The Gen Z Guide to Grunge Music

My purpose in making this playlist isn’t to make a comprehensive Beginners Guide. I’m almost certain you could find hundreds of those online. I’ve probably read most of them.

It feels good to be back to writing for this blog once again! I took a break from music writing for a bit because I had finals to work on. Now that the semester is over I feel confident in my abilities to get back into the swing of things! For one reason or another, I’ve been in the mood for 90s Alt Rock and Punk music lately. I’m never quite sure why. Maybe with the warmer weather I’ve been experiencing, I’ve felt a greater need for sick riffs. 

Before I get super deep into my picks for the Gen Z Guide to Grunge playlist, allow me to give a brief history lesson:

When Nevermind by Nirvana came out with the single Smells Like Teen Spirit in 1991, everything changed. Seriously. Fewer events in music have been so influential on so many levels. For a Punk band from Aberdeen, Washington to release a song that peaked at Number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 was absolutely unprecedented. 

For one, it proved that you could make Punk music popular. After Teen Spirit, record labels were practically tripping over themselves to sign the next Nirvana. As a result, bands like Helmet, The Butthole Surfers, and Ween got signed to major labels with serious money. Second, it became a huge gateway for folks to get into punk rock, Alt Rock and Metal. And of course, it put the Seattle music scene—Grunge— on the map.

Because all of this happened before I was born, my experiences and takeaways associated with 90s alternative Rock, and Grunge specifically, are going to be framed through my Gen Z lens. However, I would argue that my access to music streaming and the internet has made this music as formative for me as anything else. Kurt Cobain died seven years before I was born, but Nirvana is still more important to me than Lil Pump or Car Seat Headrest (Gen Z music) ever will be. That being said, you’ll never hear me complain that I was born in the wrong generation. I like my iPhone. 

Before getting super deep into this playlist I should probably try explaining what Grunge is, or at least what it is to me. I’m not really a huge fan of the name Grunge, but I can’t deny that it’s a useful term and pretty effectively describes the vibe of the music. Grunge has its roots in Punk, so you’ll probably hear a lot of people use both words to describe bands like Pearl Jam. But if you listen to enough Punk music you’ll notice a pretty wide difference between Green Day and Pearl Jam. I think what makes Grunge different is a wider variety of influences. Grunge Bands certainly borrow the rawness and energy of Punk, but also the melodic sensibilities of Glam Metal and Alternative Rock, compounded with some Bluesey sensibility and grooviness. 

Anyway, as I did with the Psychedelic Music Guide here’s a playlist for you to follow along with: 

Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam

My purpose in making this playlist isn’t to make a comprehensive Beginners Guide. I’m almost certain you could find hundreds of those online. I’ve probably read most of them. I’m hoping to pull out some deep cuts that speak less to popularity or importance, and more to my own proclivities. So let’s start with Pearl Jam! Pearl Jam is one of my favorite Rock bands period. Because they kinda have this reputation of being the softest of the big four Grunge Bands, (Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam), I was initially hesitant to get super into them. Even now, I think they have some absolute cornball songs. Plus, we can’t forget the irreparable damage Eddie Vedder’s singing did for popular rock bands for the next 20 years or so. However, if you’re paying any attention you’ll know that Creed and Nickelback are having a bit of a renaissance, which I think is really cool. So I’m not going to hold anything against Mr. Vedder. The sophomore album Vs. is my favorite Pearl Jam record and “Rearviewmirror” is my favorite song. It doesn’t quite have the grandiosity of “Even Flow” or the narrative of “Jeremy”, but it has everything I like about Pearl Jam. It’s high energy, the melodies feel good on the ears, and the song has just a nice, warm spiritual energy to it. It’s kinda hard to describe, but if you’re a fan of Pearl Jam I think you’ll know what I mean. Eddie’s singing on this song plays exceptionally well to his strengths as a vocalist and Mike Mcready’s busts out some excellent riffs. What more do you want from a Pearl Jam song?

Nutshell - Alice in Chains

I know I said this about Pearl Jam as well, and I think I’m going to be repeating myself a lot, but Alice in Chains is just one of the greatest rock bands to ever do it. Interestingly enough, they feel like the perfect counterpoint to a band like Pearl Jam. The spiritual energy here is not nice. Alice in Chains is the definition of bad vibes. This is heroine music through and through. Musically, I feel as if Alice in Chains did more to represent the dark underbelly of Grunge, as a scene, a culture. And that’s what makes them so great. On top of that, the acoustic side of Grunge was never done better by any other band at the time. Some might point to the Nirvana MTV Unplugged performance, which is fair. But it’s never held up to Jar of Flies. I had a hard time deciding between the two opening tracks on that record for this spot on the playlist, but in the end, I settled on “Nutshell”. What can I say about this song? I love the way the acoustic guitars are recorded, there’s a strange warmth in the softness of the strings. Accompanied by Layne Staley’s incredibly haunting voice, the song feels like being in a seance. Layne’s passing has only made this song more potent—crushingly heavy. Somehow, it feels heavier than any of their more electric songs on albums like Dirt or Facelift. Most days I likely prefer Dirt to Jar of Flies, but I feel like that album and this song are significant and unique enough within the Grunge canon, that I wanted to give it its due. 

Silvergun Superman - Stone Temple Pilots

What happened to guitar solos? Did we as a society just decide one day that we were sick of them? Let it be known henceforth, that I’m not. Stone Temple Pilots is a pretty interesting band. They did the Grunge sound even though they were from San Diego. Their early stuff sounds kinda like we have Alice in Chains at home, but I’m not about to hold that against them. I love this band. It was never a question of whether they’d be included on this list or not. But what song? STP has a lot of bangers, I’m sure you’ve probably heard “Plush” on a classic rock radio station at some point. “Sex Type Thing” and “Interstate Love Song” are also great. My favorite STP song is by far “Silvergun Superman”. I feel like there are just so many cool and interesting things going on in this song. It’s got a pretty unique song structure. I love the way it has a sort of Jekyll and Hyde character to it, alternating between dark chunky riffs to the triumphant soaring bridge and back again. And of course, the guitar solo is amazing. The way it comes in on the extended bridge at the end and plays until the bass and drums start going off the rails and eventually coming apart. I think this song proves, almost better than any other, that STP was more than an Alice in Chains worship band. 

Rape Me - Nirvana

Picking the right Nirvana song was probably the hardest part of making this playlist. Should I pick something that speaks to the band’s knack for catchy hooks? Or do I choose something more raw and abrasive? You’ve read the name of the song. If you haven’t heard it, I’m sure you’ve already jumped to a conclusion. But, with that being said, it’s probably not what you think. “Rape Me” is a song that would never get an OK for a major label release in the year of our Lord, 2024. I don’t think I need to explain why. Maybe it speaks to the prevailing consciousness of the 90s. I also don’t think that the edgy we might get canceled for this attitude of a song like this is what makes it a great song. And it is a great song. It’s a product of its time, for better or worse, but there are no other songs in the Nirvana catalog that quite encapsulate what the band means more than this. Yes, it’s abrasive, but it’s also catchy. It bears remarkable similarities to “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, but the Steve Albini production ensures a commitment to Nirvana’s excruciating rawness, simplicity and causticity. The recording emulates a live Nirvana performance. And Cobain’s lyrics, what can be said about them? Is he being deliberately offensive to rile people up? Or is he making a powerful statement about sexual abuse? Perhaps both. Decide for yourself. 

Say Hello 2 Heaven - Temple Of The Dog

I know this is a relatively popular song and therefore goes against my goal to do mostly deep cuts. But I don’t think I could have done a playlist like this without this song. As far as I’m concerned, this song is the turning point for the Seattle Grunge scene. It’s essentially a eulogy, put together by some of the biggest figures in the emerging scene, for the Mother Love Bone lead singer Andrew Wood. Andrew Wood would almost certainly have become one of the most important figures in 90s Rock History had it not been for his tragic death. But his spirit undoubtedly lives on in the spirit of the great music to come after. Chris Cornell’s vocal performance here is truly powerful. It’s as great as any Soul Ballad that was ever performed. 

Sweet Young Thing Aint Sweet No More - Mudhoney

It blows my mind that this song came out before My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. What that band would go on to do three years after Mudhoney’s debut record would absolutely surpass anything that had ever been done before, but I think we ought to remember who walked so they could run. Even if MBV were never directly influenced by this song, or the fantastic Husker Dü records of the mid to late 80s, the spiritual lineage is definitely still there. I can’t get enough of the way the fuzzed-out distortion of the guitar bubbles underneath whilst the accompanying guitar does that incredibly wooshing noise like a jet soaring overhead. It’s incredibly psychedelic in feeling, but also sludgy, cutting, nightmarish. 

Jesus Christ Pose - Soundgarden

Soundgarden has actually been a pretty difficult band for me to get into. Don’t get me wrong, I think they're great, and I’ve listened to all of their records. But the albums run a bit longer than other Grunge acts, and their songs tend to run a bit longer as well. That being said, there is an incredible strength to the way the band lets their songs build. “Jesus Christ Pose” is an excellent example of this. The song is relentless with its brutal riffs, the propulsive energy, and Chris Cornell’s soaring vocals. This is the epitome of what Hard Rock is and should aspire to be. Rest in Peace Chris. 

Jennifer’s Body - Hole

A lot of what Grunge is to me is dudes finding ways to process their experiences with repressive masculine ideology. Sometimes that manifests in anger, confusion, and especially brutal nihilism. What about the ladies? Try multiplying that by a thousand. “Jennifer’s Body” is a perfect example of what I think of when I think of Grunge, a beautiful mix of Alternative Rock with Punk, a complex of emotions conveyed through both soft melodies and cigarette-throat shouting. Relistening to this Hole album as I was writing this piece was so refreshing. Like most people, I’ve been enjoying what Olivia Rodrigo and other artists have been doing to revive Grrl Punk, but there is a brutal authenticity in Courtney Love’s performance that you just can’t feel in ORod’s. It also allowed me to see it more clearly as a spiritual successor to a lot of the great Melodic Hardcore that’s been popping off recently. Bands like Mannequin Pussy and Militarie Gun owe a lot to this album. 

Diet Pill - L7

Yet another non-Seattle Grunge band, and another female-fronted band as well. I’m kind of surprised I don’t hear more about L7 from people. Especially concerning the album this song comes from Bricks Are Heavy which was produced by Butch Vig of Nevermind fame. There were a lot of great L7 songs to choose from for this list, but the gut-punching plod of guitar distortion at carries this song from beginning to end is just perfect. This song scratches a very particular itch in my brain that I just can’t get enough of. I think “Wargasm” or their biggest hit “Pretend We’re Dead” would have been good choices for this playlist as well. But I felt like we needed a few more super sludgy tunes, (and I’m not including the Melvins so this is my way of making up for it). 

Mockingbirds - Mark Lanegan

I was stuck for some time between selecting a Screaming Trees song or a Mark Lanegan solo, but I decided on the latter if only to express one thing. Something I don’t hear enough people discussing with Grunge is the Southern Rock and Country influences, especially in vocal styles. It’s something I think you can hear in Melvins, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and even Nirvana. Perhaps there are too many ideological differences between the two worlds. Regardless, there is an undeniable connection, and it manifests quite clearly here. Mark Lanegan is ye another name we can add to the list of Grunge-related artists who are no longer with us. It’s sad, but there’s a strange power that imbues itself into a work of art when the artist passes. The emotional vulnerability displayed by Lanegan here is his truth from beyond the grave. An echo of a man trying to find himself. 

Bruise Violet - Babes in Toyland

Ok, there was Courtney Love and Hole, a great band to be sure, and then there was Babes in Toyland. I consider the BIT album Fontanelle to be one of the greatest Punk records ever made. Period. Not just Female-fronted Punk bands, or just Punk bands from the 90s, Punk Period, end of story. The real question is, Does this count as Grunge? I think it does. There are incorporations of Alternative Rock and some melodic sensibilities in their music to accompany the rusty-nails screaming. If you don’t think it counts as Grunge, I think that’s fine. Babes in Toyland weren’t even from Seattle, they were from Minneapolis. However, as we’ve seen with Stone Temple Pilots, L7, (and eventually Smashing Pumpkins), I don’t think that matters all that much. You don’t have to be from Seattle to make Grunge music, just like you don’t have to be from Philly to make Soul. I also think that it’s harder for people to lump female-fronted bands in with Grunge because it feels like a very Masculine genre. I agree that Masculinity plays an enormous role in the sound and ideology of Grunge, but I don’t think that’s enough of a requisite to exclude women from the conversation. Let’s try not to be sexist today, yeah? 

Mayonaise - Smashing Pumpkins

Few Rock songs are better than this. Honestly, Smashing Pumpkins is barely Grunge in my opinion. But because they are considered Grunge by lots and lots of people, I have felt obliged to include them. PLUS, I’m a big fan of this band and I’m happy to accept any opportunities to talk about them. Talking about the Mudhoney song, I touched on Shoegaze and Psychedelia. Mudhoney was certainly one of the many important precursors to Alt Rock bands embracing distortion in this particular way. I’ll definitely make a Shoegaze post sometime in the future. I think it could be said that Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream is one of the many great culminations of that sound. The warm ocean waves of guitar distortion create a transcendent auditory canvas. The song patiently builds, slowly swelling into a gorgeous sunrise. It invites you to lose yourself inside of it. Once inside you’ll never want to leave. 

~

Thanks again for reading another post from me! Even though I’m only really writing for myself, it feels nice to see these posts get recognized. I feel like Generation Z is pretty infatuated with 90s music and culture, (at least that’s the impression that I get), so I’m curious to hear what you guys think of Grunge in general. I’d also be curious to hear what you thought of my song choices for this playlist. I was literally hoping to create a Not Your Momma’s Grunge Playlist, and I feel pretty good about what I pulled together. There’s a lot of great Grunge music out there though, so don’t be surprised if I come through with a Part Two in the future!

For want of a mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido,

Lewis