Rank the 5 Grunge Acts

[Infinite_limit]

- Alice in Chains

- Nirvana

- Pearl Jam

- Soundgarden

- Stone Temple Pilots

[benefactor]

AIC
Pearl Jam
STP
Soundgarden
Nirvana

[leemajors]

AIC/Nirvana
Soundgarden
Pearl Jam
STP

Also like Screaming Trees and Mudhoney.

[redzero]

Including STP is an insult to the other bands.

[ohmwrecker]

1. Mudhoney
2. Melvins
3. Nirvana
4. Fastbacks
5. Tad

[ohmwrecker]

Including STP is an insult to the other bands.

[The Reckoning]

STP is post grunge fwiw

[JoeTait75]

1.) Soundgarden (Had a big man-crush on Chris Cornell)
2.) Alice in Chains (As long as Layne was their frontman. Their Jerry Cantrell-led tracks sucked, imo)
3.) Pearl Jam ("10" was like the soundtrack to my senior year of HS)
4.) Nirvana (Just never really got into them all that much)

I like STP a lot but I don't lump them in with those other bands.

[JMarkJohns]

Local H is better than Stone Temple Pilots as a Grunge/Post Grunge band, if for nothing else, just off sound alone. STP was far more alternative, especially from Purple onward.

Alice In Chains was a heavy metal band. They just got big at the same time, and came from Seattle. They are my favorite act from this time.

Underrated Grunge Acts:

1. Green River
2. Mother Love Bone
2b. Local H
3. Temple Of The Dog
4. Mudhoney
5. Screaming Trees
6. CandleBox

Top overall Grunge acts:

1. Nirvana
2. Soundgarden
3. Sonic Youth
4. Pearl Jam
5. Dinosaur Jr.
6. Melvins

[cantthinkofanything]

1.) Soundgarden (Had a big man-crush on Chris Cornell)
2.) Alice in Chains (As long as Layne was their frontman. Their Jerry Cantrell-led tracks sucked, imo)
3.) Pearl Jam ("10" was like the soundtrack to my senior year of HS)
4.) Nirvana (Just never really got into them all that much)

I like STP a lot but I don't lump them in with those other bands.

I like AIC over Soundgarden because if their ability to pull it back and still put out some great work. SAP and Jar of Flies were money. For me SG peaked with Superunknown and didn't put anything else out that I really dug. I was pretty indifferent to Pearl Jam and Nirvana other than 10 and some of Nirvana's hookier songs. Agree that STP is post grunge but I do like them at #3 in that list. As a matter of fact, I like Bush at #4 just for 16 Stone by itself.

[JoeTait75]

Alice In Chains was a heavy metal band. They just got big at the same time, and came from Seattle.

Actually that's a pretty good point, tbh. I remember hearing "Would" for the first time and thinking it was just a straight metal song.

[JMarkJohns]

I like AIC over Soundgarden because if their ability to pull it back and still put out some great work. SAP and Jar of Flies were money. For me SG peaked with Superunknown and didn't put anything else out that I really dug. I was pretty indifferent to Pearl Jam and Nirvana other than 10 and some of Nirvana's hookier songs. Agree that STP is post grunge but I do like them at #3 in that list. As a matter of fact, I like Bush at #4 just for 16 Stone by itself.

Forgot about Bush. Though top to bottom, Razorblade Suitcase was their best. Greedy Fly, Swallowed were excellent post-grunge songs that captured the essence of Seattle Grunge.

I'd have Bush above Pearl Jam on my list. Two incredible albums before they started with that electronica drumkit.

[JMarkJohns]

Actually that's a pretty good point, tbh. I remember hearing "Would" for the first time and thinking it was just a straight metal song.

Facelift as a whole was twisted metal. Love that album. They evolved quite nicely, but they aren't Grunge. Best overall catalog of any act of the era. They weren't Metal in the way most metal if the day was, but they weren't Grunge.

[JMarkJohns]

Joe, you familiar with Temple Of The Dog? Basically a tribute band from the remains of Mother Love Bone minus lead singer Andrew Wood, plus known front-man Cornell, plus little known front-man, Vedder. Made one album, Cornell went back to Soundgarden, others formed Pearl Jam. Some incredible blues-riff based grunge.

[JMarkJohns]

So, if Stone Temple Pilots are being included, should Smashing Pumpkins? I find them far more alternative than Grunge, though they did have their moments. For me, sound was to clean, progressive, and their album to album evolution never held a similar sound or tone.

For me, they are a top-5 act of the time, but I'd not call them Grunge.

Same with Stone Temple Pilots. I mean, outside of like two/three songs from Purple, every other song was blues-chord-based pop alternative.

[leemajors]

I would put Mad Season up there too, but they only had one studio album. Live at the Moore is great too.

[JoeTait75]

Joe, you familiar with Temple Of The Dog? Basically a tribute band from the remains of Mother Love Bone minus lead singer Andrew Wood, plus known front-man Cornell, plus little known front-man, Vedder. Made one album, Cornell went back to Soundgarden, others formed Pearl Jam. Some incredible blues-riff based grunge.

Definitely. "Hunger Strike" is the obvious one, but "Say Hello to Heaven" and "Wooden Jesus" were great tracks too (I was always down whenever Cornell started singing about Jesus, tbh.) IIRC they made that album and then released it after Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got big, you might be able to set me straight on that.

[Fpoonsie]

As a matter of fact, I like Bush at #4 just for 16 Stone by itself.

Nice, nice.

[JMarkJohns]

Definitely. "Hunger Strike" is the obvious one, but "Say Hello to Heaven" and "Wooden Jesus" were great tracks too (I was always down whenever Cornell started singing about Jesus, tbh.) IIRC they made that album and then released it after Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got big, you might be able to set me straight on that.

Album was released in 1991, prior to Pearl Jam, but hit the charts in 1992 after Pearl Jam rose to fame. Basically Hunger Strike and it's crappy video struck a chord.

Surprised more aren't discussing Dinosaur Jr.

[JoeTait75]

Forgot about Bush. Though top to bottom, Razorblade Suitcase was their best. Greedy Fly, Swallowed were excellent post-grunge songs that captured the essence of Seattle Grunge.

I'd have Bush above Pearl Jam on my list. Two incredible albums before they started with that electronica drumkit.

Neither here nor there, but Bush was definitely one of a kind- a "Seattle" band coming out of the UK at the height of Britpop.

[JMarkJohns]

Yeah. Knew they were brits, but they definitely captured the brooding tone of early grunge.

Dinosaur Jr, people. An acquired taste and not for everyone.

IYU0X4mxhjg

Not sure I remember how to imbed.

Found the whole album...

Jy9IP5Y4JrM

[leemajors]

Yeah. Knew they were brits, but they definitely captured the brooding tone of early grunge.

Dinosaur Jr, people. An acquired taste and not for everyone.

IYU0X4mxhjg

Not sure I remember how to imbed.

Found the whole album...

Jy9IP5Y4JrM

I like Dinosaur Jr a lot, green mind is probably my favorite album of theirs. Excellent cover of Just Like Heaven they do too.

[ohmwrecker]

Argh! How did I forget Dinosaur Jr.?!

[spurraider21]

Alice in Chains
soundgarden/nirvana
Pearl jam
anybody else

[ColinB]

Milk Music.

[cantthinkofanything]

Definitely. "Hunger Strike" is the obvious one, but "Say Hello to Heaven" and "Wooden Jesus" were great tracks too (I was always down whenever Cornell started singing about Jesus, tbh.) IIRC they made that album and then released it after Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got big, you might be able to set me straight on that.

I really liked "All Night Thing" as well. Good call above whoever brought up Mad Season. Loved a few of those tracks. Above, Wake Up, Long Gone Days.

[JMarkJohns]

Love Mad Season, but I think very few would consider them grunge.

Grunge is a specific sound. Most very quickly evolved beyond it. Bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, even Pearl Jam eventually before coming back.

Alice In Chains had the edge, but were clean and progressive in chord progression and vocal harmonies. Similarly, Mad Season...

[cantthinkofanything]

Love Mad Season, but I think very few would consider them grunge.

Grunge is a specific sound. Most very quickly evolved beyond it. Bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, even Pearl Jam eventually before coming back.

Alice In Chains had the edge, but were clean and progressive in chord progression and vocal harmonies. Similarly, Mad Season...

I agree with all of this. Most of the bands names in this thread all evolved to much more than Grunge. Personally, Man in the Box was the song that defined Grunge in my mind. I think I heard it before any if the others and it had the most impact in that I was hooked within the first few cords. I think it was the first song I heard from any of the Seattle bands. Then Soundgarden's Outshined. I'm sure I caught them both on Headbangers Ball.

[JMarkJohns]

Grunge for me is Nirvana Bleach. That sound is it. While Nirvana evolved, they always had that sound. Maybe more refined, but similar.

Whereas Smashing Pumpkins had Gish, but Siamese Dream onward was far different in sound save for a song here, song there.

Definitely understand Man In The Box. Facelift as a whole was a unique sound verse later Chains metal, but it always had the feel of Metal to me.

Love every group mentioned in here.

[JMarkJohns]

http://youtu.be/06PMjTckJWM

[cantthinkofanything]

I do see the point bout AIC being more metal. I was originally disappointed in Facelift because the rest of it was so different from Man in the Box but it grew on me quickly. The hooks were there but just not as apparent. For a full album, I'd have to say Badmotorfinger was pure grunge. Slaves and Bulldozers with those vocals is crazy.

[Nbadan]

green day killed grunge music....

[Nbadan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=953PkxFNiko

[Avante]

To even know about "In the Pines" by Lead Belly gives Nirvana the nod. The rest simply suck.

[Big Empty]

1. STP 2. Nirvana 3. AIC 4. Pearl Jam 5. Soundgarden

[Brazil]

As mentioned in the thread already, I don't know how or why AIC is considered here as a grunge band tbh

Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, AIC all from Seattle but it stops here for AIC, AIC is in hard rock / metal category imho.

Soundgarden is kinda vanila for me.

didn't see mentionned L7, solid tbh fwiw

[Brazil]

Soundgarden is kinda vanila for me.



maybe just because Cornell has a voice and can sing tbh

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Green Day is grunge? I always considered it punk with the way they boost their highs and play off the bass.

[cantthinkofanything]

Green Day is grunge? I always considered it punk with the way they boost their highs and play off the bass.

I think they were making the point that Green Day started the next wave of music that killed grunge. Like they say Nirvana killed the hair bands.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I think they were making the point that Green Day started the next wave of music that killed grunge. Like they say Nirvana killed the hair bands.

meh. Cobain shooting himself in the face killed grunge.

[The Reckoning]

green day fucking sucks

[JMarkJohns]

L7 was great, but, similar with Green River, maybe a bit punk. At least that's how I typically label them. I only ever list Green River in these talks because of how they and Malfunkshun merged into Mother Love Bone, then MLB into Pearl Jam.

[Spurminator]

No mention of Hole, probably because Courtney Love is such a sketchy bitch... But Live Through This was a solid album.

[Spurminator]

Breeders too.

[Spurminator]

But back to the original question, based on personal preference...

1. Pearl Jam
2. Alice in Chains
3. Soundgarden
4. Nirvana
5. STP

[UZER]

AIC was a hair band disguised as grunge. If you listen to their stuff, some of their riffs, solos and even some vocals are from the era right before. They tweaked it just enough to cover it though. Still a good band.

Not really grunge, but a good alternative album was Live Throwing Copper.

[JMarkJohns]

The idea that Alice In Chains was a hair band is comical. Not even early. Not even late. I'd love to hear examples of which songs with their hair band comparison.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

1 Soundgarden
2 STP
3 AIC

Dont care much for nirvana and pearl jam

[Nbadan]

meh. Cobain shooting himself in the face killed grunge.

Grunge continued for some years after Cobain's death...as Sperminator pointed out, even Cobain's ex put out a decent album...it was bands like Metallica, Creed, NIN, Limpbizkit, Nickleback, et al...that 'unfortunately' progressed out of grunge...

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Grunge continued for some years after Cobain's death...as Sperminator pointed out, even Cobain's ex put out a decent album...it was bands like Metallica, Creed, NIN, Limpbizkit, Nickleback, et al...that 'unfortunately' progressed out of grunge...

Live through this Was not a solid album. The chord complexity made Green Day look like Jay Mascis. They sounded worse live.

By the time they were overplaying Black Hole Sun more than any other song in the history of music it was over.

NIN was not grunge and did not try to be. They were an offshoot of industrial acts like Skinny Puppy and Astrelwerks. Nickelback and Creed can hardly be considered that and LZ and Metallica tried to coattail that shit to failure. Marilyn Manson? bleh!

[leemajors]

The idea that Alice In Chains was a hair band is comical. Not even early. Not even late. I'd love to hear examples of which songs with their hair band comparison.

Agreed. Pantera started out as a hair band.

[JMarkJohns]

Live through this Was not a solid album. The chord complexity made Green Day look like Jay Mascis. They sounded worse live.

By the time they were overplaying Black Hole Sun more than any other song in the history of music it was over.

NIN was not grunge and did not try to be. They were an offshoot of industrial acts like Skinny Puppy and Astrelwerks. Nickelback and Creed can hardly be considered that and LZ and Metallica tried to coattail that shit to failure. Marilyn Manson? bleh!

Best post-grunge acts that still sounded like grunge are Bush and Local H. As you mentioned, far too many shitty bands got labeled grunge (Creed, Nickelback, Staind, Puddle Of Mudd), too many good bands evolved beyond it (Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots each after their first album turned Alternative), and the late 90s saw a rise in Goth Metal (I'm blaming it on Marilyn!), Alt-Metal (I see you Korn, Limp Bizkit), and bubble-gum punk (Green Day leading the charge). By the late 90s/early 00s a lot of otherwise solid rock had a backbone of Electronica (Orgy, Stabbing Westward, even Bush) but none coul match the genius of Nine Inch Nails.

That's at least how I remember it.

[JoeTait75]

By the time they were overplaying Black Hole Sun more than any other song in the history of music it was over.

I think the only two songs they played the entire summer of '94 were "Black Hole Sun" and "Interstate Love Song," tbh.

[JMarkJohns]

Agreed. Pantera started out as a hair band.

I have a feeling he said it because Layne, in the bands beginnings, donned a ragged Alice In Wonderland get up, but many people said it was satire about modern bands popularity, not actually trying to be a glam-rock band, because nothing about their music, be it chord progressions, lyrics, or overall tone twixt both ever felt like anything out out by hair bands, and many have even suggested Alice In Chains created it's own genre called fright metal, a cleaner, simpler offshoot of death metal that evokes feelings of grim macabre without the grisly gore associated with a lot of death metal acts.

How many hair bands so openly, introspectively discussed their drug addictions as the first step to death, then wallowed in the realization for entire albums?

[JMarkJohns]

I think the only two songs they played the entire summer of '94 were "Black Hole Sun" and "Interstate Love Song," tbh.

Basket Case by Green Day was huge in that rotation as well.

[leemajors]

I still have the Singles soundtrack on my phone :cry

[JMarkJohns]

I still have the Singles soundtrack on my phone :cry

I've got every song recorded in a studio by the Layne-fronted versions. :(

[leemajors]

I've got every song recorded in a studio by the Layne-fronted versions. :(

It's not on my phone, but I do have the Last Action Hero soundtrack too :lol

A Little Bitter and What the Hell Have I are awesome.

[cantthinkofanything]

oh yeah...that reminded me...the Lennon cover from Mad Season "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier"...good stuff.

x100 on Black Hole Sun. That was one of my least favorite songs on the CD anyway...compounded by MTV playing it every hour.

Still like Interstate Love Song tho...

[JMarkJohns]

Named my concept album of like 12 years back What The Hell Have I.

Keep thinking I should rename it, but, ya know, IT'S HARD TO START THINGS OVER!

[JMarkJohns]

oh yeah...that reminded me...the Lennon cover from Mad Season "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier"...good stuff.

x100 on Black Hole Sun. That was one of my least favorite songs on the CD anyway...compounded by MTV playing it every hour.

Still like Interstate Love Song tho...

The videos for each are the culprit. When I photobomb pics I do it with a smile my sister calls my Black Hole Sun grin.

[The Gemini Method]

Won't rehash the lists but the Melvins, Mother Love Bone and the like could be in any top-5 Grunge lists. I like that Smashing Pumpkins were listed but they weren't so much as grunge as more a conduit for grunge to meld with Indie and henceforth, were probably top-5/top-10 band of the 90's and one of the best ever. Billy Corgan and Co. Really switched it up from Gish to Siamese Dream to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. You got a little about lost love, shallow morals, a defining teen anthem, and consistency from this band.

[cantthinkofanything]

The videos for each are the culprit. When I photobomb pics I do it with a smile my sister calls my Black Hole Sun grin.

lol. I've put myself in a state to see people actually grin like that.

I guess I'm actually kind of thankful it was Black Hole Sun they wore out and not some of the other songs that I liked better.

[JMarkJohns]

Won't rehash the lists but the Melvins, Mother Love Bone and the like could be in any top-5 Grunge lists. I like that Smashing Pumpkins were listed but they weren't so much as grunge as more a conduit for grunge to meld with Indie and henceforth, were probably top-5/top-10 band of the 90's and one of the best ever. Billy Corgan and Co. Really switched it up from Gish to Siamese Dream to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. You got a little about lost love, shallow morals, a defining teen anthem, and consistency from this band.

I think I was the first here to mention them, and did so with similar intent to yourself.

Gish was Grunge, Siamese Dream onward was definitively exploratory alternative rock. Even they mixed in electronica later in their career. Incredible evolution.

Like is said, top-5 favorite band from the era, but quickly evolved passed grunge.