This is a list of American grunge bands. It includes rock bands and solo artists formed in the USA whose primary genre is grunge or either they have or had the elements of it in their music style. Grunge music is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. The grunge aesthetic is stripped-down compared to other forms of rock music, and many grunge musicians were noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics.
| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Year Bitch | 1990–1997 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Afghan Whigs | 1986–Present | Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Alice in Chains [1] | 1987–2002 / 2005–Present | Seattle, Washington |
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| Alice Donut | 1986–1996 / 2001 – Present | New York City, New York |
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| Alcohol Funnycar | 1991–1996 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babes in Toyland | 1987–2001 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
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| Big Chief | 1989–1996 | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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| Blind Melon | 1990–1999 / 2006–2008 / 2010–Present | Los Angeles, California |
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| Blood Circus | 1988–1989 / 1992 / 2007 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Bullet LaVolta | 1987-1992 | Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Bundle of Hiss | 1980–1988 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Butt | 1987–1990 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Coffin Break | 1987–1994 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daddy Hate Box | 1989–1990 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Dandelion | 1989–1996 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Das Damen | 1984–1991 | New York, New York |
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| Dickless | 1989–1998 | Seattle, Washington | |
| Drop Acid | 1991–1993 | Sacramento, California |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | 1989–1997, 2003–present | Olympia, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure | 1990–1997, 2014–present | Los Angeles, California |
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| Fecal Matter | 1985–1986 | Aberdeen, Washington |
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| Flowerhead | 1987–1995 | Austin, Texas |
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| The Fluid | 1984–1993 / 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas Huffer | 1989–2006 | Seattle, Washington |
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| The Gits | 1986–1993 | Yellow Springs, Ohio |
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| Green River | 1984–1988 / 2008–2009 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Gruntruck | 1989–1993 / 1996–2002 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Gumball | 1990–1994 | New York City, New York |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammerbox | 1990–1994 | Seattle, Washington | |
| Hater | 1993–1997 / 2005 | Seattle, Washington | |
| Hazel | 1992–1997 | Portland, Oregon |
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| Hole [1] | 1989–2002 / 2010–2012 | Los Angeles, California |
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| Hullabaloo | 1986–1993 / 2013–present | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Cantrell | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| L7 | 1985–2001, 2014–present | Los Angeles, California |
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| Local H | 1990–Present | Zion, Illinois |
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| Love Battery | 1989–2002, 2006, 2011–2012 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napalm Beach | 1981–present | Portland, Oregon |
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| Nirvana [1] | 1987–1994 | Aberdeen, Washington | |
| Nudeswirl | 1989–1995 | New Brunswick, New Jersey |
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| The Nymphs | 1985–1992 | New Jersey |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paw | 1990–2000, 2008 | Lawrence, Kansas |
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| Pearl Jam [1] | 1990–present | Seattle, Washington | |
| Pond | 1991–1998 | Portland, Oregon |
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| The Presidents of the United States of America | 1993–1998 / 2000–2002 / 2003–2016 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tad | 1988–1999, 2013 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Temple of the Dog | 1990–1992 | Seattle, Washington |
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| Treepeople | 1988–1994 | Boise, Idaho |
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| Tripping Daisy | 1990–1999 | Dallas, Texas |
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| Truly | 1990–1998, 2000, 2008–present | Seattle, Washington |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veruca Salt | 1992–2012 / 2013–Present | Chicago, Illinois |
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| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willard | 1989–1992 | Seattle, Washington |
|
| Wool | 1990–1996 | Washington, D.C. based out of Los Angeles, California |
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Rock is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles from the mid-1960s, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style that drew directly from the blues and rhythm and blues genres of African-American music and from country music. Rock also drew strongly from genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz and other musical styles. For instrumentation, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a 4
4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political. Rock was the most popular genre of music in the U.S. and much of the Western world from the 1950s to the 2010s.
Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.
Arena rock is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences.
Alternative rock is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s with the likes of the grunge, shoegaze, and Britpop subgenres in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. During this period, many record labels were looking for "alternatives", as many corporate rock, hard rock, and glam metal acts from the 1980s were beginning to grow stale throughout the music industry. The emergence of Generation X as a cultural force in the 1990s also contributed greatly to the rise of alternative rock.
Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock.
The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of punk rock, indie music, folk, and hip hop. Nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.
Green River was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. Considered one of the first grunge bands, Green River is best known for being the precursor to multiple key early 1990s rock bands, most notably Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, and Love Battery. Green River reunited for several live shows in 2008 and 2009.
Alternative metal is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily downtuned, mid-paced guitar riffs, a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and harsh vocals and sometimes unconventional sounds within other heavy metal styles. The term has been in use since the 1980s, although it came into prominence in the 1990s.
A number of heavy metal genres have developed since the emergence of heavy metal during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At times, heavy metal genres may overlap or are difficult to distinguish, but they can be identified by a number of traits. They may differ in terms of instrumentation, tempo, song structure, vocal style, lyrics, guitar playing style, drumming style, and so on.
American rock has its roots from 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also draws from folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American pop charts from 1964 and resulted in the development of psychedelic rock.
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Rock music and its subgenres are very popular in Portugal. The history of the Portuguese rock music scene spans several decades.
Headbangers Ball is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obscure artists. The show offered a stark contrast to Top 40 music videos shown during the day.
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
This is a list of lists of musicians.
Filter is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Cleveland, Ohio, by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist and programmer Brian Liesegang. The band was formed when Patrick desired to start his own band after leaving Nine Inch Nails as their touring guitarist. Their debut album, Short Bus (1995) received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), supported by the single "Hey Man Nice Shot." After the album, the band would go through the first of many lineup changes, leaving Patrick as the only consistent member across all releases.
Bangladeshi rock music, or Bangla rock music, is a style of music in Bangladesh that is derived from British and American rock music, mixed with the Bengali classical and Adhunik musical styles from the 1960s. The genre was introduced in the 1960s by a few bands who began developing a distinctive rock sound. Bangladeshi rock is commonly divided into two categories: East Pakistan rock, and Bangladesh rock. From the 1970s to the 2000s, it was one of the nation's most popular musical genres.
