The grunge genre is surprisingly good at producing catchy songs. Of course, the well-known bands are still relevant because they made such great songs, and it’s difficult to single out the best of all time. But, we tried anyway, and the results feature some grunge classics.
“Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots released “Plush” on their debut 1992 album Core, with one of the most recognizable and catchiest choruses in grunge. STP was pretty good at writing hooks in general, and it’s difficult to choose just one from their discography. But “Plush” stands out for its longevity despite almost unintelligible lyrics.
Overall, “Plush” was huge for the band, even though critics at the time found it derivative. Still, it was the first alt-rock song to top the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. Additionally, it earned Stone Temple Pilots an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 1993, and the 1994 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Now, it’s considered a staple of grunge, but it took a while to earn that respect.
“Even Flow” by Pearl Jam
“Even Flow” appeared on Pearl Jam’s 1991 debut album Ten. Another grunge band that has had a profound effect on alt-rock, Pearl Jam has an almost endless catalog of iconic choruses to choose from. But the tried-and-true “Even Flow” is never a disappointment.
However, diehard fans know that the original version of “Even Flow” actually was a disappointment, at least to the band. In 1992, they re-recorded a version that was eventually used in the music video (the concert footage by Josh Taft, not the strange zoo footage by Rocky Schenck). The updated “Even Flow” pleased the band a little more than the first. Either way, it’s still a rousing grunge classic.
“In Bloom” by Nirvana
“In Bloom” was released on Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind, and the chorus is pure Cobain derision and cynicism. It was originally written around 1989 about the vapid, shallow people who were flooding the underground scene. Re-recorded in 1991, it translated perfectly to Nirvana’s increasing mainstream visibility.
The chorus of “In Bloom” is so successful, however, that it becomes tragically ironic. It’s so catchy and memorable that people earnestly sing along, despite the sneering lyrics about not knowing what the song really means. Unfortunately, that was a byproduct of Nirvana’s success.
Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns
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