The grunge era of the 1990s was truly out of this world for anyone who got to experience it firsthand. For those who didn’t get to see the rise and fall of major musicians and bands in the genre at the time, all we have are some of the greatest albums to come out of the scene. Let’s look at four of the best grunge albums from the 1990s! This isn’t an exclusive or hierarchical list; they’re simply a few out of many incredible grunge albums.
1. ‘Nevermind’ by Nirvana
This really wouldn’t be a good list of the best grunge albums from the 1990s without mentioning Nevermind by Nirvana. It was the album that catapulted the band to almost mainstream fame, and it’s widely considered to be their best album by many fans (though that is very debatable). “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the hit single from the record, but tracks like “Something In The Way” and “Polly” deserve some love. Really, the whole album is essential listening.
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2. ‘Ten’ by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam wasn’t together long before they recorded Ten in 1991, though they were already opening for the likes of Alice In Chains and other big names in grunge. Their debut featured a number of songs that they had already tested out on the road, like “Why Go” and “Even Flow”. It’s a cornerstone album of the era.
3. ‘Live Through This’ by Hole
Live Through This is basically a pop album, and a lot of fans of the Courtney Love-led band would agree. Still, it’s an iconic album from the grunge era that refined the band’s sound from their previous release Pretty On The Inside. “Doll Parts” is recognizable to most. “Rock Star” and “I Think That I Would Die” are underrated tracks.
4. ‘Badmotorfinger’ by Soundgarden
Badmotorfinger is an album that deserves to be brought up more in discussions of grunge music. I mean, Johnny Cash even covered one of the songs from the album. Soundgarden’s 1991 release was Chris Cornell’s attempt to escape pop-ism in his songwriting, and it worked out beautifully. The album is dark, psychedelic in a way, and extremely visceral.
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