Grunge is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the American state of Washington during the mid-1980s. With its distorted guitars and angst-filled lyrics, the genre has been called a hybrid of punk rock and heavy metal.
Although it started as an underground movement, grunge exploded in popularity in the early ’90s through bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains. The genre became one of the decade’s defining sounds.
Most grunge artists came from the Seattle area, but there were also bands from other parts of the US, most notably California, and countries like Australia. The genre peaked in popularity in the late ’90s, but its biggest artists and hits are timeless and DJs play them at a variety of events.
Discover grunge’s essential tracks in our playlist below.
Discover more subgenres in our Subgenre Spotlight series.
