Grunge is the kind of fresh genre that just keeps coming back into style, decades after its first wave happened in the 1990s. And some songs from the grunge era are so good, even non-fans who weren’t even alive in the 1990s can vibe with them. I think the following three songs really fit that bill.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana from ‘Nevermind’ (1991)
This is kind of a cheesy addition to our list, considering “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is basically the most famous grunge song of all time. But it’s the greatest for a reason, and this Kurt Cobain-penned classic still pulls in new listeners of all ages, more than three decades later.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana was a Top 10 hit across the board in 1991. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the UK Singles chart.
“Would?” by Alice In Chains from ‘Dirt’ (1992)
Maybe I’m biased, considering this is my favorite Alice In Chains song. But you can’t beat Layne Staley’s powerful vocal delivery and the deep, bassy drive of this song. It sounds very of its time, yet still surprisingly current. Maybe it’s the restraint in Staley’s voice, or the overall vibe of the song. Either way, “Would?” is still a banger after all these years.
The alt-rock jam “Would?” by Alice In Chains was quite a hit in 1992. It peaked at No. 19 on the UK Singles chart, though it only made it to No. 31 on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US.
“Violet” by Hole from ‘Live Through This’ (1995)
Hole dished out quite a few songs that young listeners still love after all these years. “Violet” makes it to our list of grunge songs from the 1990s that still sound surprisingly fresh today because of how insanely cathartic it is. They really don’t make ‘em like this anymore. And those melodic verses combined with Courtney Love basically screaming the vocal track really make this one a grunge classic for the ages.
The punk-leaning grunge song “Violet” by Hole was a No. 29 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US. The song was even more successful in the UK, where it peaked at No. 17.
Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns
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