Jason Kempin / Frank Micelotta, Getty Images The grunge scene of the early ’90s has been credited for flipping the music world on its ear and effectively shoving the hair metal dominance of the late ’80s to the side. However, grunge’s takeover didn’t just affect hair metal, and rapper Jay-Z says in a new interview that even the growing popularity of hip-hop stalled out a little bit when Nirvana came to prominence. In the new coffee-table book ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces,’ (excerpted by Spin ) singer-producer Pharrell Williams interviewed rap icon and music mogul Jay-Z, who recalls in particular what an important record Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was in the history of music. Jay-Z says, “First we’ve got to go back to before grunge and why grunge happened. Hair bands dominated the airwaves and rock became more about looks than about actual substance and what it stood for – the rebellious spirit of youth … That’s why ‘Teen Spirit’ rang so loud because it was right on point with how everyone felt, you know what I’m saying?” The rapper adds, “It was weird because hip-hop was becoming this force, then grunge music stopped it for one second, ya know? Those hair bands were too easy for us to take out. When Kurt Cobain came with that statement, it was like, ‘We’ve got to wait awhile.’” Jay-Z says that while keeping an eye on the big picture, he’s always been fascinated by the acts that emerge as a powerful force, regardless of the genre. He adds, “When those forces come on the scene, they are inescapable – can’t take your eyes off them, can’t stop listening to them. [Cobain] was one of those figures. I knew we had to wait for a second before we became that dominate force in music.” The ‘Pharrell: The Places and Spaces I’ve Been’ book is due Oct. 16. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: 10 Best Grunge Bands of All-Time” align=”center”]
Frank Micelotta / Theo Wargo, Getty Images “ It’s better to burn out than to fade away ” may be one of Neil Young ‘s most quotable lyrics, but the singer says that he’s still haunted by the fact that the ‘Hey Hey, My My’ quip resonated so much with Kurt Cobain that the late Nirvana singer quoted it in his suicide note. Young says in his ‘Waging Heavy Peace’ book, “When he died and left that note, it struck a deep chord inside of me. It f—ed with me.” Young, who many had nicknamed the “Godfather of Grunge” not only for his look but his songs, said he had tried to reach out to the vocalist prior to his death in order to talk to him about his issues. The singer says, “I wanted to talk to him. Tell him only to play when he felt like it.” The fact that they never got to speak affected Young, but hearing his lyric quoted back in the note took his regret to a whole new level. Young channeled his feelings into the ‘Sleeps With Angels’ title track in 1994. Young, who had his own issues with drink and drugs, revealed earlier this month that he had given up alcohol and smoking marijuana. It’s been a productive year for the singer, who issued the ‘Americana’ album earlier this year, has the ‘ Psychedelic Pill ‘ disc arriving at the end of October, and also has the ‘Waging Heavy Peace’ autobiography on the horizon. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/” title=”Next: Top 10 Grunge Bands” align=”center”]
George De Soto / Frank Micelotta (2), Getty Images Grunge — it was the sound that defined the early '90s, and with this list of the 10 Best Grunge Bands, we're looking back on the acts that started a musical revolution and turned the music world on its ear. As the '80s gave way to the '90s, there was a need to shake things up from the status quo, and the sound called grunge was there to not only fill a void but to engulf the music scene as a whole. It paved the way for a wealth of frequently overlooked acts and all of a sudden, harder-edged, gritty music typically only heard on college radio was finally making its way into the public lexicon. Seattle became the center of the music universe; sweaty concert halls were once again the place to be; and flannel became a fashion statement. So let's crank up some distortion and count down the 10 Best Grunge Bands: ? Sub Pop 10 Mudhoney ? ? Mudhoney are one of grunge's most consistently solid and enduring bands. The group had its roots in the '80s act Green River, a band that many point to as one of the pioneers of the grunge sound. Mark Arm and Steve Turner emerged from Green River to start Mudhoney and while they didn't reach the commercial success of some of their peers, tracks like 'Touch Me I'm Sick,' 'Let It Slide' and 'Suck You Dry' became well-respected grunge anthems. Listen to 'Touch Me I'm Sick' ? ? Frank Micelotta, Getty Images 9 Hole ? ? It took a while for Hole to emerge from the shadow of Courtney Love 's late husband, Kurt Cobain , but 1994's 'Live Through This' was the album that finally broke them to a mass audience. Courtney Love's raspy voice hit the perfect mark on 'Miss World,' 'Doll Parts,' and 'Violet,' and though the band's sound began to evolve with 1998's 'Celebrity Skin,' songs like the title track and 'Awful' still had their roots in that undeniably gritty grunge sound. Listen to 'Miss World' ? ? YouTube 8 Mother Love Bone ? ? For many, the brilliance of Mother Love Bone wasn't discovered until after the band was no more. Sadly, singer Andrew Wood died of a drug overdose just days before the release of their first disc. The album did produce such grunge favorites as 'Stardog Champion' and 'Crown of Thorns' (the 'Chloe Dancer' intro portion would be added for the 'Singles' soundtrack). The group was also notable for being the pre- Pearl Jam band for Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard. Listen to 'Chloe Dancer / Crown of Thorns' ? ? Facebook: Screaming Trees 7 Screaming Trees ? ? Screaming Trees may have hit it big with 'Nearly Lost You,' but the band was well versed in their sound long before most people picked up on grunge. Led by the increasingly deep vocals of Mark Lanegan and the driving bass and guitar work of brothers Van and Gary Lee Conner, the band emerged as one of the leaders of the grunge movement. While 'Nearly Lost You' became their calling card, tracks like 'Dollar Bill,' 'Shadow of the Season,' and 'Bed or Roses' were also favorites in the band's catalog. Listen to 'Nearly Lost You' ? ? Facebook: The Melvins 6 The Melvins ? ? The Melvins , led by singer/guitarist Buzz Osbourne and drummer Dale Crover, are considered one of the pioneers of what would become grunge and thus deserve their spot among the Top 10 Grunge Bands. Their slow-moving, trudging sound became an influence for up-and-coming Seattle bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden . The band is still going strong today, and songs like 'Hooch,' 'Honey Bucket' and 'Night Goat' are as solid as they come. Listen to 'Honey Bucket' ? ? Facebook: Stone Temple Pilots 5 Stone Temple Pilots ? ? Could grunge grow outside of Seattle? That was the question in 1992, when San Diego-based rockers Stone Temple Pilots arrived with their 'Core' album, leading the second wave of grunge. The brutal lead single 'Sex Type Thing' introduced the band and vocal style of Scott Weiland . But it was the second song 'Plush,' with its memorable rhythmic guitar lines that truly established the band. Though they would evolve into a more straight-ahead rock band over time, the 'Core' and 'Purple' records had songs firmly implanted in the grunge sound. Listen to 'Plush' ? ? Facebook: Soundgarden 4 Soundgarden ? ? After forming in Seattle in the '80s, Soundgarden finally broke through with the 1991 single 'Outshined,' followed by the spirited follow-up 'Rusty Cage.' Blending in some of their punk roots, Soundgarden provided a frenetic interpretation early on before settling into a moodier, more trudging sound. Singer Chris Cornell shined on such hits as 'Spoonman,' 'Black Hole Sun,' 'Fell on Black Days,' and 'Pretty Noose.' There's no doubt Soundgarden deserves their upper echelon ranking in the Top 10 Grunge Bands list. Listen to 'Outshined' ? ? LegacyRecordings.com 3 Alice in Chains ? ? Was there a more impactful partnership in the grunge scene than Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and powerhouse frontman Layne Staley ? The pair's harmonies were unmatched, with Staley delivering the extra punch when things got really heavy. 'Man in the Box' put them on the musical map in 1991, and by the following year, they spawned the grunge masterpiece, 'Dirt,' which featured such classics as 'Would?,' 'Rooster,' 'Them Bones' and 'Angry Chair.' Listen to 'Man in the Box' ? ? Facebook: Pearl Jam 2 Pearl Jam ? ? Formed after the demise of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam emerged from the ashes to soar with 1991's 'Ten' album. The rhythmically heavy 'Alive' set the tone for the group, while the hard-hitting 'Even Flow' cemented their status as a band to be reckoned with. And by the time 'Jeremy' commanded MTV's airwaves, everyone knew Pearl Jam. The 'Vs.' and 'Vitalogy' albums kept the grunge vibes going, and the band is still one of the most successful touring acts to this day. Listen to 'Alive' ? ? Facebook: Nirvana 1 Nirvana ? ? It's hard to argue against Nirvana as the No. 1 act of our 10 Best Grunge Bands list, as they essentially put the genre on the map with their 1991 classic, 'Nevermind.' But things didn't stop with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' as 'Come As You Are,' 'Lithium' and their 'In Utero' favorites 'Heart Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me' are as good as they come in the grunge world. Sadly, we lost Kurt Cobain in 1994, but the fact that the band reached iconic status speaks to the quality of the music and their dominance in such a short timespan. Listen to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' ? ? What Are Your Favorite Grunge Bands? So there you have it, the 10 Best Grunge Bands. What do you think of the list? Is there a band missing that should be included? Is there a group that should be placed higher or lower? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. ?
Bradley Kanaris / Frank Micelotta (2), Getty Images There may be no stranger experience than putting on an album, letting it play through, forgetting to hit stop and suddenly finding yourself face-to-face with a hidden track. Secret tracks can be unsettling, comedic or even terrifying. If a band comes up with something weird in the studio, you just might find it concealed within one of your favorite records. Secret tracks are prevalent on hundreds of albums, but we’ve picked out our personal favorites and compiled them into this list. For truly fascinating and addictive pieces of classic releases, from bands such as Nirvana , Alice in Chains , Tool + more, check out our picks for rock’s Best Hidden Tracks: [button href=”http://loudwire.com/nirvana-endless-nameless-best-hidden-tracks” title=”Click to Check Out the Best Hidden Tracks” align=”center”]
It was Sept. 10, 1991, when Nirvana officially released ’Smells Like Teen Spirit’ as a single, forever changing the course of rock music. In the two decades since, there have been countless renditions of the track – whether it be parodies like Weird Al Yankovic’s ‘Smells Like Nirvana‘ or medleys like when Metallica included it in their tribute to MTV and the VMA Awards or even video mashups like this one of
Late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain has long been an inspiration to artists and creative types. Everything from books to music and collectibles have been created in his honor. The latest addition to that list is an upcoming sticker book inspired by the musical visionary titled ‘Kurt and the Gang.’ ‘Kurt and the Gang’ approaches Kurt from a whole new angle. It’s a sticker book collection with stickers highlighting the printed illustrations
If you didn’t spend your life savings purchasing the childhood home of Ronnie James Dio on eBay recently, there’s another auction up for grabs that might interest fans of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. With a claim to fame as being a “one of a kind piece of grunge rock history,” this beat up old 1972 Dodge van might not seem like much of a collectible at first glance, but