The 10 best grunge albums
The power of grunge has always been something that music lovers were willing to accept, but it feels as though, in recent years, that power has been even more recognised for what it truly brought to music. When Chris Cornell passed in 2017, it dawned on many fans of the genre that three of the big four vocalists from that music scene have now passed, and that harrowing fact, especially given how premature some of those passings were, makes the sound of grunge even more applicable.
The sound of grunge brings together two completely contrasting emotions and allows them to live together simultaneously. The melodic sound of the iconic voices of people such as Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Eddie Vedder have enough melody that they can sing of happiness and joy with ease; however, their versatility and the ease with which they go into different extremes means that pain, anger and sadness can all be regurgitated in a matter of seconds. It’s a genuinely exceptional thing to listen to a movement in music, though short-lived, that still brings back emotions.
The grunge sound was already established before it had an official label. When bands like Mother Love Bone started making music, though there were other influences at play, it was clear that something unique was happening. When bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam eventually burst onto the scene, that sound was defined, and it required a label and a name.
A number of great bands followed in the wake of the movement, and there are some exceptional albums out there to listen to. Here, we have prepared a list of the ten best grunge albums to which you should dedicate some time.
The best grunge albums ever made:
10. Stone Temple Pilots – Purple
When Stone Temple Pilots first burst onto the grunge scene, they were seen as more of a comedic addition. Their interpretation of the genre was very on the nose, to the point that many people attributed them to being more of a tribute band than anyone actually contributing to the scene. However, when they released their album Purple in 1994, it turned out to be one of the quintessential records of the movement.
It came during a low period for grunge, as Nirvana had disappeared and Pearl Jam was caught in a battle with Ticketmaster. Not a lot of grunge was happening, and it became important for Stone Temple Pilots record to take the reigns and continue giving the public a dose of what they loved. Purple was undoubtedly that, and it’s gone down as a legendary album as a result.
9. Sonic Youth – Dirty
While the majority of grunge bands, especially those pivotal to the movement as a whole, came out of Washington State, Sonic Youth is one of the biggest bands to contribute to the movement that hailed from elsewhere. Their influence occurred both in and outside of music, as they helped bands get signed to the right labels and taken on tours and also released some excellent grunge music.
Before Dirty, Sonic Youth released plenty of heavy music that fans of rock and harsher sounds were happy to wrap their ears around, but Dirty saw them take things to a whole other level. The record has proven itself as timeless even though it is so intrinsically linked with the grunge movement of the ‘90s.
8. Alice in Chains – Dirt
Alice in Chains is a band that took longer to find themselves on the grunge scene. When they released their debut album, Facelift, despite being well received, their fan base was one closer to classic rock as they went on tour supporting the likes of Van Halen and Poison. However, when they released their second album, Dirt, it became clear that Alice in Chains was one of the most talented and devastating musical outfits available.
They took the dread-infused sound that the Seattle scene had become synonymous with and took proportions that nobody had previously dreamed of. Their album was akin to a horror movie score, with dread and mood being upped and the riffs remaining heavy and energetic. It’s an unforgiving record now a quintessential part of grunge canon.
7. Hole – Live Through This
Courtney Love’s rise to stardom saw her dabble back and forth between music and film. While she sang briefly in Faith No More, she starred in some movies such as Sid and Nancy. It wasn’t until she started leading the grunge band Hole that she truly found her tone of voice, performing in a band that felt as though it had been made for her.
While their first album, Pretty on the Inside, was well received, it was their second record, Live Through This, that became a multi-platinum hit. The circumstances leading to the album’s success were very bleak, as it was released just a week after Kurt Cobain’s passing. Fans turned to this record looking for some kind of solace, and it became a form of mutual support as people got through the hard circumstances of Cobain’s passing together.
6. Soundgarden – Superunknown
Soundgarden weren’t strangers to good music by the time they released Superunknown; however, this innovative grunge album was the defining moment they secured themselves a spot in the mainstream. It wasn’t a one-dimensional record, but it used a range of different styles of music to give people something unique.
There was an element of pop vulnerability intertwined with the hard rock riffs, and Soundgarden’s tone was already synonymous with that seemed to speak to the public. Not to mention, Chris Cornell and his completely uncopiable wail were the stuff of legend. This album is still a great one to go back and revisit.
5. Nirvana – In Utero
While it might seem lazy to include two Nirvana records on this list, the vast differences between Nevermind and In Utero mean that they both need to be included on some level. While Nevermind runs like a well-oiled machine, In Utero passes you by reluctantly. Cobain’s a sad scraping of sandpaper against thrashing instrumentals and upbeat rhythm.
The album is Nirvana’s most pessimistic. It was written while Cobain was suffering from chronic stomach pain, scoliosis, and a drug addiction. The entire album’s theme is rejection, as Cobain sings about eating diseases and umbilical nooses. It feels like the band’s darkest album, and the speed at which it was recorded, with Steve Albini encouraging the band to record something more raw-sounding, means that it’s also an excellent album to listen to.
4. Temple of the Dog – Temple of the Dog
Following Andrew Wood’s death, the Temple of the Dog was formed. The band was never originally meant to release an album; instead, they were supposed to release a tribute single in memory of Wood. However, this single eventually turned into two singles, which turned into an EP, which ended up becoming a whole album.
It’s an incredibly moving piece of music that has stood the test of time as one of the most successful side projects in grunge. It’s easy to see why it did so well and still resonates, as tracks such as ‘Hunger Strike’ and ‘Say Hello 2 Heaven’ are packed with power and just as emotional today as they were when first released. Not to mention, it gave people their first glimpse at up-and-coming singer Eddie Vedder.
3. Mother Love Bone – Apple
The grunge movement had been living in the ears of punk rock fans for years before it had even been given a proper label, and one of the first bands to display the sound that would set the foundation for the movement was Mother Love Bone. This band merged the careers of many grunge icons who went on to make exceptional music even after they split.
While some purists might think that their debut album, Apple, was less grunge and more psychedelic funk metal, it’s hard to deny that without this band and this record, grunge wouldn’t have developed into what it did. The band had a great deal of potential, but Mother Love Bone came to an abrupt halt when frontman Andrew Wood passed away from a heroin overdose.
2. Pearl Jam – Ten
With people having been introduced to Eddie Vedder’s vocals, the stage was set for Pearl Jam to release their debut, Ten. Pearl Jam was another one of the first bands to champion the grunge sound once a label had been attached to the movement. They made it clear that the movement was not a one-time thing and marked a very significant shift in modern music.
While it may not have reached the same heights as Nevermind, it is still hailed as one of the most popular grunge albums to come out of the movement. Some of the songs from the record are considered classics in their own right; for instance, ‘Even Flow’ fills dancefloors worldwide with just the first two words of the song.
1. Nirvana – Nevermind
While Nirvana had had some success before the release of Nevermind, this album skyrocketed them to mainstream success, with everything kicking off following the release of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The timeless nature of that song highlights why it was deemed so good by so many. The stripped-back guitar intro, followed by explosive drums and distortion, was enough to capture any listener’s attention, and things only got better from there.
The angst of Nirvana made it seem like, for a period, the world could belong to genius outcasts, where the voice of the underdog, love and rage entwined, would eventually rise to be the voice of the people. This movement sparked a number of copycats who tried to bottle what Nirvana had and sell it as their own, but they were the power trio of a generation, and the standard they set with Nevermind is one that very few bands were ever able to meet.
