With our previous pop-punk wedding list, there were many more songs to choose from. Almost too many, as pop-punk leaves more room for transparent love songs. But grunge doesn’t exactly lend itself to romantic love songs. Not a criticism, just a fact of the genre. If you want a raging bummer about heartbreak and betrayal, grunge has got you. But it’s lacking a bit in the sugary-sweet forever love department.
However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play grunge at your wedding. Just, maybe not if you’re planning something more traditional. This one’s for those who want something a bit more offbeat, unexpected, or totally out of the ordinary.
“All Night Thing” by Temple of the Dog
“All Night Thing” appeared on Temple of the Dog’s singular 1991 album, and it depicts more of a scandalous scene that might delight a more alternative couple. If your reception is being held in a dive bar, this is a great song for the playlist. The opening lines, “She motioned to me that she wanted to leave / And go somewhere warm where we’d be alone,” have that secret sort of intimacy that comes with a longtime relationship. Sneaking out of a party to go home and have sex all night long? The perfect song for the end of the night.
“And I Love Her” by Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain’s cover of a 1964 Beatles track appeared on the 2015 Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings compilation, which accompanied the documentary of the same name. His cover of “And I Love Her” takes a syrupy-sweet early Beatles love song and takes it down to the lowest tones possible. Here, he turns a saccharine song into something more tortured, more quintessentially grunge. But it remains romantic even with those changes. This one is great for a slow dance, maybe under a disco ball at your local punk venue somewhere.
“Loud Love” by Soundgarden
Soundgarden released “Loud Love” on their 1989 album, and it’s a rowdy early grunge track seeking a similarly explosive romance. “There’s no time to keep it low / I’ve been deaf, now I want noise” in the first verse calls out for the titular loud love. Desire, need, sexual energy, all rolled into a rollicking grunge song. It’s perfect for early in the party, when excitement is high, and the thrill of getting married is still fresh on your mind. Whether you had a kitschy ceremony in Las Vegas, a big to-do in a fancy venue, a courthouse wedding, or a backyard shindig, the after-party is crucial. It’s the most important part of a wedding, I’d argue. And so “Loud Love” should go on early and, obviously, loud as hell.
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