3 1990s Grunge Albums That Are Easily the Greatest of All Time

We know all about the greatest works from Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Pearl Jam. But what are the greatest 1990s grunge albums of all time that weren’t mainstream fodder? Let’s take a look at three albums I think could definitely contend for the title of Greatest Of All Time. If you were a fan of grunge in the 1990s, you might just agree with me.

‘Temple Of The Dog’ by Temple Of The Dog (1991)

One of the finest one-off groups of the era, Temple Of The Dog was not meant to be a forever project. Formed as a memorial of sorts for Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, Temple Of The Dog was supposed to be just a group of guys putting out one song. In the end, the group put out an EP, an album, and (decades later) kicked off a tour. They were great while they lasted, and this mix of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), and Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam and Soundgarden) won’t ever be forgotten.

‘Superunknown’ by Soundgarden (1994)

Few would call Soundgarden “underrated.” Kim Thayil is one of the most recognizable guitarists of the genre. Chris Cornell is one of the most recognizable voices of the 1990s. Still, I love this particular album a lot. And I wish it had gotten as much love as Nevermind did back in the day. That opening track is pristine, and the whole of this record is packed with memorable songs, from “Black Hole Sun” to “Fell On Black Days”.

‘Sweet Oblivion’ by Screaming Trees (1992)

I rarely hear about this album in conversations about 1990s grunge, and that just doesn’t make sense to me. This album blew my mind when I started getting into grunge as a teenager. Interestingly enough, Sweet Oblivion was supposed to be a sendoff record. The band was ready to go their separate ways shortly before they were whipped up in the grunge tornado. They were incredibly underrated and, in a short amount of time, became pretty famous for this 1992 psychedelic garage rock album. Mark Lanegan’s voice is unique among other grunge vocalists, and the whole group had a really unique sound. 

It’s unfortunate that it took the band four years to release their follow-up, Dirt. If they were quicker with it and capitalized on their newfound fame, I could see them being as big as Pearl Jam or Nirvana. However, considering they were ready to quit and a lot of tensions were tugging at the band, I’m not surprised that didn’t happen.

Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images