Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam, Alternative Grunge bands from the 90s, were very influential to today’s bands. Grunge music started in the early 90s, mainly from the Seattle scene. Metallica, Kiss, and even Led Zeppelin helped make alternative music start. Although these bands were very famous in the 90s, many of them suffered from substance abuse and even depression. After years of being famous some bands split completely, some formed new bands with members in other bands, and even some stayed together and play together today. All bands believed that people should be able to afford music and listen to what they enjoy, not what other people want you to listen to. Bands from the 90s have influenced some of …show more content…
"Pearl Jam is much more than a popular band to the many who look to their emotion-driven music for comfort, solidarity, and a sense of connectedness," noted Guitar Player's Mike Mettler (“Pearl Jam” 1). Pearl Jam was led by their singer Eddie Vedder. Just like other bands Pearl Jam was played for the audience that wasn't quite popular. It was more for the misfit crowd, who latched onto it. Eddie Vedder was a huge part of Pearl Jam, because of his strong vocals, and being able to connect with his audience. Some of the music inspirations were from divorce, loss of parents, abandonment, and even being an outcast at school. Many of these bands suffered from all of these. In lyrics mixed with anger and sadness, it brought the band and the fans together as a whole. These bands such as, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and RATM, all had their troubles growing up. Some in which listened to classics like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and even some got their music inspirations from Metallica, Black Sabbath, Kiss (“Nirvana” 1 , “Alice in Chains” 1-2 …show more content…
When the band Rage Against the Machine spit, Zack de la Rocha wanted to go solo, while other members and even guitarist Tom Morello and frontman of Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, formed another big group called Audioslave (“ Without Rage, Just Music” 1). After Cobain’s death in Nirvana, they released some more albums, and even played some live shows for MTV. The death of Staley, of Alice in Chains, they began playing with a new singer, William Duvall. They continue to release albums and go on tours even today. Like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam still play and release albums today. Despite all of the success all these bands had, they still stayed true to their fans, and fought for what they would want, good music with a reasonable price. Bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana both wanted all their fans to be able to get their music and see them in shows. Pearl Jam took Ticketmaster to court and sued them for making their ticket prices so much and service charges. Ultimately Pearl Jam ended up paying for some of the service charges for each ticket sold so their fans get a little cheaper
The Grateful Dead spread their message of peace love and mind expansion across the globe for the better part of three decades. Few believe that there has ever been a more influential band in modern history. But all of this didn't come without great strife. From the beginning there have been several ups and downs with the band and its various members, from personal problems, to lable issues, to the issues they have always had with being on tour for so long. Very few bands are able to keep the same sound to their
The biggest influential song on Nirvana’s Nevermind album was the first song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It reached number 6 on the Top 40 Charts. This song was groundbreaking for Nirvana and the alternative music scene as a whole. After the release of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” white, middle-class youth of the United States finally had a style of music to call their own and express their “teenage anthems” (Stuessy, Joe). This was the first song to emerge from alternative rock and to be known in the mainstream of rock and roll, expressing their generation’s expectations, “...here we are now, entertain us”(Stuessy, Joe). “Smells like Teen Spirit” was Curt Cobain’s “attempt to write the ultimate pop song”(Nevermind, Nirvana). He used the soft-loud dynamics of his favorite band, the Pixies. The insidious hooks also showed his admiration for the Beatle’s John Lennon(Nevermind, Nirvana). The style used in this song is simple, plain, loud, and straight-forward. Musically, there is nothing very “innovative” or difficult. However, the reason it is important to rock history is because it brought America’s attention to the once before underground style of grunge. “A driving drum beat, powered by Novelsek’s rhythmic bass, and a memorable guitar riff and solo, mix perfectly with Kurt Cobain’s depressing yet humorous lyrics” (Kastner, Patrick). While it has certainly been overplayed in the past years, it is still an essential part of Rock history.
bands to ever become popular from this area. The lead singer of Pearl Jam is
Too many times bad situations are solved through violence, and there is never an ending to the pain through this method. However, music serves as a host to emotions, and can reach and connect people across the world. Whatever situation one is in, a song can provide hope, understanding, and comfort through the familiarity in the emotions sung about in the song.
This trio from Seattle appeared in the public consciousness in 1991 with their single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” full with pure, raw emotions which was new that time. Nirvana was formed by Kurt Cobain singer/guitarist and Krist Novoselic bassist in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. During their career, they had six drummers. Dave Grohl, who joined the band in 1990, was the longest-lasting. They released their first album Bleach in 1989; thereby they established itself as part of the grunge scene of Seattle. They often used quiet verses with heavy and very loud choruses and these dynamic contrasts became typical Nirvana sounding. As I mentioned it before, the complete popularity and success was after releasing the first single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from their second album Nevermind. Lead singer Kurt Cobain said the reason for he wrote this song was that he was feeling "disgusted with my generation's apathy, and with my own apathy and spinelessness." Krist Novoselic also added: "Kurt really despised the mainstream. That's what 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was all about: The mass mentality of conformity."
Eddie Vedder at lead singer, bass player Jeff Ament, drummer Matt Cameron, and guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard set off to start an unforgettable sound in punk rock which is known as the grunge era. Pearl Jam would start with their first album “Ten,” this album would then sell ten million copies. A lot of bands came out of
Nirvana played a huge part in music history not just in the United States of America but
Growing up in a broken home where sturdy spirits of alienation was abound, music became his true escape. Punk rock’s rebellious nature, was the total appeal and inspiration, for creating Nirvana in 1987. He gave the band that name since it means a place of perfect peace and happiness, like heaven. This is also the highest state that a person can achieve; a state of clarification, where someone’s desires and suffering goes away. Nirvana reached number one on the charts with multiple hit songs, including the album “Nevermind”. This band managed to start a grunge, punk rock movement, in the music industry thus causing a whole forthcoming of new grunge rock bands not only in Seattle, but all over the
Kurt Cobain was born on February 20th, 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington, a town with high drug and death rates which would later influence Kurts habits. He was forced to move from house to house, staying with relatives, on friends couches, and even in an underbridge passing due to his parents divorce at age eight. Throughout these short stays in many places it is said that Kurt was physically abused and exposed to drug abuse frequently(Gilmore 115). As a young child he was happy and artistic and as he began to play the guitar and other instruments he realized that music would be his “personal victory”(Gilmore 115). In 1987 he formed Nirvana with Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic staying mainly in the Seattle “grunge scene” an...
Radiohead’s third studio album OK Computer released in 1997, has had a remarkable impact and influence on the music produced within the 90s - especially looking at the genre of rock music (Azad, 2007: 139). The Album OK Computer attracted attention within the time of its release through the fact that they had the courage to confront what effects suburban division and technology’s impact on the human psyche, this encouraged the album in becoming a ‘Classic Rock Album’ (Azad, 2007:139).
..., Bad Brains were all heavily influenced by the punk revolution (History). Also, bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam seem to have the mind frames of punk rockers and were undoubtedly influenced by them, the sound doesn’t carry over into their own music.
the distraught crowd filled the air with profane chants, burnt their flannel shirts and fought with police.”(Ronson) “Nirvana's choice to honour bands and people that had influenced them and Cobain's passionate and intense vocals especially on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" silenced many of those who had labeled Cobain talentless.”(Ronson) Kurt Cobain had both a positive and negative influence. I know that while Kurt was alive he influenced culture positively. Some would say that “his” music was too loud and obnoxious. But what balanced out the loud was the truth in his lyrics. If Nirvana hadn’t been around, I don’t think there would have been such an impact by the grunge bands. If Cobain hadn’t committed suicide, I think that Nirvana might have burned out. Burning out was the opposite of what Kurt wanted. In all, I think that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana had more positive influence than negative. “I write poems for myself and I write poetry that gets torn apart and becomes songs. I have a lot of respect for words, the power of words.” -Kurt
A blend of influences from heavy metal to punk rock. This description embodies grunge as an attitude, a form of music and as a style. Grunge music hit the mainstream throughout the late 80’s into the early 90’s. Though grunge did not want to have either of these identities, punk or heavy metal, and in fact rebelled against them. Grunge is just one piece of a larger movement that originated in Seattle, Washington in the mid to late 1980’s. Music with a message. Grunge can be about a sense of rebellion and that is what it took most from punk, was that kick of rebellion, but in a far less political sense and instead, the cynicism was turned inward. Punk music with a message typically speaks out against authoritarianism, consumerism, governments
...riot and American Idiot. Our local rock bands also produce rock music which is similar with them. For example, Revolusi by Bunkface and rock songs by Lamb Of God. The conclusion is youth voiced out their thought and expressing their feelings about life and society through rock music.