Grunge music is known for its seminal, groundbreaking bands. The musical movement first got started in the Pacific Northwest thanks to collectives like Green River, Soundgarden and Mudhoney. Then it blossomed into more iconic groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees and Alice in Chains. The legacy of these bands continue to live on today.
But some artists from those groups also went on to enjoy prominent solo careers. And that’s what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to explore four grunge icons who grew their legendary status thanks to side solo careers that often went in parallel to their careers in big name groups. Indeed, these are four grunge stars who also had solo careers.
Eddie Vedder
When some early demos found a young singer and surfer in Southern California, history was made. That’s when Eddie Vedder went out into the waves and wrote his first Pearl Jam lyrics. That band released their debut LP, Ten, in 1991. But some 16 years later, Vedder went out on a limb and released his first solo LP, the soundtrack for the film, Into the Wild. Since then, the deep-voiced singer has released a total of four solo albums, with the most recent, Earthling, coming in 2022. Today, Vedder continues to release new music and tour with Pearl Jam but he also maintains his own solo track.
Chris Cornell
Soundgarden was the first grunge band to garner a Grammy nomination and that alone sets them apart from their Pacific Northwest peers. But about 11 years after his band received that prestigious nom, Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell released his first solo album. Indeed, in 1999, Cornell dropped Euphoria Morning. He followed that up with three more solo records before he passed away in 2017. Then in 2020, the posthumous solo LP, No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1, found fans. Today, Cornell, who also sung in the bands Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, is remembered for his prolific output and big voice.
Mark Lanegan
The gravely-voiced singer Mark Lanegan rose to fame in the grunge group Screaming Trees. Known for songs like the 1992 number, “Nearly Lost You,” Screaming Trees would likely be the fifth face on the grunge Mount Rushmore if such a thing existed. But Lanegan did more work in music besides fronting that outfit. He also released a number of solo albums—11, to be exact—before he passed away in 2022. One standout for fans to check out is the 2017 LP, Gargoyle, which features the rumbling offering, “Emperor.” If you like that, you can check out Lanegan in other projects, including Mad Season and Queens of the Stone Age.
Jerry Cantrell
One of the two co-frontmen for the standout grunge group Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell wrote songs for the band like “Rooster.” But in 1998, Cantrell ventured off on a solo career, releasing the LP that year, Boggy Depot. Since then, he’s released four other solo records, including the most recent, I Want Blood, last year in 2024. With a penchant for brooding, guttural songs that resemble the grey, heavy vibes of his hometown PNW, Cantrell, who continues to release music with Alice in Chains these days, is a key figure in Seattle’s musical history, solo or otherwise.
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