3 Songs From 1991 That Every Grunge Fan Remembers

Let’s go back, shall we? To a time with so much promise. When all we cared about was the size of our cereal bowl and the Saturday morning cartoon schedule. That’s right, 1991. It was such a good year. The 1980s were officially in the rear-view and the new decade with all of its great music was here to stay—for a little while, anyway. So, let’s take a moment and bask in the glory of the early years of the 1990s. More specifically, let’s take a look at 1991. It was the year of grunge, the time in history when that heavy music from the Pacific Northwest permeated the headphones and speakers of music fans all over. What a time! These are three songs from 1991 that every grunge fan remembers.

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“Hunger Strike” by Temple Of The Dog from ‘Temple Of The Dog’ (1991)

When burgeoning grunge star Andrew Wood passed away just weeks before his band Mother Love Bone would release its debut album Apple, Wood’s friend and former roommate Chris Cornell knew he had to act. So, he organized a tribute band for the fallen frontman, and Cornell called it Temple Of The Dog. That band released one self-titled album, and that LP featured the slow-burn-turned-smash-hit “Hunger Strike”, an emotive track featuring both Cornell and Eddie Vedder singing lead.

“Come As You Are” by Nirvana from ‘Nevermind’ (1991)

This has to be one of the most memorable grunge songs of all time. While you could pick any song from Nirvana’s groundbreaking sophomore LP, Nevermind, one that particularly stands out is “Come As You Are”, a murky masterpiece about being yourself. Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was model handsome and eternally gifted as an artist. Yet, he carried with him no high horse pretensions. All were welcome, as long as all were welcoming.

“Even Flow” by Pearl Jam from ‘Ten’ (1991)

While the biggest album of 1991 was Nevermind, the Nirvana record was actually preceded that year by the debut LP of another grunge giant, Pearl Jam. That record, Ten, boasted many a big track, including “Alive” and “Jeremy”, but it’s “Even Flow” that gets our blood pumping. On the tune, lead vocalist Eddie Vedder provides a giant sonic wave for all music fans to surf. It’s big and bold and one of the tunes that helped to make grunge eternal.

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