Grunge / Post-Grunge
familyStarted 1985Peak 1991-1999Last big hit still active
Heavy, downtuned guitar rock born in the Pacific Northwest, fusing Black Sabbath sludge, punk abrasion and disaffected, often pained vocals. Murky distortion, loud-quiet-loud dynamics and unpolished production define the early sound; its commercial heirs sand it into glossy, radio-built anthems with the same minor-key heaviness.
History
Grew from Seattle's late-80s underground and Sub Pop Records, exploding in 1991 when Nirvana's Nevermind toppled hair metal. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains made it global. After Kurt Cobain's 1994 death the rawness curdled into the polished, label-friendly post-grunge of Bush, Creed and Nickelback, which dominated rock radio into the 2000s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- AllMusic genre overview: Grunge
- Wikipedia: Grunge
- Rolling Stone, '50 Greatest Grunge Albums'