“Hunted Down” was Soundgarden’s first standalone single released through Sub Pop Records in 1987. Not only was the song and its B-side “Nothing to Say” fantastic, but it was the first single Sub Pop ever released by an artist. So it was monumental for Soundgarden, for the label and for grunge in general.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
1988: Mudhoney, ‘Touch Me I’m Sick’<\/h2>\n
Mudhoney<\/a> were another pivotal group to the formation of grunge in the late ’80s and their first single was “Touch Me I’m Sick,” which was also released through Sub Pop and quickly became one of the defining songs of the early grunge era. Its fuzzy guitars, aggressive energy and punk-driven sound helped establish the blueprint for a lot of grunge hits that came later.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n We sort of bent the rules a little bit for this year because Nirvana’s “About a Girl” was not a massive hit in 1989. It was\u00a0<\/em>featured on the band’s debut album that came out that year, but it actually became one of the band’s defining songs several years later after\u00a0Nevermind\u00a0<\/em>came out and\u00a0Bleach\u00a0<\/em>was re-released through DGC Records. Regardless, it was still one of the most important early grunge songs.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Alice in Chains were actually the first grunge band to achieve major commercial success with their 1990 debut album\u00a0Facelift,\u00a0<\/em>which was the first grunge album to land in the Top 50 of the Billboard<\/em> 200\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>to be certified gold. Of course, “Man in the Box” was really the breadwinner from that album because it gave the band huge exposure on the radio and MTV, but the album’s opener “We Die Young” is a visceral, two-and-a-half minute punch to the gut that’s remained\u00a0one of the band’s most beloved songs among fans for decades.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Choosing a best album and a best song for the year 1991 always feels impossible because of all the amazing releases that came out that year: Screaming Trees<\/a>‘\u00a0Uncle Anesthesia,\u00a0<\/em>TAD<\/a>‘s\u00a08-Way Santa,\u00a0<\/em>Temple of the Dog,\u00a0<\/em>Mudhoney’s\u00a0Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge,\u00a0<\/em>Pearl Jam<\/a>‘s\u00a0Ten,\u00a0<\/em>Soundgarden’s\u00a0Badmotorfinger\u00a0<\/em>and of course, Nirvana’s\u00a0Nevermind.<\/em><\/p>\n There really is no right answer for the year 1991, but we went with the obvious, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” If it weren’t for the success of that song, a lot of the other albums we just mentioned may not have become as legendary and widely-known as they are today. Grunge was already on its way into the spotlight, but\u00a0Nevermind\u00a0<\/em>was what helped it break through.<\/p>\n For that, we owe a lot to “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Alice in Chains arguably put out the strongest grunge album of 1992:\u00a0Dirt.\u00a0<\/em>Its closing track, “Would?,” was written as a tribute to late Mother Love Bone<\/a> vocalist Andy Wood<\/a>, who died in 1990 at the age of 24. Not only was it a tribute to him, but it was featured on the soundtrack for the Cameron Crowe film\u00a0Singles\u00a0<\/em>and they actually had a cameo performing the song during the movie.<\/p>\n The song has an ominous vibe, complemented by Jerry Cantrell<\/a> and Layne Staley<\/a>‘s signature vocal harmonies and remains one of the most celebrated songs of the era.\u00a0The band nearly left it off Dirt<\/em>, but the album feels all the more complete because they didn’t.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Pearl Jam were still a relatively new band in 1993, as they’d only formed three years earlier after the death of Wood and the breakup of Mother Love Bone. But ’93 was definitely their year: their sophomore album\u00a0Vs.<\/em>\u00a0debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard<\/em> 200 and its intense opening track “Go”\u00a0was its lead single.<\/p>\n “Go” immediately set the tone for Vs.<\/em>\u00a0and proved that the album was louder, faster and more aggressive than much of Ten.\u00a0<\/em>It\u00a0proved Pearl Jam didn’t want to repeat themselves \u2014 instead, they highlighted\u00a0their raw energy and\u00a0cemented themselves as one of Seattle’s biggest bands.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Soundgarden had been around for a full decade by the time their true\u00a0mainstream breakthrough,\u00a0Superunknown<\/em>, came out in early 1994. Now, it was their turn to dominate. “Black Hole Sun” is a song known around the world but “The Day I Tried to Live” fully encapsulates everything that made Soundgarden who they were.<\/p>\n Packed with odd time signatures, a bold rhythm section, menacing guitar work and otherworldly vocals, “The Day I Tried to Live”\u00a0showed that Soundgarden were capable of evolving and broadening their fanbase without sacrificing the complex and unusual musicianship that made them so appealing in the first place.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n At a time when grunge’s momentum was starting to slow down, Mad Season were a supergroup formed by several key players of the scene: Staley of Alice in Chains, Mike McCready<\/a> of Pearl Jam, Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees<\/a> (with contributions from Mark Lanegan<\/a>) and John Baker Saunders. Together, they created an adventurous and hypnotic set of songs that explored the depths of blues, psychedelia and jazz more than their respective bands had ever done.<\/p>\n “River of Deceit” is the most well-known song of the batch, though it still doesn’t typically receive the recognition it deserves. It has an airy, delicate feel to it that’s complemented by light instrumentation that allows Staley’s soothing vocals\u00a0room to breathe.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Speaking of Screaming Trees, they released one of their\u00a0strongest albums in 1996 with Dust<\/em>. By this point, many of grunge’s biggest bands had either stepped out of the spotlight, broken up or\u00a0were experimenting\u00a0far beyond their signature sound while Screaming Trees became tighter than ever by refining the psychedelic, bluesy sound that had always set them apart from their peers.<\/p>\n “All I Know” is the defining track on\u00a0Dust.\u00a0<\/em>It’s the perfect blend of swampy psychedelic rock, gritty distortion and Pacific Northwest attitude. Plus, it saw commercial success and became their only Top 10 hit. As one of the last great singles from grunge’s heyday, it’s a fitting song to close the chapter with.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n1989: Nirvana, ‘About a Girl’<\/h2>\n
1990: Alice in Chains, ‘We Die Young’<\/h2>\n
1991: Nirvana, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’<\/h2>\n
1992: Alice in Chains, ‘Would?’<\/h2>\n
1993: Pearl Jam, ‘Go’<\/h2>\n
1994: Soundgarden, ‘The Day I Tried to Live’<\/h2>\n
1995: Mad Season, ‘River of Deceit’<\/h2>\n
1996: Screaming Trees, ‘All I Know’<\/h2>\n