# List of American grunge bands

This is a list of American grunge bands. It includes rock bands and solo artists formed in the United States whose primary genre is grunge or either they have or had the elements of it in their music style. Grunge music is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. The grunge aesthetic is stripped-down compared to other forms of rock music, and many grunge musicians were noted for their unkempt appearances and rejection of theatrics.
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z
* See also
* External links
| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| 7 Year Bitch | 1990–1997 | Seattle, Washington | Sick 'Em (1992) ¡Viva Zapata! (1994) Gato Negro (1996) |

## A

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| The Afghan Whigs | 1986–Present | Cincinnati, Ohio | Big Top Halloween (1988) Up in It (1990) Congregation (1992) Gentlemen (1993) Black Love (1996) 1965 (1998) Do to the Beast (2014) In Spades (2017) How Do You Burn? (2022) |
| Alice in Chains | 1987–2002 / 2005–Present | Seattle, Washington | Facelift (1990) Dirt (1992) Alice in Chains (1995) Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013) Rainier Fog (2018) |
| Alice Donut | 1986–1996 / 2001 – Present | New York City, New York | Donut Comes Alive (1988) Bucketfulls of Sickness and Horror in an Otherwise Meaningless Life (1989) Mule (1990) Revenge fantasies of the impotent (1990) The Untidy Suicides of your Degenerate Children (1992) Pure Acid Park (1995) Three Sisters (2004) Fuzz (2006) Ten Glorious Animals (2009) |
| Alcohol Funnycar | 1991–1996 | Seattle, Washington | Burn (1993) Time To Make The Donuts (1993) Weasels (1995) |

## B

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Babes in Toyland | 1987–2001 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Spanking Machine (1990) Fontanelle (1992) Nemesisters (1995) |
| Big Chief | 1989–1996 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Face (1991) Mack Avenue Skullgame (1993) Platinum Jive (1994) |
| Blind Melon | 1990–1999 / 2006–2008 / 2010–Present | Los Angeles, California | Blind Melon (1992) Soup (1995) For My Friends (2008) |
| Blood Circus | 1988–1989 / 1992 / 2007 | Seattle, Washington | Primal Rock Therapy (1989) Dead Beats (2019) |
| Bullet LaVolta | 1987-1992 | Boston, Massachusetts | The Gift (1989) Swandive (1992) |
| Bundle of Hiss | 1980–1988 | Seattle, Washington | Sessions: 1986-1988 (2000) |

## C

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Cat Butt | 1987–1990 | Seattle, Washington | Journey to the Center Of (1989) |
| Coffin Break | 1987–1994 | Seattle, Washington | Psychosis (1989) Rupture (1990) Crawl (1991) Thirteen (1992) |

## D

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Daddy Hate Box | 1989–1990 | Seattle, Washington | Sugar Plow (1990) |
| Dandelion | 1989–1996 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | I Think I'm Gonna Be Sick (1993) Dyslexicon (1995) |
| Das Damen | 1984–1991 | New York, New York | Das Damen (1986) Jupiter Eye (1986) Triskaidekaphobe (1988) Mouse Trap (1989) |
| Dickless | 1989–1998 | Seattle, Washington | |
| Drop Acid | 1991–1993 | Sacramento, California | Making God Smile (1991) 36th & Teeth E.P. (1992) |

## E

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Earth | 1989–1997, 2003–present | Olympia, Washington | Earth 2: Special Low-Frequency Version (1993) Phase 3: Thrones and Dominions (1995) Pentastar: In the Style of Demons (1996) Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method (2005) The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (2008) Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I (2011) Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II (2012) Primitive and Deadly (2014) Full upon Her Burning Lips (2019) |

## F

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Failure | 1990–1997, 2014–present | Los Angeles, California | Comfort (1992) Magnified (1994) Fantastic Planet (1996) The Heart Is A Monster (2015) In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind (2018) Wild Type Droid (2021) |
| Fecal Matter | 1985–1986 | Aberdeen, Washington | Illiteracy Will Prevail (1986) |
| Flowerhead | 1987–1995 | Austin, Texas | ...Ka-Bloom! (1992) The People's Fuzz (1995) |
| The Fluid | 1984–1993 / 2008 | Denver, Colorado | Punch n Judy (1986) Clear Black Paper (1988) Roadmouth (1989) Purplemetalflakemusic (1993) |

## G

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Gas Huffer | 1989–2006 | Seattle, Washington | Janitors of Tomorrow (1991) Integrity, Technology & Service (1992) One Inch Masters (1994) The Inhuman Ordeal of Special Agent Gas Huffer (1996) Just Beautiful Music (1998) The Rest of Us (2002) Lemonade for Vampires (2005) |
| The Gits | 1986–1993 | Yellow Springs, Ohio | Frenching The Bully (1992) Enter: The Conquering Chicken (1994) |
| Green River | 1984–1988 / 2008–2009 | Seattle, Washington | Rehab Doll (1988) |
| Gruntruck | 1989–1993 / 1996–2002 | Seattle, Washington | Inside Yours (1990) Push (1992) Gruntruck (2017) |
| Gumball | 1990–1994 | New York City, New York | Special Kiss (1991) Super Tasty (1993) Revolution on Ice (1994) |

## H

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Hammerbox | 1990–1994 | Seattle, Washington | Hammerbox (1991) Numb (1993) |
| Hater | 1993–1997 / 2005 | Seattle, Washington | Hater (1993) The 2nd (2005) |
| Hazel | 1992–1997 | Portland, Oregon | Toreador of Love (1993) Are You Going to Eat That (1995) |
| Hole | 1989–2002 / 2010–2012 | Los Angeles, California | Pretty on the Inside (1991) Live Through This (1994) Celebrity Skin (1998) Nobody's Daughter (2010) |
| Hullabaloo | 1986–1993 / 2013–present | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Beat Until Stiff (1989) Dead Serious (1990) Lubritorium (1991) |

## J

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Jerry Cantrell | | Seattle, Washington | Boggy Depot (1998) Degradation Trip (2002) Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (2002) |

## L

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| L7 | 1985–2001, 2014–present | Los Angeles, California | L7 (1988) Smell the Magic (1990) Bricks Are Heavy (1992) Hungry for Stink (1994) The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum (1997) Slap-Happy (1999) Scatter the Rats (2019) |
| Local H | 1990–Present | Zion, Illinois | Ham Fisted (1995) As Good As Dead (1996) Pack Up The Cats (1998) Here Comes The Zoo (2002) Whatever Happened To P.J. Soles? (2004) Twelve Angry Months (2008) Hallelujah! I'm A Bum (2012) Hey, Killer (2015) LIFERS (2020) |
| Love Battery | 1989–2002, 2006, 2011–2012 | Seattle, Washington | Dayglo (1992) Far Gone (1993) Straight Freak Ticket (1995) Confusion Au Go Go (1999) |

## M

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Mad Season | 1994–1999 | Seattle, Washington | Above (1995) |
| Malfunkshun | 1980–88, 2006–present | Bainbridge Island, Washington | Return to Olympus (1995) |
| Mark Arm | | Seattle, Washington | |
| Melvins | 1983–present | Montesano, Washington | Gluey Porch Treatments (1987) Ozma (1989) Bullhead (1991) Lysol (1992) Houdini (1993) Prick (1994) Stoner Witch (1994) Stag (1996) Honky (1997) The Maggot (1999) The Bootlicker (1999) The Crybaby (2000) Electroretard (2001) Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002) Pigs of the Roman Empire (w/ Lustmord) (2004) Never Breathe What You Can't See (w/ Jello Biafra) (2004) Sieg Howdy! (w/ Jello Biafra) (2005) (A) Senile Animal (2006) Nude with Boots (2008) The Bride Screamed Murder (2010) Freak Puke (2012) Everybody Loves Sausages (2013) Tres Cabrones (2013) Hold It In (2014) Three Men and a Baby (w/ Mike) (2016) Basses Loaded (2016) A Walk With Love and Death (2017) Pinkus Abortion Technician (2018) Working with God (2021) |
| Mother Love Bone | 1988–1990 | Seattle, Washington | Apple (1990) |
| Mono Men | 1987–1998, 2006, 2013 | Bellingham, Washington | Stop Dragging Me Down (1990) Wrecker (1992) |
| Mudhoney | 1988–present | Seattle, Washington | Mudhoney (1989) Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (1991) Piece of Cake (1992) My Brother the Cow (1995) Tomorrow Hit Today (1998) Since We've Become Translucent (2002) Under a Billion Suns (2006) The Lucky Ones (2008) Vanishing Point (2013) Digital Garbage (2018) |
| My Sister's Machine | 1988–1994 | Seattle, Washington | Diva (1992) Wallflower (1993) |

## N

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Napalm Beach | 1981–present | Portland, Oregon | Rock And Roll Hell (1984) Pugsley (1984) Teen Dream (1985) Liquid Love (1988) Moving To And Fro (1989) Fire Air And Water (1990) Thunder Lizard (1991) Curiosities (1993) In My Tree (1994) |
| Nirvana | 1987–1994 | Aberdeen, Washington | Bleach (1989) Nevermind (1991) In Utero (1993) |
| Nudeswirl | 1989–1995 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Nudeswirl (1989) Nudeswirl (1993) |
| The Nymphs | 1985–1992 | New Jersey | The Nymphs (1991) |

## P

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Paw | 1990–2000, 2008 | Lawrence, Kansas | Dragline (1993) Death to Traitors (1995) Home Is a Strange Place (2000) |
| Pearl Jam | 1990–present | Seattle, Washington | Ten (1991) Vs. (1993) Vitalogy (1994) No Code (1996) Yield (1998) Binaural (2000) Riot Act (2002) Pearl Jam (2006) Backspacer (2009) Lightning Bolt (2013) Gigaton (2020) Dark Matter (2024) |
| Pond | 1991–1998 | Portland, Oregon | Pond (1993) The Practice of Joy Before Death (1995) Rock Collection (1997) |
| The Presidents of the United States of America | 1993–1998 / 2000–2002 / 2003–2016 | Seattle, Washington | The Presidents of the United States of America (1995) II (1996) Freaked Out and Small (2000) Love Everybody (2004) These Are the Good Times People (2008) Kudos to You! (2014) |

## S

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Screaming Trees | 1985–2000 | Ellensburg, Washington | Clairvoyance (1986) Even If and Especially When (1987) Invisible Lantern (1988) Buzz Factory (1989) Uncle Anesthesia (1991) Sweet Oblivion (1992) Dust (1996) Last Words: The Final Recordings (2011) |
| Seaweed | 1989–2000, 2007–present | Tacoma, Washington | Weak (1992) Four (1993) Spanaway (1995) Actions and Indications (1998) |
| Skin Yard | 1985–1993 | Seattle, Washington | Skin Yard (1986) Hallowed Ground (1988) Fist Sized Chunks (1990) 1000 Smiling Knuckles (1991) Inside the Eye (1993) |
| Skunk | 1986–1991 | Maplewood, New Jersey | Last American Virgin (1989) Laid (1991) |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 1988–2000, 2006–Present | Chicago, Illinois | Gish (1991) Siamese Dream (1993) Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness (1995) Adore (1998) Machina/The Machines of God (2000) Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music (2000) Zeitgeist (2007) Oceania (2012) Monuments to an Elegy (2014) Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. (2018) Cyr (2020) |
| Smile | 1992–2003 | Orange County, California | Maquee (1994) Girl Crushes Boy (1998) |
| Solomon Grundy | 1989–1990 | Ellensburg, Washington | Solomon Grundy (1990) |
| Soundgarden | 1984–1997, 2019 | Seattle, Washington | Ultramega OK (1988) Louder Than Love (1989) Badmotorfinger (1991) Superunknown (1994) Down on the Upside (1996) King Animal (2012) |
| Splendora | 1995–2002 | New York City, New York | In the Grass (1995) |
| Stone Temple Pilots | 1985–2002, 2008–present | San Diego, California | Core (1992) Purple (1994) Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop (1996) No. 4 (1999) Shangri-La Dee Da (2001) Stone Temple Pilots (2010) Stone Temple Pilots (2018) Perdida (2020) |
| Sweet Water | 1990–present | Seattle, Washington | Sweet Water (1992) Superfriends (1995) Suicide (1999) Clear The Tarmac (2009) |

## T

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Tad | 1988–1999, 2013 | Seattle, Washington | God's Balls (1989) 8-Way Santa (1991) Inhaler (1993) Infrared Riding Hood (1995) |
| Temple of the Dog | 1990–1992 | Seattle, Washington | Temple of the Dog (1991) |
| Treepeople | 1988–1994 | Boise, Idaho | No Mouth Pipetting (1989) Time Whore (1990) Guilt Regret Embarrassment (1991) Something Vicious For Tomorrow (1992) Just Kidding (1993) Actual Re-Enactment (1994) |
| Tripping Daisy | 1990–1999 | Dallas, Texas | Bill (1992) I Am An Elastic Firecracker (1995) Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb (1998) Tripping Daisy (2000) |
| Truly | 1990–1998, 2000, 2008–present | Seattle, Washington | Fast Stories... from Kid Coma (1995) Feeling You Up (1997) Twilight Curtains (2000) |

## V

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Veruca Salt | 1992–2012 / 2013–Present | Chicago, Illinois | American Thighs (1994) Eight Arms To Hold You (1997) Resolver (2000) IV (2006) Ghost Notes (2015) |

## W

| Band | Years active | Origin | Studio albums |
| Willard | 1989–1992 | Seattle, Washington | Steel Mill (1992) Underground (2018) |
| Wool | 1990–1996 | Washington, D.C. based out of Los Angeles, California | Budspawn (1992) Box Set (1994) Lunar Momento: Lost Rancho Session 1 (2012) Lunar Momento: Lost Rancho Session 2 (2012) |