We all know about Nirvana, Sound Garden, Mudhoney, and Pearl Jam. But what about the underdogs and unsung heroes of the grunge genre? Let’s look at a few examples of the most underrated grunge bands of all time that deserve more credit for their music!
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1. Sponge
Sponge is a grunge band straight of out Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1992, Sponge hit a number of different genres while still maintaining the grunge specifics of their era. They were known for putting on over-to-top and energetic live performances in their heyday, which made them stand out from similar, mopier grunge bands of the time.
2. Seaweed
Seaweed was a popular Washington grunge band that found a bit of success after getting signed to a major label around 1995. Their album Spanaway was a divisive release, as many fans of the band’s previous work noted that they lost their edge after getting signed. They ultimately disbanded in 1999 but did reunite from 2007 to 2014.
3. Love Battery
Love Battery launched in 1989 and was one of the earlier examples of grunge or proto-grunge, if you will. Love Battery was a particularly interesting and underrated band because they blended psychedelic influences with what we now consider the grunge sound. Their debut Dayglo is still quite popular today, but the band definitely deserved a better chance (and better management) at becoming as big as Nirvana.
4. Green River
Many believe that Green River is the band that initially kicked off grunge as a genre. It’s definitely believable. Members of the band went on to form Pearl Jam and Mudhoney after Green River disbanded, so the influence was definitely there. They began way back in 1984 and released a number of EPs and a single album that had all of the elements of true grunge music. And many of their tracks are still very much listenable today.
Photo courtesy of Love Battery’s official Facebook fan page
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