Claim: Grunge became commercially successful due in part to Alice in Chains' Dirt.

Grunge -LRB- sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound -RRB- is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington , particularly in Seattle and nearby towns . The early grunge movement revolved around Seattle 's independent record label Sub Pop and that region 's underground music scene . By the early 1990s its popularity had spread , with grunge acts appearing in California , then surfacing towards other parts of the United States and in Australia , building strong followings and signing major record deals .   Grunge became commercially successful in the early 1990s , due to releases such as Nirvana 's Nevermind , Pearl Jam 's Ten , Soundgarden 's Superunknown , Alice in Chains ' Dirt and Stone Temple Pilots ' Core . The success of these bands boosted the popularity of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular form of rock music at the time . Although most grunge bands had disbanded or faded from view by the late 1990s , they influenced modern rock music , as their lyrics brought socially conscious issues into pop culture and added introspection and an exploration of what it means to be true to oneself . Grunge was also an influence on subsequent genres such as post-grunge and nu metal .   Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal , such as the distorted electric guitar used in both genres , although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other . Like these genres , grunge typically uses electric guitar , bass guitar , a drummer and a singer . Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth . Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective , often addressing themes such as social alienation , apathy , concerns about confinement , and a desire for freedom .   A number of factors contributed to grunge 's decline in prominence . During the , many grunge bands broke up or became less visible . Nirvana 's Kurt Cobain , labeled by Time as `` the John Lennon of the swinging Northwest '' , appeared unusually tortured by success and struggled with an addiction to heroin before he committed suicide at the age of 27 in 1994 .