Some of the best grunge albums of all time lean a little heavy on the best songs being at the top of the tracklist.
Like, I’m not trying to arbitrarily talk s*** or anything, but, for example, Stone Temple Pilots’ Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. I just check out about halfway through. Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy is like that, too. For me, aside from “Satan’s Bed”, I can’t follow it all the way down.
There are some grunge albums, however, that are hammered down by a killer closer. Let’s talk about a few.
“This Ain’t Pleasure” (‘Bricks Are Heavy’) by L7
There’s no denying that Bricks Are Heavy, by L7, is one of the greatest grunge albums of all time. What really drives that home is how perfectly they stuck the landing with “This Ain’t Pleasure”, the final song on the album.
It’s somehow simultaneously an homage to doom metal and punk. Blending perfectly into a grungy ball of rock ‘n’ roll, it is one heavy anchor for the iconic album.
“New Damage” (‘Badmotorfinger’) by Soundgarden
Soundgarden’s third album, Badmotorfinger, is a wild ride. It literally starts with “Rusty Cage”, one of the biggest grunge songs of all time, and takes you on a dirty, heavy journey before concluding with the wildly underrated tune “New Damage”.
The song oozes with bluesy groove, and up to this point in their career, it’s some of the best vocals Chris Cornell ever delivered.
“Would?” (‘Dirt’) by Alice in Chains
As soon as the bass line kicks in, you just know what you’re in for.
Following a cascade of some of the best grunge/rock songs of all time (“Rooster”, “Rain When I Die”, etc.) on the same tracklist, no less, is the Alice In Chains masterpiece “Would?”
The tune is dark and muggy, and, at its core, heavier than just about anything any of the grunge bands were doing in the early ’90s.
“All Apologies” (‘In Utero’) by Nirvana
The last song on Nirvana’s last album, In Utero. A compelling and fascinating finale to the genius who was Kurt Cobain.
To say that “All Apologies” is one of the best grunge album closers of all time is kind of an understatement. It’s just one of the greatest grunge songs of all time. Period.
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