No Skips: 3 Perfect Grunge Albums From the 1990s That Still Slap

If you were alive in the 1990s, you heard grunge music. There was no getting around it. Even if you grew up in a cave, under a rock, or in a bunker in the middle of Alaska, you heard grunge music. There was no escaping it, and for good reason. Much of it was tremendous. There were even a few perfect albums released during the height of the musical movement.

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Indeed, in the 1990s, fans of grunge were privy to some incredible recordings. And here, we wanted to examine three examples. Three albums that were so well made, you could leave the fast-forward button untouched for the duration. Yes, these are three perfect grunge albums from the 1990s that still slap today.

‘Superunknown’ by Soundgarden (1994)

While Soundgarden was the first grunge band to earn a Grammy nomination (in 1988 for their debut LP, Ultramega OK), the band didn’t stop there. And six years later, in 1994, the group released a perfect album, the ironically titled Superunknown. With songs like “Spoonman”, “Fell On Black Days”, and “Black Hole Sun”, it would be hard not to love the LP. But intermixed between those are hard-hitting, soul-stirring tracks like “The Day I Tried To Live” and “My Wave”. Combining rock prowess with delicate, raw emotion, Soundgarden struck oil with their 1994 offering.

‘In Utero’ by Nirvana (1993)

The third and final studio album from Nirvana, In Utero is some fans’ favorite. It might even get to the heart of the group better than their debut Bleach and groundbreaking second LP Nevermind. Of course, In Utero is loud. It’s buzzy and thick. It’s full of screams. An album of night-terrors. But it also has some softer songs that get to the center of your soul, including “Dumb” and “Pennyroyal Tea”. While we all wish Nirvana could have been around longer, this third album is also a perfect way to say goodbye.

‘MTV Unplugged In New York’ by Nirvana (1994)

Even after In Utero, however, Nirvana came out with their MTV Unplugged album. That record came out some six months after Kurt Cobain had died. Featuring covers and original songs, the album showcases the band in perhaps a more natural state than any studio recording. We can see them laugh together, share inside jokes. It gives off the feeling of what it must have been like in the recording studio or just practicing at home. It’s intimate while also being musically perfect. Don’t you dare skip a track on this one!

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