Seattle Scene · 1986–1994
Scenes › Seattle
Seattle
In short
A local scene and a marketing mythology, built deliberately and then overtaken by its own success.
The scene
Sub Pop built the scene and the story about the scene at the same time, complete with a house producer, a singles club and a photographer. It worked: Nirvana signed to a major and changed the industry within six months. The burnout was proportionate — five years after the breakthrough, the label was in trouble, the bands were in retreat, and the word had become an insult.
What happened