The Grunge Tapes

For me, the grunge music phenomenon began in the fall of 1991 when I was a high school senior in New York. Some friends and I had gone into the city to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers play at Roseland Ballroom and the opening acts were Smashing Pumpkins and some scruffy dudes from Seattle called Pearl Jam who were selling or giving away cassette tape copies of their demo.

Pearl Jam at Roseland Ballroom

The next day, my friend Mike and I were sitting in my car with Pearl Jam’s demo tape listening to a killer version of “Alive” which the band had played at Roseland the night before and which had blown the crowd away. The song finished and Mike and I looked at each other without speaking. I then hit the rewind button and we listened to the song again- and again. Grunge music never got much better than that for me but I still have a soft spot for bands that people used to listen to on cassette tapes. Here are some of my favorite grunge tunes. Enjoy!

Third Eye Blind

01. Pearl Jam – “Alive (2004 Remix)” (1991)
02. Third Eye Blind – “The Background” (1997)
03. Third Eye Blind – “Motorcycle Drive By” (1997)
04. Pearl Jam – “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” (1993)
05. Goo Goo Dolls – “Name” (1995)
06. Foo Fighters – “Times Like These” (2003)
07. Hole – “Celebrity Skin” (1998)
08. Pearl Jam – “Last Kiss” (1999)
09. Nirvana – “Love Buzz” (1989)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...