posted by Robert on Jul 10
2. Pearl Jam
Another Seattle native is the band Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam’s album “Ten” is commonly received as that of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”, the albums which geared their way towards mainstream music of the 1990s alternative. While “Nevermind” was considered to be the greater mainstream mover, Pearl Jam’s “Ten” was in second place. This album won platinum twelve times and is the most successful album of the band.
At the early stages of its career, Pearl Jam has been criticized as a “corporate cash-in”. However, the band had different causes that made it admirable and such causes were the going against “rock star excess”, their public dispute with Ticketmaster, and their rejection of making music videos of their shows. Ultimately, it is very noteworthy that Pearl Jam had outlived many of the members of its generation, considering the problems and issues that came with the success of grunge music.
posted by Robert on May 11
3. Stone Temple Pilots
One grunge band from outside of Seattle is Stone Temple Pilots. STP had so much going on for them that made it as one of the more prominent names in the genre of 1990s alternative. The group had over 17 million albums sold in the United States alone, fifteen singles topped the Billboard charts, a Best Hard Rock Performance” Grammy award, and a number of American Music awards.
Alongside STP’s fame was a load of harsh criticisms against them. They rose so quickly upon the release of their debut album Core and their fans grew more and more. The Rolling Stone magazine declared them as the Best New Band but their music critics said otherwise Worst New Band. However, before actually disbanding in the year 2002, the group released four more albums that were all successful, and this made STP leave a deep mark in the grunge music scene.
posted by Robert on Mar 8
4. Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains, formed in 1987, is also from Seattle. The band released three albums as well as an EP entitled Jar of Flies. To date, this EP was the one which sold over ten million copies around the world. Alice in Chains signature was their intense guitar and distortion music and such was truly manifested in their album Dirt.
However, the popularity of grunge music and its bad side effects took toll on the band. Alice in Chains was truly successful with its career but vocalist Layne Staleys problem with drug addiction greatly affected the future of the band. His death due to substance overdose led to the unofficial disbanding of the grunge group.
posted by Robert on Jan 20
One of the most successful Irish bands ever to stem from the conflict torn land that was Ireland, at a time when it was still hoping for full autonomy from the British who have ruled and enforced rule on its people for years. The band started out as remnants of Limerick, the two brothers Noel Anthony and Michael Gerard Hogan teamed up with Fergal Lawler a drummer to form the group with Niall Quin as lead vocals. The band placed an add for a female lead which Dolores O’Riordan took up and when she brought a rough version of “Linger” in, she was hired immediately setting of the band as one of the most successful alternative bands ever. Their first album “Everybody else is doing it , So why can’t we?” was released in 1993 followed by the single “Dreams” further established their place on the charts.
Their fame brought initiative to get into their own acts with the band last performing as a group in 2003. There have been a lot of rumors as to when and if the band will be re-grouping and once again work together but they have all shown signs that the time has not yet come for they are still enjoying their individual careers, as of the moment. The band’s music is a diverse mix of Alternative, Indie and Celtic styles which has helped them gain popularity all over the world. Time will come when the band might decide to re-group and grace the world of music which eagerly awaits their return.
posted by Robert on Aug 11
image source: www.kenphillipsgroup.com
After their new success with the Appetite for Construction Tour, the band Switchfoot has yet again gone on board on another tour, Up in Arms Tour. The band has decided to go back to their preferred venue demographic following their mainly arena / small stadium tours for Appetite, the venues being college campuses, small amphitheatres, and small rock clubs. The trip will be a one month long concert tour and will see the band teaming up with philantrophic organization To Write Love on Her Arms. The UK pop rock outfit, Athlete, will be the opening act for every show. Throughout the tour, other rock bands such as Sparky’s Flow, The Myriad, etc. are usual to open for Switchfoot.
Switchfoot has been actively concerned in a number of humanitarian causes, as well as DATA, the ONE Campaign, the Keep A Breast Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Invisible Children, and To Write Love on Her Arms. On top to supporting those causes Switchfoot has fronted the Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest and the online magazine lowercase people.
posted by Robert on Jun 4
The 1990s was a decade of good music. Disco music and new wave of the 80s was taken over by alternative rock, in particular, grunge. With its heavily distorted guitar sound and voice quality so dense, grunge music embodied emotional and taboo topics and made it heard.
Often known as the Sound of Seattle, the top 5 grunge bands of all time are all natives of Seattle.
In enumerating the best bands of the grunge music scene then, (and justifying the choices in the process,) the following five of the biggest band names of the movement definitely made their mark in half-decade run highlighted by bands quick rise to fame and success but marred by problems such as drug abuse and a short period of fame for rock bands.
5. Soundgarden
Formed in 1984, Soundgarden did not actually gain recognition until the 1990s, the same time that Nirvana and Pearl Jam made grunge music sell. Soundgarden most important and most successful album was Superunknown, which was released in 1994. It was nominated for the Best Rock Album in the 1995 Grammy Awards and ranked first place in the Billboard Top 200. Their singles Black Hole Sun and Spoonman from the said album each earned a Grammy award.
TO BE CONTINUED
posted by Robert on May 8
Few bands were able to surpass the greatness of Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of rock and heavy metal, the British quartet created a huge, mock-operatic sound with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen’s music boasted the motto that “no synthesizers were used on this record,” as vocalist Freddie Mercury directed the group toward pseudo-classical arrangements as epitomized on their best-known song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Mercury, was a flamboyant bisexual who managed to keep his sexuality in the closet until his death from AIDS in 1991. His sexuality was never a hindrance throughout Queen’s music, that would have been impossible without Mercury, one of the most dynamic and charismatic frontmen in rock history.
After the death of Freddie Mercury, the remaining members of Queen held a memorial concert at Wembley Stadium to raise money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a foundation advocating for AIDS awareness. Guest artists such as David Bowie, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Def Leppard, and Guns N’ Roses, paid tribute to Queen’s vocalist who have made a name in the rock music industry.
Photo credit here
posted by Robert on Feb 18
1. Nirvana
The Number One grunge band of all time is Nirvana. Its single Smells Like Teen Spirit from the album Nevermind was astonishingly conquering the alternative scene and it can be said that Nirvana had the power to have single-handedly brought grunge music its commercial success. The album Nevermind sold more than ten million copies in the U.S. and sold more than twenty-five million copies around the world. As Michael Azerrad of the Rolling Stones said, Nirvana was the flagship band of Generation X.
Nirvana was a band so passionate with its craft in music that it took a number of drummers before the band actually settled with Dave Grohl. Some songs in the album, such as All Apologies and Heart-Shaped Box has to be revised as it did not come out perfect-sounding.
After Kurt Cobains sudden death on April 8, 1994, Nirvana also died. It was a very tragic decline for the band which independently amplified the sound of grunge to a vast extent. Still, Nirvana fans proved to be loyal to the legacy that Cobain left.