What Is Grunge? The Sound, the Scene and the Records

Grunge was the sound that pulled rock music away from the polished, big-haired 1980s and into flannel shirts and raw emotion. Here's what grunge is, where it came from, the bands that defined it and why it still matters.

Where grunge came from

Grunge grew out of the Seattle music scene in the mid-to-late 1980s. The independent label Sub Pop played a big role in recording and promoting local bands. The scene mixed the noise and attitude of punk with the heavy, slow riffs of 1970s metal.

What grunge sounds like

• Heavy, distorted guitars, often down-tuned and sludgy.
• Quiet verses that explode into loud choruses, a dynamic many grunge songs use.
• Raw, emotional vocals instead of polished singing.
• Honest, often dark lyrics about alienation, frustration and personal struggles.
• A deliberately unpolished look and attitude, rejecting glam-metal glamour.

The bands that defined it

Nirvana's breakthrough in 1991 changed the music industry almost overnight: major labels rushed to sign alternative bands, and the sound reached mainstream radio and MTV.

Why grunge faded

By the mid-1990s, the scene had changed. Commercial pressure, line-up changes and the death of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain in 1994 marked the end of grunge's peak. Many of its musicians continued in other projects, and Dave Grohl, Nirvana's drummer, went on to form Foo Fighters.

Grunge's legacy

Grunge opened the door for alternative rock to become mainstream in the 1990s and influenced post-grunge, stoner rock and countless bands since. Its idea that rock could be honest, vulnerable and still heavy remains influential, and the classic albums still sound fresh today.

Where to start

Start with the big albums of 1991 and 1992, then dig into the earlier Sub Pop releases to hear where it all began. Listen loud.