Steeped in Seattle rain and opiates, grunge bands were primarily inspired by punk rock. Seattle enjoyed its own brief punk scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s after the Ramones played at the Olympic Hotel ballroom; following this, a new league of bands, which included the Melvins (originally from the rural logging town of Aberdeen, like Nirvana to come), took punk rock and incorporated metal to create a new sound. This melodic merging of punk and metal, along with distortion and fuzz, dark themes, quirky lyrics, guitar solos, muted or screamed vocals, and an overall nitty-gritty quality became the formula for “grunge,” while ripped jeans, thrift store finds, Doc Martens, and emblematic flannel shirts became requisite attire. Grunge was about mismatched patterns and moods, a throwback to the counterculture of the ’60s—long hair and anti-fashion trends complemented the music as one aesthetic element of the Generation X plight (poor economics, divorced families) and Northwestern weather.

Grunge bands formed a rather tight knit group, but, despite being lumped together into one musical genre and one primary location (although several grunge bands were not actually from Seattle), every band produced its own distinct sound. Malfunkshun, for instance, was described as having melded “hardcore punk and the excesses of Seventies glam rock,” while Soundgarden borrowed from Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Notwithstanding differences in sound, these bands collectively spoke for and represented the jaded youth generation, and thus created a subculture through which kids could feel a sense of personal connection and identity.

California bands like Jane’s Addiction and Blind Melon lay further outside of the grunge label, though they were popular at the time and incorporated the basic “grunge” ethos, while bands like Sonic Youth, the Pixies, Meat Puppets, The Germs, Fugazi, Big Star, Bad Brains, Flipper, Scratch Acid, and The Velvet Underground, among countless others, served as influences and, in some cases, coconspirators. Eventually, Seattle and Sub Pop would achieve worldwide fame for such acclaimed bands as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. Though Kurt Cobain had been a Melvins protégée and Pearl Jam’s success was due in part to the fact that two of its members, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, were previously of Green River, it was the second wave of grunge bands that gained the most media attention, following the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind in 1991.

The term “grunge” was coined by Mark Arm in 1981 to describe Green River and was popularized by Bruce Pavitt of Sub Pop years later. Rock critic Jim DeRogatis believes that the music of the ’90s can be considered “all a part of the gloriously noisy continuum that stretches from Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran…through the Beatles-Byrds-Rolling Stones Baby Boom canon through the Stooges and Wire and the Sex Pistols and Public Enemy right up to the White Stripes and the Roots and Wilco and the Flaming Lips,” yet he does admit that there was something particularly special about grunge and Generation X in the grand spectrum of rock music. Perhaps this was, in part, due to its creative authenticity, raw and humble music making (unlike the mainstream rock of the ’80s), and connection to both the past and present.

TOP TEN GRUNGE BANDS:

1. Nirvana – Kurt Cobain approached songwriting with an awareness of both The Beatles and Black Flag, seeking to create pop songs with a punk rock methodology. His vocals are the rawest of the raw, literally breaking and bleeding angst and emotion through poetic lyrics unique to his symbolic affinities for birth, flowers, and death. On Unplugged in New York, his acoustic cover of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” indicated Cobain’s versatility, as well as his musical roots and old soul. The members of Generation X shared the pain of his own tragic death in 1994, as the empathetic front man/artist had exemplified and vocalized their feelings and attitudes through painfully expelling his inner demons in musical form.

2. Green River/ Mudhoney – The first “grunge” band, responsible for getting the movement in motion and aiding the formation of Sub Pop, is obviously going to be toward the top of this list. Mark Arm is a progeny of Iggy Pop; in both bands, he channeled Iggy’s unrelenting punk rock energy, shrieking and screaming in such Mudhoney songs as “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Here Comes the Sickness.” Green River’s “This Town” was anthemic for the grunge-culture to-be, while Mudhoney carved out the way for every other punkish, indie, garage-rock band to emerge in the ’90s.

3. Malfunkshun/ Mother Love Bone – Lead singer Andrew Wood (or L’Andrew the Love Child) died of a heroin overdose before he could claim the fame he deserved. Inspired by glam and theatrical-rock like Queen, the flamboyant Wood dressed in costume and drag, embracing aspects of heavy metal while also involving romantic lyrics and a tender piano. Though Malfunkshun lasted only until 1988, Wood then teamed up with Ament and Gossard (from Green River) to create Mother Love Bone. The band’s sound remained truly separate from the grit of most “grunge” bands, and provided epic rock ballads, such as “Chloe Dancer – Crown of Thorns” and “Gentle Groove,” for the new generation.

4. Soundgarden – In 1989, the music video for "Loud Love," first single from their second LP, revealed a bare-chested Chris Cornell in silver cut-offs and big black boots, looking like a cross between a crazed Carlos Santana and a stripped-down ’80s metal rocker, releasing wails from his throat as riotous as those of the guitar. Here, like most Soundgarden songs, a severe metal riff accompanies deep, tormented noise. Album after album, Soundgarden channeled Black Sabbath by way of fast-paced melodic metal riffs, sonorous baselines, hammering drums, and Cornell’s absolutely vicious vocals.

5. Melvins – Murky, greasy, dirty, droning and oozing old-school metal, the prolific Melvins released their first record in 1987, around the time that Kurt Cobain momentarily drummed for the band. Buzz Osbourne (or “King Buzzo”) served as an inspiration to Cobain, as well as to other grunge bands beginning to form, with his slow-tempo sludge-doom and experimental approach to merging metal with hardcore punk. The 9-minute “Youth of America” from Electroretard exemplifies the Melvins’ deafening, dystrophic chaos.

6. Alice in Chains – Nihilistic is probably the best adjective for describing the emotionally brutal metal meets morbid post-punk meets bleak Seattle music that came from Alice in Chains. Songs like “We Die Young” and “Rain When I Die” eerily foreboded the death of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002 (eight years to the day after Cobain), as his internal torment spiraled outward alongside Jerry Cantrell’s smooth supporting vocals and harsh guitar licks. Again, an Unplugged performance further revealed the unique vocal capabilities and pain of Staley, as the heavy band flawlessly transformed their sound to create poignant acoustic songs.

7. Butthole Surfers – More like experimental rock than “grunge,” the Butthole Surfers began their career in Texas during the early ’80s and served as a forerunner for the Northwest movement, having been adored by musicians like Cobain. Gibby Haynes sang twisted lyrics in his often distorted, flat and gruff voice, incorporating a bizarre sense of black humor and drugged-up dread that worked its way into their album artwork and campy live shows. Perhaps most known for the oddly catchy single “Pepper,” their Zappa influenced sound, combined with elements of prog, punk, psychedelia, and spazzed out noise, gained them a cult following.

8. Pearl Jam – Having formed after the death of Andrew Wood and the demise of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam went mainstream in 1991 with Ten, from which came many well-known singles and anthems like “Alive.” Eddie Vedder, in trademark flannel and jean shorts, emitted his textured and oscillating voice to sing abstract or storytelling lyrics about abuse, suicide, abortion, and childhood trauma, as well as overcoming such ordeals. Pearl Jam was as slick as any classic rock band, more melodic than punk, and borrowed from Zeppelin, Hendrix, and the rest. The weight of Vedder’s voice, coupled with richly blazing guitar solos and a harmonious cacophony of instruments (particularly on “Deep”) surfaced on every album to emerge post-Ten.

9. Dinosaur Jr. – Quiet and private, J Mascis is far from the traditional “rockstar,” embodying instead the modest, barebones songwriter of the grunge movement. His gravely, aching voice is layered within sprawling yet simplistic guitar noise that veers from serene to vociferous, involving a Neil Young meets Sonic Youth sense of melody, with guitar solos by Mascis that pull at the emotional cortex. “Out There” is especially wrenching, and rife with feedback.

10. Stone Temple Pilots – While they can’t boast the same amount of critical acclaim as other grunge bands of the era (seeing as how they’ve been reproached for being a “rip-off”), STP brought a heavy amount of angst and torture to their well-produced songs. And while Core is as authentically hard rock as Soundgarden, Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop is lighter and more fun, with creative melodies and arrangements à la Jane’s Addiction. The band’s versatility is apparent, as well as their accessibility, since they achieved steady radio play. More enjoyable than they are cathartic, STP demands merit for the riff-heavy intensity they brought to the genre. And Scott Weiland certainly had that heroin thing down.

Bonus:
Temple of the Dog – The band formed for just one album of the same name to pay tribute to Andrew Wood. With (Wood’s roommate) Chris Cornell and (pre-Pearl Jam) Eddie Vedder on vocals, Jeff Ament on bass, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready on guitar, and Matt Cameron on drums, the project achieved notoriety through songs like “Hunger Strike” and “Say Hello to Heaven,” which Cornell wrote just after Wood’s death. Both heavy and mellow, the album foretold Cornell’s later solo album (Euphoria Morning) and revealed his classic-rock songwriting ability, sans that booming Soundgarden edge. The songs, clean yet vintage, flow seamlessly and suggest a Mother Love Bone aesthetic, and all that came before. Though written in mourning and involving lyrics about heroin (“Times of Trouble”), the songs lift one higher and higher, as despondency is transformed into pure warmth like musical heaven.

Honorable Mentions:
Screaming Trees, L7, The Afghan Wigs, Hole, Pond, Love Battery, Babes in Toyland, 7 Year Bitch

from the mouth of Alternative Amy [dupcak]