When was grunge popular

Poneman soon became a full partner. In , Poneman and Pavitt quit their jobs to work on Sub Pop full time. The initial release was only of records as an attempt to create demand for the record.

Grunge began to receive media attention from the united kingdom after Poneman and Pavitt convinced a reporter from the English magazine melody maker to do a story on the scene. In Nirvana signed to Geffen records and began work on their major label debut.

Their drummer at the time Chad Channing left the group and was replaced with hardcore drummer Dave Grohl. The album was to be produced by the legendary producer Butch Vig from the group Garbage. The album was recorded in sound city studios, home of many classic albums. The album was released in and titled Nevermind.

The album was a smash hit. Due to the hit single and video for Smells Like Teen Spirit , the album hit number 1 on the billboard charts on January 11 th , knocking off the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. The album boosted grunge into the mainstream. Everyone was wearing flannels and jeans. Everyone wanted to be Kurt Cobain.

Nevermind was a sea-change for music. Nevermind changed everything. Grunge was the thing to be. Label began to sweep the globe in search of the next big grunge band. Pearl Jam released their debut album Ten a month before Nevermind, but sales only began to pick up a year later. It was a grunge explosion. Many grunge artists grew uncomfortable with the fame they received.

In Nirvana released In Utero, an abrasive and angry album meant to be a revolt against the fame they received due to Nevermind. Nevertheless, the album reached number 1 on the billboard charts and was certified platinum. The 80s version of grunge, with long-haired musicians wailing away in front of tiny crowds at squalid clubs like the Central Tavern or Squid Row, was dead. With four huge alternative stars all hailing from the same region, the music media wanted a label to describe this new Seattle sound.

Any other bands from Seattle at the time, were lumped into the category as well. While inaccurate, the grunge label was convenient. The people directly involved with the music scene, however, hated the term. The ridiculousness of the "grunge" label reached a peak when bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Bush were being lumped into the category as well.

Long-time Seattle scene followers even noted that this '90s definition of grunge was completely different than the '80s definition. And it didn't stop there. The recent wave of s nostalgia has brought more coverage on the "return of grunge" and its place in music history, especially as Nirvana became the first northwest band of the era to be enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the start, it was a joke. All your lies: myths about the Seattle music scene. Northwest Passage is an exploration of the music scene centered around Seattle in the 80s and 90s. Soon, bands from all over the world were getting widespread recognition after years of duking it out on indie labels.

So snuggle into your best thrift-store sweater, lace up your Doc Martens and let your hair hit your shoulders, so you can properly enjoy the 50 Greatest Grunge Albums. Newswire Powered by. Close the menu. Rolling Stone. Log In.