The difference, by ear
Grunge is one city's answer inside this branch, between 1988 and 1993. Alternative is the category; grunge is Seattle.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 150 bpm. To hear the difference, play R.E.M. next to Nirvana. Grunge grew out of alternative rock, three years later.
In figures
Alternative rock
Where it sits
In short
An umbrella for everything that grew outside commercial radio and then conquered it. Defined originally by the college-radio network, not by any one sound.
How it sounds
- No single sound - originally defined by the distribution channel rather than by style.
- What the bands share: less glossy production and less predictable structures than radio rock.
- Quiet-loud dynamics, popularised by the Pixies and copied by everyone after 1991.
Key acts
- R.E.M.
- Pixies
- Nirvana
- Radiohead
Start here
The pickPixies - Doolittle. Cobain admitted he was simply trying to write a Pixies song.
Full page →Grunge
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Grunge
In short
Punk plus Black Sabbath plus flannel: quiet verse, exploding chorus and lyrics about self-disgust.
How it sounds
- Quiet verse, chorus at full distortion - the dynamic taken from the Pixies.
- Guitars sometimes tuned a whole step down, through simple fuzz pedals.
- Hoarse vocals with lyrics about self-disgust, apathy and unfocused anger.
Key acts
- Nirvana
- Soundgarden
- Alice in Chains
- Pearl Jam
Start here
The pickAlice in Chains - Dirt. The heaviest and bleakest record the scene produced.
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