The grunge musical movement began in the late ’80s in Seattle, Washington. Though no one knows the origin of the term, the name befell the PNW bands and the world came to know the sounds of groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
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But what are the best grunge bands of all time? What even is grunge, exactly? While some bands like Stone Temple Pilots, which is from San Diego, California, have been called grunge, we will keep the purview of this list to those groups that originated from the rainy PNW.
Here are the 10 best grunge bands of all time.
1. Nirvana
Fronted by the blonde, handsome and yet at times-devious Kurt Cobain, this group rose to supreme popularity in 1991 with the release of its sophomore album, Nevermind. The group recorded its debut, Bleach, a few years earlier in a matter of a few hours and a few hundred dollars. But Nevermind was pristine, even for a grunge group.
On the record, Cobain shouted and screamed his poetry while Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic battered away at the rhythms. Cobain died not long after. Before so, Nirvana released its third LP, In Utero.
2. Pearl Jam
Here’s where the term “grunge” gets a little dicey. If Pearl Jam had come up in, say, New York City or Miami, would they be thought of as grunge, lumped into the group with Nirvana and the others? The Eddie Vedder-fronted band came up in Seattle at the same time as Cobain and crew.
In a recent conversation with Sir Mix-a-Lot, the Seattle rapper said everyone was just making music in the city and then one night they all looked up and they were at the Grammys. Mix for “Baby Got Back” and Nirvana, Pearl Jam and more for their records. PJ’s 1991 debut Ten is an all-time classic. With Vedder’s rich vocals and guitarist Mike McCready laying down the licks, it was an undeniable band.
3. Soundgarden
In many ways, Soundgarden was the first grunge band to break, releasing Ultramega OK in 1988. Fronted by banshee vocalist Chris Cornell, the band also included famed drummer Matt Cameron and guitarist Kim Thayil. Soundgarden became globally popular thanks to songs like “Fell On Black Days” and later “Black Hole Sun.” Cornell unexpectedly died in 2017. He and Soundgarden had been working on new songs—songs that only recently, thanks to the settling of a lawsuit between the band and Cornell’s widow, will see the light of day.
In his youth, Cornell was an important figure in Seattle, even co-founding the tribute band Temple of the Dog, which also featured McCready and Vedder, to celebrate the life of music pioneer (and former roommate) Andrew Wood.
4. Alice in Chains
For some, this band may easily be No. 1. Truly, when ranking the top four, the challenge is real. Alice in Chains featured two frontmen, in many ways: guitar player and sometimes singer Jerry Cantrell and the incandescent singer Layne Staley. Like so many others in the scene from this time, Staley passed away in 2002 remarkably, on the same day that Cobain did in 1994 (April 5). Coincidentally, April 5 is also Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready’s birthday.
Speaking of McCready, he and Staley were in the short-lived rock band Mad Season, which released one record, Above, and had one hit song, “River of Deceit.” That band, formed in 1995, also included Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. Alice in Chains, known for dark songs like “Rooster” and “Down in a Hole,” also boasts one of the best MTV Unplugged performances, perhaps only outdone by Nirvana.
5. Mother Love Bone
In a way, Mother Love Bone was the original guiding light of the grunge movement. But in that same vein, the band endured tragedy. Founded in 1988, the group’s frontman, the dynamic Andrew Wood, died just days before the band’s debut LP, Apple, was to drop.
Yet, before his death, Wood and Co. were at the forefront of the music in the Emerald City. His death, as stated above, spurred his former roommate Cornell to start Temple of the Dog, a tribute to Wood. Listening to the frontman, who was also known as Landrew the Love Child, you can hear Guns N’ Roses, Soundgarden and much more.
6. Screaming Trees
Fronted by gravely singer Mark Lanegan, this group from tiny Ellensburg, Washington, made a big impact on the scene thanks to its brooding frontman. The group’s best-selling song, “Nearly Lost You,” appeared both on the band’s 1992 album, Sweet Oblivion and the soundtrack for the popular Seattle-based Cameron Crow film, Singles. Lanegan died in 2022 after complications from COVID-19.
7. Bam Bam
A much lesser-known band from Seattle, this group included future-iconic drummer Matt Cameron as well as the recently-celebrated singer Tina Bell. Bam Bam began its career around 1984 with the release of its EP, Villains (Also Wear White). At the time, they were being courted by some record executives, but for whatever reason, good or bad, the band released the record solo.
Bam Bam didn’t get the recognition it deserved at the moment, though some say the group was a big influence on the grunge scene and even folks like Cobain. Today, many proponents of the band point to sexism and racism (or inherent bias) as to why the group didn’t hit the top of the charts. Whatever the reason, it’s good to remember them now.
8. Skin Yard
This band also included drummer Matt Cameron and later Barrett Martin and guitarist Jack Endino, who would, thanks to his work in the ’80s and ’90s, come to be called “The Grungefather.” It was Endino who recorded early Skin Yard songs and albums. It was Endino who was also the house engineer for the then-fledgling new record label Sub Pop. It was Endino who captured the sludgy guitar rock songs quickly, fast and cheaply. Skin Yard, an excellent band in its own right, is also a product of Endino’s prolific genius.
9. Mudhoney
Born from the dissolved proto-grunge group, Green River, Mudhoney was fronted by lead singer Mark Arm, whose raspy vocals and often dark, slightly humorous songs helped invent the genre. When Green River broke up, other bands that its members became a part of included Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog and more. Mudhoney, unlike many of the bands on this list, is still putting out music, like with its latest LP, Plastic Eternity, this year
10. IMIJ
Another band that didn’t get its just due, IMIJ (the reverse of “Jimi,” as in Hendrix), this group did a lot locally but never got the attention it deserved nationally. Word has it, the band may be reissuing some new work later this year or next, but nothing is confirmed as of yet. While the band blended many genres, from funk to rock to reggae, at its heart, it showcased the sludgy sound of Seattle.
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