ORIGIN AND HISTORY (grunge

subculture)
 The word, ‘grunge,’ actually means ‘dirt.’ The
distorted and dirty guitars and vocals — as well
as the sloppy appearance of the band members
— in this style of alternative rock could be one
reason for the use of this word. The actual first
person known to coin the term ‘grunge’ was a
writer, Paul Ramball. He wrote for
the NME (New Musical Express — a British
music magazine), and he used the term in his
1978 article to describe popular guitar rock
music. But many people attribute the term
‘grunge’ to Mark Arm, the lead singer for the
Seattle band Green River
Music of the Grunge Subculture

Think loud, and sometimes sloppy,

distorted guitars, heavy drums, and
(sometimes) screaming vocals. The lyrics
are often dark and sad, and can be
about discontent with life, relationship
problems, depression, suicide, etc. Some
of the first bands in the grunge music
genre in the late 80s and early 90s were
Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains,
Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots.
In the mid 90s, there was an explosion of what
is referred to as the ‘post-grunge’ era of
bands; they spouted some of the same
attitudes as the grunge era, but produced
music that was less ‘dirty,’ and more radio
friendly. Some of these bands include the Foo
Fighters (actually started by Nirvana drummer,
Dave Grohl), Bush, and Matchbox Twenty.
FOO FIGHTERS (BAND)
Alternative-rock music, with its depressing
lyrics, became so popular because it often
resonated with youth who were disgruntled
with society, or felt like outcasts in a world in
which they did not fit. Fellow fans of
alternative and hard rock united and created
the subculture of grunge.
 Summary

The grunge subculture can be defined as a subculture that began in the 1980s

and exploded in the 1990s; it is comprised of alternative-rock music fans that
concede on their cynicism of societal norms, materialism, and conformity to
the masses. The word ‘grunge’ was first coined by writer Paul Ramball and later
by Green River’s lead singer, Mark Arm. The music of the grunge subculture is
marked by its distorted and loud guitars, drums and vocals. The lyrics are
usually dark and depressing, often about social injustices or relationship
problems. The rock bands that inspired this subculture are Nirvana,
Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. Post-grunge
bands included Foo Fighters, Bush, and Matchbox Twenty.