Grunge dominated alternative music in the 1990s. Its origins date back to influences from the 1970s and 1980s, as many of grunge’s biggest stars grew up in these decades. Their formative years played a major role in the grunge invasion of the 1990s.
“auf wiedersehen” by cheap trick (1978)
Many know Cheap Trick by their power pop hits of the late 1970s, such as “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender”. What many don’t realize is their important influence on 90s grunge. Notably, 90s artists such as Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl, and punk rocker Billie Joe Armstrong had admitted their love for Cheap Trick.
True fans would know that Cheap Trick’s deep tracks, such as “Auf Wiedersehen”, foreshadowed grunge. Specifically, “Auf Wiedersehen” could easily be a Nirvana track in some aspects. It’s about kamikaze pilots, with blistering vocals from Robin Zander shouting “suicide.” Cheap Trick had many dark tones in their early sound, and any alternative fans who aren’t aware should take a deep dive. They were very much ahead of their time.
“in my time of dying” by led zeppelin (1975)
Many grunge bands of the 1990s cited Led Zeppelin as a major influence. Among those, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots carried over familiar elements of Led Zeppelin into the decade. Notably, the last song Chris Cornell performed live before his untimely death in 2017 was a cover of “In My Time Of Dying”. Stone Temple Pilots’ second album, Purple, is their most prominently Zeppelin-inspired release. “Still Remains” features a drum beat eerily similar to “When The Levee Breaks”.
“where is my mind?” by pixies (1988)
Kurt Cobain praised the Pixies and even admitted to ripping them off. In a 1994 Rolling Stone interview shortly before his death, Cobain explained how he wrote Nirvana’s breakthrough hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. “I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it.
He went on to say, “When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band – or at least in a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard”.
“Mean street” by van halen (1981)
Van Halen’s Fair Warning is among the band’s most overlooked material. The album is laced with dark themes and a harder sound. This was quite different from the David Lee Roth era of the band, which was normally party rock anthems. “Mean Street” is about the ghetto in a city and walking the dangerous streets at night. Alice in Chains’ guitarist Jerry Cantrell credits Eddie Van Halen as a major influence. The band even opened for Van Halen on a 1991 tour. They’ve also credited bands and artists such as Black Sabbath, Elton John, and Deep Purple as major influences.
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