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[For Beginners] Start Here! A Collection of Classic Grunge Songs
The music movement known as “grunge,” which swept the world from Seattle in the 1990s.
Its sound—both raw and delicate—and its lyrics, which lay bare inner turmoil, still captivate music fans today.
In the 2020s, the influence continues so strongly that terms like “grungegaze,” a fusion of grunge and shoegaze, have emerged among newer bands.
In this article, we’ll introduce standout tracks that define the genre—focusing on classics released from the formative 1980s through the early ’90s, when the boom exploded—for those who are just starting to get into grunge.
For Beginners: Start Here! A Compilation of Classic Grunge Songs (1–10)
Smells Like Teen SpiritNirvana
With just four power chords, it turned the world upside down—beyond the confines of grunge, it’s one of the most important songs in the history of rock.
Released in 1991 as the lead single from Nirvana’s major-label debut, Nevermind, it went on to become a historic hit, selling 13 million copies worldwide.
Precisely because it’s so famous, it may be hard to hear it without preconceptions—but try to take in head-on the exceptional songwriting sense, the perfectly balanced band ensemble, and the explosive power hidden within its simplicity!
Would?Alice In Chains
A song that epitomizes Alice in Chains, the band that took the world by storm with one of the heaviest styles in the grunge scene.
It’s a deeply introspective track that serves as a tribute to a departed close friend and questions those who judge others so easily.
The ominous bassline layered with heavy guitar riffs, along with the distinctive harmonies woven by the two vocalists, creates a visceral sense of urgency.
Released in June 1992 for the soundtrack of the film “Singles,” the track was also included on that year’s landmark album Dirt.
The album became a massive hit, selling over five million copies.
Its melancholic melody, shining through the raw edge characteristic of grunge, is also a major draw.
When you’re weighed down by helplessness or inner turmoil, why not immerse yourself in its sonic world?
Feel The PainDinosaur Jr.
A representative track from Dinosaur Jr.
’s sixth album, “Without a Sound,” by a band that had a profound impact on grunge and alternative rock from the ’90s onward.
Released as a single in August 1994, it achieved major success, reaching No.
4 on the US Modern Rock chart.
The song is a deeply introspective piece that portrays a sense of nihilism: empathizing so strongly with others’ pain that you eventually end up feeling nothing at all.
Luring listeners in with a bright, poppy sound while singing of regret and uncertainty beneath the surface is one of their signature techniques.
The fusion of J Mascis’s distorted guitar tone with a bittersweet melody is grunge at its finest.
AlivePearl Jam
This song, whose raw sound carries an explosive, heartrending surge of emotion, is a masterpiece by Pearl Jam—one of the two titans of grunge alongside Nirvana.
Based on vocalist Eddie Vedder’s real-life experience, it portrays the despair and confusion of a boy who discovers the shocking truth about his origins.
The story of how a phrase that initially bore a curse-like meaning transformed into an anthem of hope through being shared with fans at live shows speaks to the power of music.
Released in July 1991 as the first single from the classic album Ten, the track was also featured in the video game Rock Band 2.
When life’s absurdities threaten to overwhelm you, listening to this song’s primal cry will gently accompany your tangled feelings and give you the strength to rise again.
Kool ThingSonic youth
A seminal track in the grunge scene, it appears on Goo, the album that marked Sonic Youth’s major-label debut and established them as pioneers of alternative rock.
The song is said to have been born from a cultural clash that vocalist Kim Gordon experienced while interviewing a prominent rapper.
It poses sharp questions about sex and power, expressed through a cool back-and-forth with hip-hop heavyweight Chuck D.
Its sound—noisy guitars paired with pop accessibility—was truly revolutionary.
Released as a single in June 1990, the track was also featured in games like Guitar Hero III.
Why not experience its intellectual spark and the tense, electric atmosphere of the ’90s for yourself?
Touch Me I’m SickMudhoney
A groundbreaking debut single by Mudhoney, the band that epitomized Seattle at the time and heralded the dawn of grunge.
Despite its heavy themes of illness and self-loathing, Mark Arm’s vocals brim with a mocking humor and raw energy.
The deliberately noise-drenched guitar sound is pure emotional detonation.
Released in August 1988, the track appears on the compilation Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles.
It made such a powerful impact on the scene that a parody version even shows up in the film Singles.
Put it on when you want to blow off everyday frustration—the destructive sound will hit you right in the gut.
OutshinedSoundgarden
Though outwardly brimming with confidence, inside it’s full of anxiety.
This song by the American rock band Soundgarden candidly portrays the pain of that gap between one’s inner and outer selves.
It sings of a struggle anyone can have—acting confident while being tormented by self-doubt within.
Its unusual 7/4 time signature and heavy, brooding guitar sound skillfully express an unstable mental landscape, while Chris Cornell’s powerful yet aching vocals seem to amplify the sense of futility.
The track appears on the October 1991 album Badmotorfinger, and a symbolic line from its lyrics even inspired the title of the film Feeling Minnesota.
When you’re feeling down from comparing yourself to others, listening to it might just blast away the sediment in your heart with a roar.