Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s in Seattle, blending punk’s raw energy and DIY ethic with the heavy riffs of 1970s metal. Defined by distorted guitars, sludgy rhythms, angst-filled lyrics, and gritty, slurred vocals, it rejected the excess of mainstream 1980s rock. Grunge’s lyrical themes often explored apathy, social alienation, and disillusionment, achieving commercial breakthrough in the early 1990s with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.