50 Greatest Grunge Albums. From Mudhoney to Mother Love Bone and beyond

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  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    Tim Simmons said:
    Do you guys consider "grunge" the music from seattle (from 88-95/6) or is Grunge more the American alternative rock sound from that same period. 


    I've always considered it the alternative rock sound until about 95-96ish. So Pumpkins were "grunge". Because PJ and Nirvana could be any more worlds apart in sound. So why wouldn't any other band from that era that wasn't from Seattle.



    I agree.
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    rummy said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    I recall Teen Spirit, at least where I was, and on much music, was bigger than Jeremy or anything PJ had done up to that point. 
    It was indeed (at least in southern Ontario, too).
    I don't think any "grunge" song by anyone was ever bigger than Teen Spirit, however. 
    Song, absolutely Teen Spirit was the biggest.  Video, on the other hand, MTV gave Jeremy the edge up until Kurt's death.  I think Teen Spirit might have even been #3 behind November Rain.  I might be wrong on that, but Teen Spirit was definitely bumped up to #1 posthumously.
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • rummy
    rummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,466
    edited April 2019
    NewJPage said:
    rummy said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    the Pumpkins are not grunge. never were. 
    The first two albums come "close" but definitely not afterwards. I think "Drown" being included on the Singles soundtrack created a stronger, even if imaginary, connection.
    Might be their best song
    It is indeed solid. In my top 10, for sure.
  • eeriepadave
    eeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 43,165
    Kim Thayil's favorite's

    8/28/98- Camden, NJ
    10/31/09- Philly
    5/21/10- NYC
    9/2/12- Philly, PA
    7/19/13- Wrigley
    10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
    10/21/13- Philly, PA
    10/22/13- Philly, PA
    10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
    4/28/16- Philly, PA
    4/29/16- Philly, PA
    5/1/16- NYC
    5/2/16- NYC
    9/2/18- Boston, MA
    9/4/18- Boston, MA
    9/14/22- Camden, NJ
    9/7/24- Philly, PA
    9/9/24- Philly, PA
    Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
    Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
    RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,658
    My first reaction was, "What the...???" 

    And then I noticed it was published on April 1st.  OK, haha, funny!

    Now, if it hadn't been published on April Fool's Day I would have continued with...

    First off- the Stooges- grunge?  You gotta be kidding me.  Huh?

    Black Flag, grunge?  OK, come on.  Really?

    Neil Young and Crazy Horse, gru... I can't even say it.  That's just pure sacrilege. 

    Singles, grunge?  I guess Rolling Stone never heard of Paul Westerberg, Led Zeppelin, or Jimi Hendrix.  Good God, did all the original R.S. writers die already?

    And this:  Have any of the bands on this list ever referred to themselves as "grunge".  Not that I know of.  If they did, they probably sucked at that time anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,449
    Tim Simmons said:
    Do you guys consider "grunge" the music from seattle (from 88-95/6) or is Grunge more the American alternative rock sound from that same period. 


    I've always considered it the alternative rock sound until about 95-96ish. So Pumpkins were "grunge". Because PJ and Nirvana could be any more worlds apart in sound. So why wouldn't any other band from that era that wasn't from Seattle.



    my view on grunge changed over the years. originally, I lumped anything that was alt-rock-ish into it, like the Pumpkins. I lived in kind of a rock music bubble, though, where the only stuff I had access to was what was on the radio (Winnipeg wasn't exactly a music mecca at that point). The only grunge groups I knew of were the ones that got radio play, or were on the Singles soundtrack. 

    it only came later that I discovered all of the actual grunge bands, and found out I wasn't really a fan of real grunge at all. I liked more of the "grunge pop" like Nevermind (I hated Incesticide when it first came out, and didn't like some of the harsher songs on Nevermind at the time, which I later came to appreciate). 

    I don't like Mudhoney much (live opening for PJ I walked away from-it was horrendous). And most of the other true grunge bands I'm not a fan of. 

    And PJ got lumped in with grunge simply because of geography and fashion. you are absolutely correct that their sound is worlds apart from Nirvana and really any other seattle band. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,449
    brianlux said:
    My first reaction was, "What the...???" 

    And then I noticed it was published on April 1st.  OK, haha, funny!

    Now, if it hadn't been published on April Fool's Day I would have continued with...

    First off- the Stooges- grunge?  You gotta be kidding me.  Huh?

    Black Flag, grunge?  OK, come on.  Really?

    Neil Young and Crazy Horse, gru... I can't even say it.  That's just pure sacrilege. 

    Singles, grunge?  I guess Rolling Stone never heard of Paul Westerberg, Led Zeppelin, or Jimi Hendrix.  Good God, did all the original R.S. writers die already?

    And this:  Have any of the bands on this list ever referred to themselves as "grunge".  Not that I know of.  If they did, they probably sucked at that time anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

    I had the same thoughts as well, Brian, but I think the writer was going for albums that also had an influence on grunge bands, a hint of what was to come, so to speak. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,658
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    brianlux said:
    My first reaction was, "What the...???" 

    And then I noticed it was published on April 1st.  OK, haha, funny!

    Now, if it hadn't been published on April Fool's Day I would have continued with...

    First off- the Stooges- grunge?  You gotta be kidding me.  Huh?

    Black Flag, grunge?  OK, come on.  Really?

    Neil Young and Crazy Horse, gru... I can't even say it.  That's just pure sacrilege. 

    Singles, grunge?  I guess Rolling Stone never heard of Paul Westerberg, Led Zeppelin, or Jimi Hendrix.  Good God, did all the original R.S. writers die already?

    And this:  Have any of the bands on this list ever referred to themselves as "grunge".  Not that I know of.  If they did, they probably sucked at that time anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

    I had the same thoughts as well, Brian, but I think the writer was going for albums that also had an influence on grunge bands, a hint of what was to come, so to speak. 
    Good point.  I guess I'm being a critic's critic!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Yefa
    Yefa Posts: 1,134
    rummy said:
    ^Same idea with In Utero. It initially had negative reviews from the mass media but they all seemed to flip their opinions once he died.
    I can't speak for other mass media outlets but Rolling Stone gave it a rave review:

    You see me empty, Sir, do not pause and inquire, simply assume and refill.
    - Al Swearengen

    http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com
  • rummy
    rummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,466
    Yefa said:
    rummy said:
    ^Same idea with In Utero. It initially had negative reviews from the mass media but they all seemed to flip their opinions once he died.
    I can't speak for other mass media outlets but Rolling Stone gave it a rave review:

    To quote pitcher Roger Clemens, I might be "mis-rembering" but I am sure I read a handful of negative reviews of the album back in 1993. That 4.5-star review from RS certainly isn't the one I was recalling (but thanks for posting it!).
  • demetrios
    demetrios Posts: 97,197

    Mudhoney’s Mark Arm: My Favorite ‘Grungy’ Albums

    The singer picks 10 albums that he feels best exemplify the “raw, fucked-up” rock aesthetic that would later become synonymous with Seattle

    By Kory Grow




  • goldrush
    goldrush everybody knows this is nowhere Posts: 7,788
    I lost all interest in the RS article when I saw this little gem in the very first paragraph:

    “How did a five-letter word meaning dirt, filth, trash become synonymous with a musical genre, a fashion statement, a pop phenomenon?”

    They may have been quoting from the New York Times, but surely they can count to 6...
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • demetrios
    demetrios Posts: 97,197

    The 50 Greatest Grunge Albums of All Time

    https://player.fm/series/rolling-stone-music-now-170040/the-50-greatest-grunge-albums-of-all-time


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