A Look Back: Grunge
The 1980’s was a unique time for music. Electronic dance rose from the death of disco while the new wave defined itself as “Modern Rock.” Michael Jackson rose to heights of stardom never seen before and the golden age of hip-hop was just beginning. Then came along a different level of innovation, one that prided itself on the excess of the material world, on women, money, and fame. Glam metal drove the world crazy. Acts like Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, and Motley Crüe dominated the airwaves through flashy personas of spandex. However, things never last, and as all music eventually evolves into new roles, glam metal was killed by innovation, replacing it with the dark, raw, and distorted sound of grunge.
In the darkest pits of Seattle, while glam metal still shined above, adolescents found shelter from the rainy climate of Washington. They adopted a new wave of music, one that combined metal and pop together. The Seattle sound, also known as grunge, peaked its muddy head from the underbelly and screamed its head off. Teens found their voice not in the excess of glam metal, but in the harsh themes of social alienation and psychological trauma associated with grunge. Lyrics of teen angst spread like wildfire across America, and soon the rest of the world as well.
By the early 90’s, grunge’s most iconic bands were becoming mainstream. The pop ballads of Nirvana topped Michael Jackson on the charts for #1 album. Pearl Jam created one of the highest selling rock records of all time, their album Ten. Soundgarden solidified their experimental prowess on their album Superunknown, going platinum 6 times. Alice in Chains used their darker tones and blues influence to sell 30 million records worldwide and received 5 Grammy nominations while grunge was still alive. As every genre of music has before it, Grunge became pop culture, influencing everything from baggy clothes and torn jeans to addressing “hefty” topics such as feminism, progressivism, and anti-authoritarianism. Gender was approached with a non-binary mindset, encouraging views of how men and women were alike while also empathizing with the youth’s struggles of self-isolation and mental illness.
Grunge to me is truth. The world is not as inviting as it’s pictured to be. It can be hard to find value while living in a society based on materialism and inequality, especially when those problems are often ignored or fail to find justice. It’s better to embrace the dissonance than to run from it, and I think that’s what a lot of bands in this era achieved. The meaning behind the lyrics is not fun, a lot of the guitar riffs are not happy, and the drums are not quiet. The world is a harsh reality of pain, but it’s ok to just sit and listen.
Written By: Henry Sanders
