Premise: Nirvana (band) . In the late 1980s , Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene , releasing its first album , Bleach , for the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989 . Soundgarden . Soundgarden was the first grunge band to sign to a major label ( A&M Records in 1988 ) , though the band did not achieve commercial success until they popularized the genre in the early 1990s with Seattle contemporaries Pearl Jam , Nirvana , and Alice in Chains .
Hypothesis: Nirvana was the first grunge band to sign to a major label.
Label: CONTRADICTION