[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.
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For Beginners: Start Here! A Compilation of Classic Grunge Songs (1–10)
Nearly Lost YouScreaming Trees
Screaming Trees, an American band that forged their own path with a psychedelic sense of drift and a hard-edged sound.
Their signature song portrays a precarious, near-collapse state of mind—like a hallucination born of an LSD experience, or like speaking to your own reflection in the mirror.
Mark Lanegan’s uniquely deep, husky voice becomes a desperate cry—“I almost lost myself”—that powerfully shakes the listener to the core.
Released in August 1992 and featured on the album Sweet Oblivion as well as the soundtrack to the film Singles, the track greatly raised the band’s profile.
For those struggling in inescapable inner conflict, it may whisper, “You’re not alone.”
Sex Type ThingStone Temple Pilots
A debut single by the American band Stone Temple Pilots, driven by a heavy, distorted guitar riff that rattles the eardrums.
Vocalist Scott Weiland delivers a fiercely provocative piece, lacing a scathing critique of machismo through an overbearing male point of view.
On first listen, many may be startled to discover the creator’s opposite message hidden behind the aggressive words.
The track appeared as a single the year after its release on the 1992 classic album Core, reaching No.
23 on the U.
S.
Mainstream Rock chart.
When you’re weighed down by the absurdities of society and daily life, why not surrender to this song’s powerful sound and blast away the frustration pent up in your heart?
TomorrowSilverchair
Silverchair, the Australian band that burst onto the ’90s grunge scene like a comet.
Their debut, created when the members were just 15, is an anthem that defines a generation! The work depicts a thirst of the heart that contradicts a privileged environment, and a restless urgency born from not being able to see tomorrow.
Their screams, riding on a raw, distorted guitar sound, shake the listener’s soul to its core.
Released in September 1994 and introduced on a TV program after winning a band competition, this track paved the way for the success of the landmark album Frogstomp.
It’s a song only teenagers that age could have made—one that, when you’re overflowing with aimless emotions and impulses, seems to validate that energy with sheer power!
[For Beginners] Start Here! A Collection of Classic Grunge Songs (11–20)
BackwaterMeat Puppets
With a sound that evokes the dry desert air, Meat Puppets redefine the image of grunge.
Formed in Arizona, they fused punk with country and psychedelia, reportedly influencing many bands including Nirvana.
This track may revolve around the anxiety felt in a stagnant, marshy situation and the suffocating sense of being unable to break free.
Even so, Curt Kirkwood’s languid vocals and the band’s powerful performance deftly convey a complex state of mind.
Released as a single from the acclaimed 1994 album Too High to Die, it reached No.
2 on the U.
S.
rock charts.
When you’re in the mood for a drier strain of rock that stands apart from orthodox grunge, give it a listen.
CreepRadiohead
This is a song from the debut EP of a five-piece rock band formed in Oxford, England.
They gained enormous support from young people with this track, but they probably never imagined at the time that it would later become a major shackle for them.
Swallow My PrideGreen River
If you trace the roots of grunge, you can’t overlook Green River from Seattle, USA.
Featuring future members of Pearl Jam and Mudhoney, they’re truly regarded as the “forefathers of grunge.” The track introduced here fuses punk’s aggression with the heavy riffs of hard rock—raw yet gripping.
Lyrically, it lays bare a deep disgust toward the shallow patriotism permeating society at the time, explored through a romantic relationship.
That rebellious spirit still resonates with many today.
The song was released on the 1985 EP “Come On Down” and was later covered by bands like Soundgarden.
There’s even a legendary tale that they reunited during a Pearl Jam show in November 1993 and performed this very song.
Pretend We’re DeadL7
A signature song from American rock band L7, included on their landmark 1992 album Bricks Are Heavy.
With biting humor likening social apathy to “playing dead,” it delivers a strong message.
Produced by Butch Vig, known for his work with Nirvana, the striking contrast between the distorted guitar riffs and the catchy chorus really shines.
The track reached No.
8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and gained wider recognition after appearing in the popular game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
When everyday life feels suffocating, listening to it can let their defiant spirit give you a push forward.