Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Grunge1988

Second genre

Hard rock1968

Head to headGrunge vs Hard rock
Grunge: heaviness 6, melody 8, speed 5. Hard rock: heaviness 6, melody 8, speed 6.Heaviness6 / 6Melody8 / 8Speed5 / 6
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Sabbath riffs and Zeppelin drums are both here, but hard rock is confident and grunge is not. The genre is built on hard rock played by people embarrassed to be doing it.

Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 140 bpm. To hear the difference, play Nirvana next to Led Zeppelin. They share a root in rock, and hard rock came first, by twenty years.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Grunge6
Hard rock6
level
Speed
Grunge5
Hard rock6
+1
Melody
Grunge8
Hard rock8
level

Grunge

1988 · Seattle, USA · 1 subgenre

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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Hard rock

1968 · UK / USA · 4 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock

In short

Louder volume, thicker riffs, vocals pushed to the edge. Heavy metal splits off from it, but hard rock stays closer to the blues and to the chorus.

How it sounds

  • Riffs built on power chords, with palm muting and constant distortion.
  • Vocals pushed into the high register, often right at the edge of a rasp.
  • A heavy rhythm section that still grooves - the bass stays melodic rather than doubling the guitar.

Key acts

  • Led Zeppelin
  • Deep Purple
  • AC/DC
  • Guns N' Roses

Start here

The pickDeep Purple - Machine Head. Six songs, all essential.

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