Grunge music remains popular nearly 30 years after it first emerged in
the American music scene. Born in Seattle, grunge music is believed to have
originated in the Seattle metropolitan area. The musical genre has its roots in
the punk rock movement of the previous decade and the heavy metal and death
metal rock produced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rather than dealing in
the sarcasm and sharp beats created by Blondie and other seminal punk artists,
however, grunge delved into the darkness and distortion most evident in the
music of the Sex Pistols. Early standouts in the grunge genre included the
U-Men, Soundgarden and the Melvins.
Grunge typically focused primarily on guitar-based riffs and drum work.
The genre made limited use of keyboards and was characterized by dissonant
chords, slower musical tempos and a pared-down musical style that was reflected
in the no-frills performances presented by bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains
and Soundgarden. According to some experts, the fact that Seattle was so
removed from the general U.S. music scene was a major contributing factor in
the development of this unique musical style. Without the pressure to produce
commercial content, grunge musicians were free to create new paradigms and new
sounds in the Seattle area. When commercial success did arrive, the price was
too high for some of these musical pioneers. One of the shining lights of the
grunge movement, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, took his own life at the height of his
band’s greatest success.
