3 Grunge Songs From Sub Pop That Still Hit Today

In the 1980s, grunge music was just getting going. In the Pacific Northwest, a region isolated by geography and constantly bombarded by rain, musicians were playing songs back then that reflected their internal and external environments. And in the 1990s, those tracks would take over the world. But for a movement to succeed, it needs fostering. Enter: Sub Pop.

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The record label helped to define “the Seattle sound,” which included discovering and releasing music from groups that would go on to share grunge vibes with the entire world. Here, we wanted to look at three grunge songs from the 1980s that Sub Pop released that still hit today.

“Love Buzz” by Nirvana from ‘Bleach’ (1989)

The debut album from Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana was solid. After the group became globally famous with their sophomore release, Nevermind, their debut LP went Platinum. And for good reason. It featured songs like “About A Girl”, which would portend Nirvana’s signature sound. But it also included the stellar “Love Buzz”, a cover of a Shocking Blue song that Nirvana made all its own. The song is still a banger today, to be sure. And fans of the band can’t get enough.

“Hunted Down” by Soundgarden from ‘Screaming Life’ (1987)

Before Nirvana or Pearl Jam made it big, there was Soundgarden. The group, which was fronted by Chris Cornell, was the first grunge group to really break through. While their music was made on the backs of others who came before them (Green River, Bam Bam), it was Soundgarden who garnered the first Grammy nomination of the grunge giants. And it all began with their debut EP, Screaming Life, which Sub Pop released. And the opening track on that offering is the thick, chaotic “Hunted Down”, a song that has as much history to it as it does entertaining qualities.

“Chain That Door” by Mudhoney from ‘Superfuzz Bigmuff’ (1988)

As noted above, bands like Soundgarden and Nirvana owe a debt of gratitude to groups like Mudhoney. Fronted by Mark Arm, who helped define the grunge sound in the mid-80s with bands like Green River, Mudhoney was the quintessential example of the power and heft of grunge music. And the band’s debut EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff, included the hard-hitting song, “Chain That Door”. Listening to it now, you can see how it helped to set the template for what would come in future years. Oh, and it still slaps today.

Photo by Donna Santisi/Redferns