3 Grunge Bands That Changed Music in the ’90s

2025-04-21

Nirvana

In honor of those rock songs that are timeless in nature, Audio Ink Radio presents its tally of the greatest rock songs that stand the test of time. – Author: Anne Erickson, Nirvana Publicity Photo

Love or hate the grunge music, there’s no denying that it truly changed the trajectory of popular music in the 1990s. While grunge really got its start in the 1980s, it didn’t go “mainstream” until Nirvana released their 1991 sophomore album, “Nevermind,” which became huge following the release of the iconic single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Overnight, music lovers went from packing glam rock and hair metal shows to growing long hair, wearing flannel and heading to lo-fi, raw rock shows featuring bands out of Seattle. While plenty of bands shaped the music of the early 1990s and the grunge movement, three stand out as the biggest influencers. Here, Audio Ink Radio looks at three grunge bands that changed music in the early ’90s.

Grunge Bands That Altered Music in the Early ’90s

Nirvana

Could you imagine this roster of influential grunge bands without Nirvana? They weren’t the first band to experiment with grunge sounds, but they were responsible for making the Seattle sound one of the biggest in the ’90s. Nirvana released their debut album, “Bleach,” in 1989 on the famed Sub Pop label. This was before Dave Grohl was in the band, and instead, Chad Channing was on drums. “Bleach” got Nirvana’s name out there, and the guys toured the world on this album, playing small venues. Thanks to this record, Nirvana also got the attention of DGC Records, who released “Nevermind” in 1991. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” struck a chord with music fans, and suddenly Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. In the process, they made grunge a household name.

Mother Love Bone

Before there was Pearl Jam, there was Mother Love Bone, featuring former Pearl Jam members. Some might wonder why this band made the cut, because they disbanded before grunge took off, but there’s really no question that without Mother Love Bone, there would never have been Pearl Jam. Vocalist Andrew Wood had a lot of charisma, and he was destined to be the next star. What was unique about Wood is that he brought a hair metal vocal approach to grunge music, so one could say Mother Love Bone bridged the gap between hair metal and grunge. Wood sadly passed away following a drug overdose in 1990. This band could have been huge if he had stayed with us.

Soundgarden

It was difficult to pick the third band on this tally. We could have gone with Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Screaming Trees, Tad and a collection of other bands. But, something about Soundgarden, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and Chris Cornell just feels like it belongs here. Soundgarden was the most “metal” of the grunge bands, bringing a doomy, heavy metal sound to their beautiful rock songs. Cornell had the voice of a hard rock angel, and he sounded incredible on everything on which he sang. Songs such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” are among the genre’s greatest. Cornell sadly passed away following a show in Detroit in 2017, but his music lives on.

Check out some of the most underrated grunge albums of all time in this Audio Ink Radio feature.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Grunge, Music, Rock