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Grunge culture
Grunge introduction
How grunge music changed america
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Grunge
In the isolated city of Seattle during the mid 1980's a new sound and attitude was developing. Although it didn't yet have a coined term it would later become know as Grunge, "originally a tounge-in cheek term for the pungent guitar noise propagated by the cultish independent label Sub Pop" ("Grunge"). This mix of 70's metal and early 80's punk blasted into mainstream America and brought the hard rock sound of the 70's back to life, but the sudden, unexpected and to some unwanted, fame and popularity would prove to much for it and like so many pop culture movements before, it would fade away under the pressure("History"). Grunge owes it's start in part to the area in which it was created, Seattle was isolated, untouched by major record labels and looked over by the major touring acts at the time. It's atmosphere and attitude built up the Grunge sound and allowed it to develop before it was discovered. Then in the early 90's a small trio who called themselves Nirvana burst into the
mainstream and set the record charts on their ears. The gates were opened but soon the rush proved to much and Grunge was lost in a flood of it's own stardom, dead to most it slunk back to the isolation it spawned from.
While the isolation of Seattle was vital to the development of Grunge it may have also been the key to it's downfall. Without the stain of major labels in the city the bands didn't know what
to expect from them. The freedom of no major record labels allowed musicians to make music to please their friends ("Grunge City"). The dreary rainy atmosphere of Seattle resulted in grunge, it was the sound of a group of friends going into a basement on a rainy day drinking beer and jamming. ("Grunge City") Everyone was friends, "...
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Laurie, Peter. "Blaming Cobain for suicides obscures a growing problem Media, police quick to find a pat answer for tragedy in Langely." The Toronto Star 30 Oct. 1994, Final ed.: Pg. E11.
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe. 25 Oct. 2000
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Leland, John, and Marc Peyser. "Searching for Nirvana
II." Newsweek 30 Mar. 1992, United States ed.:Pg. 62.
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Mehle, Michael. "Plugged in to NIRVANA." Denver Rocky
Mountain News 1 Nov. 1994, Final ed.: Pg. 6D.
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Violanti, Anthony. "ROCK'S RELUCTANT REVOLUTIONARY." The Buffalo News 15 Apr. 1994, City ed.: Pg. 22.
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“Why The Grateful Dead Were the Greatest American Rock Band:, BlogCritics, BlogCritics, 2014, web, 16 April 2014
Grunge writing as described in Ian Sysons lecture and article Smells Like Market Spirit is to be a fad or marketing ploy to cash in on the grunge scene and to have the same properties and appeal as grunge music, which emerged from Seattle’s underground just before the emergence of grunge writing in Australia. The properties of grunge music are raw sound, distorted guitars, contrasting song dynamics, focus on music, rejection of theatrics, inspired by metal/indie/rock/punk, angst filled lyrics, and an appeal towards the disgruntled youth of generation X. Loaded does not fit into the genre of grunge writing in relation to the description of grunge music.
Before Nirvana’s reign started in 1991, the music industry was filled by other fancy-dressing rock bands and strategically marketed mainstream pop stars, with no space for alternative music to establish and promote their music to wider audiences. Michael Jackson, for instance, accurately represents the status that pop music had the biggest share of the music market, with his album Dangerous topping the Billboard 200 Chart at the beginning of 1992 (Burlingame, Kurt Cobain: “Oh well, Whatever Nevermind”). Eventually, Dangerous topped the Billboard 200 chart for more than one month after the album’s release, which also proves the commercial success of Michael Jackson and the pop music industry as a whole. On the other hand, Rock ’n’ Roll music flourished almost exclusively in the form now known as Hair Metal.... ... middle of paper ...
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.
Music in America in the late 1980s saw a revolution in the form of a whole new genre, which would later be known as ‘grunge’. It is perhaps one of America’s most notable contributions to the music world. Grunge originated in Seattle and spread through the United States over the 1990s. It also influenced the international music scene, inspiring artists, and creating a huge world-wide fan base. The music was inspired by punk rock, but had more edgy riffs coupled with emotive, sometimes heavy lyrics. This type of music reached out to and addressed an oppressed and often abused audience. The angry musical riffs, paired with lyrics that most young Americans could relate to, or had even experienced, made grunge instantly popular. Grunge revolutionized not only music in America, but also left its mark on American culture. Grunge, as a genre of music and as a lifestyle, broke away from the glamour of the mainstream music world, allowing people to express themselves through music that was relatable and real.
Kurt Cobain the singer and guitarist of the 90s band Nirvana which was an alternative rock band from 1988 to 1994. Cobain was born in the town of Aberdeen Washington. Aberdeen is a rural white trash town that borders Seattle the birth place of “Grunge”. Before them at record stores there were special sections for alternative music, they popularized it. However many grunge bands were around such as Mud Honey and The Melvins.
...le genres of music have been accused of selling out during the 80's Heavy Metal and Glam Rock were fused by bands such as Motley Crue and Poison to make Glam Metal which hardcore metal fans hated as it was not deemed authentic due to its over the top and feminine feel.
Many people have heard or were even fans of the famous band Nirvana. Even if the name isn't entirely familiar, songs from them are popularly known because of the band's great success. On April 5, 1994, the world lost a legendary rock singer, Kurt Cobain. Being the front man of the successful band Nirvana, he created a new era of rock called grunge. Along with the predictable troubles of fame came difficulties in Kurt's life, struggling with his drug addiction, spasmodic behavior, and medical problems that were never examined nor treated. One might agree and say yes, it is obvious Kurt committed suicide but many others beg to differ. His death greatly affected Nirvana fans and some began to speculate that his death, in fact, was not a suicide. Even though Kurt Cobain's life was difficult with the fame and his bipolar disorder, his death isn't believed to be suicidal because, he and his wife, Courtney Love, were on bad terms; he was leaving behind a two-year-old daughter, and Nirvana was at the height of its success.
The New Republic, Vol. 210. (1994): May, pp. 39-42. Wattenberg, Daniel.
nineties alternative music tried to save rock and roll, but it was too big of a
In closing, the undoubtable influence of music, more specifically of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation and racial desegregation all culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the desperate attempts of older generations to smother these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, molding the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes as well as individual involvement in them has also eased the lives of many through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite a lull and renewal Rock ‘n’ Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today’s youth culture and continues to burn in the heart of past generations of loyal fans.
In high school Cobain befriended a gay student and had to endure bullying from people who though he was gay. Cobain later admitted that he was “gay in spirit” and “probably could be bisexual” (“The Dark Side,” 1992). He dropped out of high school two weeks before graduation because he did not have enough credits, and became a janitor. It was in high school, however, that the beginnings of Cobain’s career were formed. He met Krist Novoselic, and later co...
McLeese, Don. “The Spirit of a Rocker.” New York Times. 18 October 1987. Web. 11
The rise of rock and roll into the limelight is to a large extent attributed to the teenagers of the 1950’s. Early rock music listened to by teenagers during the 1950’s was formed by blending together Rhythm and blues with country music. This kind of ...
First, let us define what grunge is and where it comes from. Grunge as defined by web encyclopedia alt.culture is the cumulative influences of punk and ‘70s heavy metal (plus rain, coffee, cheap, potent beer, and occasionally heroin), a cohort of Seattle bands developed a soulful hard rock variant that was instrumental to alternative music’s early-‘90s move underground (altculture. com). Among the bands included in the definition Nirvana would be mainly the one that made this phenomenon popular. Released in 1991, Nevermind—a record by an obscure band working in a genre considered as hopelessly uncommercial—launched the grunge phenomenon and marked an era of unprecedented exposure for alternative acts. Then other bands like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Candlebox followed the trail that Nirvana started in the grunge w...