Any self-respecting grunge fan has listened to albums like Nevermind by Nirvana or Dirt by Alice In Chains on repeat. But what about the powerhouse records from that genre that didn’t get as much attention? Let’s take a deep dive into just four underrated grunge albums every fan should listen to at least once!
1. ‘Fontanelle’ by Babes In Toyland
Associated with both the riot grrrl movement and the grunge explosion of the 1990s in the same breath, it’s kind of shocking that more people aren’t familiar with this incredible record from 1992. Fontanelle is a rough, grimey, and painfully honest album that features the iconic screams and vocals of Kat Bjelland.
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The rest of Babes In Toyland’s discography is incredible, but this was the record that set the feminist themes and dark, moody, unabashedly grunge vibes for the rest of the band’s career.
2. ‘Dayglo’ by Love Battery
Underrated grunge albums usually come from Sub Pop, and Dayglo by Love Battery is no exception. This 1992 record is definitely a grunge album, but it’s far from your typical cookie-cutter grunge record from the 1990s.
There are so many different elements on this record, from psychedelia to jangle-pop to almost-shoegaze. With that in mind, Dayglo still boasts the ferocity that you’d expect from an exceptional grunge album of its time.
3. ‘8-Way Santa’ by Tad
If you’ve never heard of this record, we’re not exactly surprised. The 1991 album 8-Way Santa by Tad is probably the most underrated of all grunge albums from the early 1990s.
Tad was actually one of the very first bands to get signed to Sub Pop. Sadly, when the grunge takeover happened, they more or less got left in the dust. 8-Way Santa is a super underrated treat recorded with none other than Nevermind’s producer Butch Vig.
4. ‘Big Metal Birds’ by Janitor Joe
This early-1990s grunge record didn’t come out of Seattle like many others did. Rather, noise rock outfit Janitor Joe were doing their own version of grunge all the way east in Minnesota, much like Babes In Toyland.
Bassist Kristen Pfaff formed this band and released their debut Big Metal Birds in 1993. This is a particularly sludgy grunge album, and it’s kind of a bummer that Pfaff left the band entirely after its release to join Hole. Sadly, she died only a year later.
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