When grunge broke through in 1991, it marked the official end of the 1980s. Rock bands were already beginning to shift out of glam metal BY 1990, trading makeup and leather for flannel shirts and torn-up jeans. Nirvana broke alternative music into the mainstream in 1991, introducing the whole world to grunge.
To survive, multiple rock bands of the 70s and 80s shifted their sound towards alternative. These classic rock bands made a grunge-inspired album in the 1990s, adapting to change.
‘Cheap trick ’97’ by cheap trick
The Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Bill Corgan spoke on Cheap Trick’s shift to grunge in a recent interview. On the Lipps Service podcast with Scott Lipps, Corgan explained, “I saw Cheap Trick play a radio show and I went to the show thinking ‘I’d like to see Cheap Trick. I’m a celebrity, I get a free ticket.’ It wasn’t sold out, the vibe was kind of musty, and Cheap Trick’s set was kind of Greatest Hits-ish.”
Corgan explained that in 1994, he wrote a letter to guitarist Rick Nielsen. He expressed what the band meant to the alternative community. In the letter, he mentioned that he, Kurt Cobain, and Courtney Love loved Cheap Trick. From then on, Cheap Trick ditched the classic rock circuit and began catering to the alternative community. Years later, Nielsen openly credited Corgan for this shift. Cheap Trick’s second eponymous album featured elements of grunge while also returning to Cheap Trick’s original 1970s sound.
‘carnival of souls’ by kiss
In 1996, Kiss embarked on a legendary reunion tour featuring all four original members. Due to this, Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Singer were out of a job, and their new album release was cancelled. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley favored the reunion tour instead. Kiss turned to grunge on Carnival Of Souls, which could’ve been seen as a risk for the group to change their sound once more. Due to circulating bootleg fan copies, Kiss eventually released Carnival Of Souls: The Final Sessions in 1997.
‘slang’ by def leppard
Def Leppard took a big risk on Slang in 1996, abandoning their signature arena rock sound. The album contained elements of grunge and alternative rock, and proved the band had flexibility. This risk was well worth it for the band, as Slang hit No. 14 on the Billboard 200. The band was able to express themselves more personally on this album, as they had endured hardships leading up to the album. Alternative music did them a favor by providing a personal approach for the band.
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