What would be considered "grunge" music? Is this an actual genre?

Answer 1

Yes, Grunge is an actual genre of rock music. Its origins date back to the early 90's & is sometimes credited as "The Seattle Sound" because the genre itself was based in Seattle, WA. The Grunge band Nirvana is most credited as giving birth to grunge rock.

Grunge music is music that has "twisted" lyrics, so to speak. Take for example the 1st verse from Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box":

"She eye's me like a pisces when I am weak
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks
I've been buried in your magnet-tar pit trap
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black..."

Most grunge lyrics are in a similar twisted sense. Nirvana is credited as the most famous grunge band so I'm going to give this answer with most of facts from their career.

The Nirvana trio were well-known for trashing their instruments at the end of their concerts. Their lyrics always had some sort of indirect meaning that you have to look deeply into to find and the only way to find that meaning is if your a rock veteran.

Kurt Cobain - Nirvana's frontman, singer & songwriter - spent his teen years fascinated with the human anatomy. A good percentage of the songs he wrote had at least one reference to an anatomy part of some kind. However, he also wrote songs with a total bizzarre twist.

The song "Rape Me" isn't actually about rape. The song is in reference to a previous incident involving his wife Courtney Love during an interview with Vanity Fair that accused her of using heroin during her pregnancy, when in reality, she quit as soon as she found out she was pregnant. The song is about how the Cobains were exploited as junkies & then went through legal battles after being accused of being bad parents. "Rape Me" is just one example of Kurt's song lyrics.

Many people think that after Kurt Cobain died, Grunge died as well but thats all a matter of beliefs. I mean if you are a true grunge fan of the 90s, you'd know that Kurt Cobain's wife Courtney Love was also the lead singer/songwriter of the grunge band Hole & she's still alive & continues to make albums, only now as a solo artist. So yes, its all a matter of how you look at grunge.

Some other grunge bands besides Nirvana & Hole are:
Seether
Pearl Jam
Mudhoney
Alice in Chains
The Melvins
Soundgarden
Babes in Toyland
Stone Temple Pilots
Audioslave
Eyes Adrift
Foo Fighters
Temple of the Dog
Velvet Revolver
...and several others...

Grunge rock is usually not a commonly known genre of music, which is probably what brought you to ask this question. Grunge lyrics concern similar themes such as social alienation, apathy, entrapment & a desire for freedom. They're typically angst-filled — anger, frustration, ennui, fear, depression & drug addiction are often explored in grunge songs.

Nirvana's satirical "In Bloom" is a notable example of more humorous writing. In fact, several grunge songs are filled with either a dark or fun sense of humor as well, though this often went unnoticed by the general public.

Humor in grunge often satirized glam metal & other forms of rock music that were popular during the 80s.

It evolved out of the Pacific Northwest's local punk rock scene.

Aside from its punk origins, the grunge movement had strong roots in the musical & youth culture of the American Northwest.

The word grunge means "dirt". It's likely the term was seen as appropriate because of the "dirty" guitar sound that grunge is known for & the unkempt appearance of most grunge musicians. This was in direct contradiction to the relatively polished look & sound of glam metal bands of the late 80s.

It's unique sound is often said to have resulted from Seattle's isolation from other alternative rock scenes. Outside of the Pacific Northwest, other musicians are said to have influenced grunge.

Grunge concerts were known for being straightforward, high-energy performances. Grunge bands avoided the complex, high budget presentations that bands from other musical genres such as heavy metal were known for; complex light arrays, pyrotechnics & other visual effects unrelated to playing the music weren't part of the concerts. Stage acting was generally avoided. Instead, the bands presented themselves no differently from any local band, using only their instruments & their own presence as visual effects (neither being budgeted higher than what was needed).

I hope this answers your question!!

Answer 2

In the mid 90's there was grunge music out of Seattle. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice and Chains and Blind Melon were some.

Answer 3

Nirvana and Pearl Jam would be the kings of "grunge rock" in my opinion.
Yes it is a genre for sure.

Answer 4

Grunge music is an acyual genre, one of the most famous examples being nirvana.

Answer 5

Ah... yes, my friend, a real genre. Popular in the early nineties. Made plaid and all things Seattle popular. Nirvana, Pearl Jam... remember the musician Kurt Cobain? He was the lead singer of Nirvana - he committed suicide. Was married to Courtney Love, the lead singer of Hole. The day after Cobain died, millions of kids and young adults (like me... way back then) mourned the senselessness of his death.

Answer 6

It is a genre...some popular groups of the genre are Nirvana, Blind Melon, I would say Stone Temple Pilots, Crash Test dummies, Third Eye Blind too.

Answer 7

Yes it is an actual genre. And it s***s!! A nice doggy like you wouldn't like it at all. You sure are cute!! I have 4 pugs but I guess you'd rather not Meet these clowns, huh? Let's Do Lunch Sometime!! ANIMAL LOVERS ROCK!!!@80)

Answer 8

Grunge, to me, is hard rock that's doesn't have lyrics...just screaming, like Rob Zombie.

Answer 9

i think bands like tool or nine inch nails would be considered grunge.

Answer 10

Sorry, I am clueless, and without a clue!