In the early 90s, grunge music emerged into the mainstream and dominated alternative music. Nirvana lit this fire with their hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. In early 1992, Nirvana’s Nevermind went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Other grunge bands followed Nirvana into stardom, but the grunge movement was rather brief. Many claim grunge ended when Kurt Cobain died in April 1994. Therefore, up-and-coming grunge bands were then labeled as post-grunge. These 3 grunge bands never got as big as Nirvana.
Screaming Trees
Formed in 1984, Screaming Trees are among the pioneers of grunge in the mid-to-late 80s. They’re also from Washington, where the famous Seattle grunge scene emerged with bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam. These bands became the “Big Four” of grunge, while Screaming Trees struggled to match their success. They did, however, pen some notable grunge hits, including their 1992 hit “Nearly Lost You”. Even Kurt Cobain himself saw something in the band, choosing them to appear on the final day of the Reading Festival in 1992. The band never achieved the same level of success and eventually broke up in 2000 due to internal conflicts.
Local H
Most of the focus was on the Seattle grunge scene in the early 90s. As a result, Chicago-area grunge bands are often overlooked. Initially a trio, Local H achieved success as a two-piece guitar-and-drum combo, with drummer Joe Daniels unleashing some of the most explosive drum parts of the 90s. Guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas got his guitar modified, installing a bass pick for low tones. This made Local H one of the most unique grunge bands of the 90s.
Their debut album didn’t chart as high as expected, so the band quickly followed up with As Good As Dead in 1996. Their lead single from the album, “Bound For The Floor”, peaked at No. 5 on the Alternative Airplay chart. By then, grunge had fizzled out and suddenly turned into post-grunge, leaving Local H little room to capitalize.
Mother Love Bone
Frontman Andrew Wood left the pioneering grunge band Malfunkshun to join Mother Love Bone in 1987. Tragically, in 1990 Wood died from a drug overdose just before grunge broke into the mainstream. He never got to see how huge grunge became in the decade ahead. Members of Mother Love Bone dispersed to other groups, with bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Steve Gossard helping form Pearl Jam.
Wood’s roommate, Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, recorded a self-titled album, Temple Of The Dog, as a tribute to Wood. This project included future members of Pearl Jam, along with Cornell and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. Temple Of The Dog’s single “Hunger Strike” went to No. 4 on the Alternative Airplay chart in 1992.
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