Thayil’s record, with songs like “4th of July,” “Limo Wreck,” and the biggest hit of the release, “Black Hole Sun,” built on sturdy, beefy riffs and dense soloing. Maybe the album’s best moments belong to bassist Ben Shepherd’s contributions to “Head Down” and “Half.” Or, perhaps better still, there’s Matt Cameron’s drumming, which keeps every other sonic element from spinning out of control while coming to the forefront with left-field grooves like “Spoonman.” If this were a zone for letter grades (ugh), those performances would receive straight As.
4. “Dirt” by Alice in Chains (1992)
When I first heard Dirt, I wasn’t prepared for it. That first listen was so harrowing, so deeply unsettling, that I wasn’t sure I’d ever go back to it. In fact, it took years for me to do so. But, as I got older and gained a deeper understanding of some of its themes, its greatness revealed itself to me gradually, bit by agonizing bit. Today, I consider it one of rock’s crowning achievements of the 90s.
For the uninitiated, I want to emphasize that Dirt is a tough sit. Rewarding in its own way and technically a headturner, but you need to be ready to meet it where it is. Tracks like “Down in a Hole," "Them Bones," and "Would?” dissect the self-loathing and collateral damage that comes with severe addiction. The only redemptive cut is “Rooster,” a tribute to guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s father, who served in Vietnam. Remarkably, this album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over five million copies in the U.S. alone. In stark contrast to the era’s more polished rock releases, it has to be one of the most despondent records to go Platinum multiple times over.
5. “Core” by Stone Temple Pilots (1992)
Core introduced Stone Temple Pilots to mainstream audiences with a bang. Formed in 1989 in San Diego, the West Coast hit the ground running, with hits like "Plush," "Creep," and "Sex Type Thing" getting tons of radio and MTV airplay. At the same time, the group was also hit with some backlash for how similar they sounded to their grunge contemporaries. They may not have been from Seattle, but they were seen (unfairly, I might add) as a carbon copy of what was already out there. Sometimes, nothing pleases rock fans.
Today, Core is more widely and appropriately lauded for how rock-solid it is in every aspect. The songwriting is tight and bursting with hooks, the DeLeo brothers play off each other so well it sounds pretty effortless, and Scott Weiland, regardless of what you think of him now, turns in a strong vocal performance that showcases more range than it may get credit for in some circles. The LP peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and, as of this writing, has been certified eight times Platinum. Not too bad for also-rans.
6. “Live Through This” by Hole (1994)
For all the positives it brought to the rock and roll machine, grunge wasn't the most welcoming subgenre for women in music. With so many male voices dominating the conversation, it wasn't until Live Through This that female performers like Courtney Love began getting some overdue recognition. Sure, being Kurt Cobain's partner helped with visibility, but Love's band Hole ended up carving out distinctive territory for itself beginning in 1994.
Here are some thoughts shared in my original review:
If Live Through This bears any resemblance to the Nirvana canon, particularly In Utero, it’s in the unfettered rage that sits at the core of every song. There’s the bleak, knowing recounting of sexual violence on “Asking For It” (”Was she asking for it?/Was she asking nice?”) and the ugliness of “Doll Parts,” a scathing gut punch written from the point of view of unwilling subjects of the male gaze. For all the trauma and pain that’s on display, it’s easy to overlook how exhilarating and (dare I say it) catchy these tracks are. They’re calculated to the point of being analytical, harnessing holler-ready punk rock formulas to elevate the listening experience beyond pure catharsis. Ultimately, [this] is a record about survival. Surviving the incessant tabloid coverage, surviving a tumultuous marriage, surviving a much-scrutinized pregnancy, and surviving in a milieu that, at the time, was undoubtedly more hostile than people remember.
7. “Superfuzz Bigmuff” by Mudhoney (1988)
So far, I’ve talked primarily about albums most would consider grunge’s greatest hits. But, like any solid starter pack, it’s important to acknowledge the records that laid the groundwork for this movement to happen in the first place. Enter Mudhoney’s Superfuzz Bigmuff, their 1988 EP released on famed indie imprint Sub Pop. Its raw, fuzzed-out sound shaped how countless other (and, in some cases, decidedly more famous) bands constructed their grunge anthems, unapologetically embracing distortion and general irreverence.
For a more holistic Mudhoney (and late-80s grunge) listening experience, I recommend skipping to the 1990 re-release, Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles. That version doubles the runtime and turns the original into a proper album by including cuts like “Touch Me When I’m Sick” that weren’t on the original EP. Even that attempt to cash in on grunge’s moment in the sun didn’t pan out for the band, which is probably one of the reasons why Mudhoney is still slept on by too many rock fans. With Mark Arm’s anti-establishment salvos and Turner’s sawblade guitars, it’s a statement record that shouldn’t be missed.
8. “Temple of the Dog” by Temple of the Dog (1991)
Temple of the Dog’s self-titled 1991 LP stemmed from tragedy in the grunge community. Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell conceived the group as a tribute to his friend Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, who passed away at age 24 from a heroin overdose. Cornell recruited Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron to fill out the roster, all of whom would go on to form the basis for Pearl Jam. In that sense, Temple of the Dog is one of those pop culture moments that remains frozen in time, a reminder of how much talent there was fueling the grunge movement out of the Pacific Northwest.
After a fresh listen for this write-up, what stood out to me is how soulful these tracks are at their core. Songs like "Hunger Strike" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven" showcase the band’s arresting chemistry and willingness to add unprecedented emotional depth to their songwriting. It’s not like they hadn’t shown they could infuse the latter into their lyrics, but in certain instances, it’s clear Cornell and company are working through their grief in real time. The album achieved Platinum status and received plenty of critical praise at the time of its release. It stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit that fostered grunge's meteoric rise.
9. “Sweet Oblivion” by Screaming Trees (1992)
Let’s end with a record that’s also overlooked in many mainstream conversations about grunge: Sweet Oblivion. Anchored by Mark Lanegan’s gravel-and-honey vocals (he’s right up there with Vedder as one of my favorite grunge singers) and Gary Lee Conner’s tempestuous guitar work, this album is best known for the hit “Nearly Lost You,” a track immortalized by the Singles soundtrack. I don’t love the movie (my one-line review would be “pleasant but inconsequential”), but that compilation is still worth seeking for gems like the Screaming Trees contribution.
Lanegan once described the album as “a drug-fueled fever dream,” which is sort of correct but undersells the group’s knack for crafting catchy, melodic hard rock hooks. “Shadow of the Season” and “Butterfly” rank among Screaming Trees’ best, easily going toe to toe with “Nearly Lost You” when it comes to energy and craftsmanship. Somehow, the Singles nod didn’t vault them into the same commercial tier as Alice in Chains or the Smashing Pumpkins, two other acts who rode grunge to international prominence along similar timelines. Sure, history isn’t fair or inclusive, but if the rock gods had a do-over, I think Sweet Oblivion may have worked out entirely differently.
What’s your favorite grunge track? Sound off in the comments.