Top 220 Best 90s Grunge Songs

What was “grunge,” exactly? It seems pretty hard to nail down, especially because of the way this label was tossed around by the media in the 1990s. Unlike distinctive genres like Heavy Metal and Ska, Grunge hasn’t all got the same sound.

But, some elements flow through the music that was called grunge back then. Distorted and often detuned guitars, heavy drumming, husky singing, some screaming, and usually dark, heavy lyrics. This genre is credited as having been developed in the Seattle, Washington, area in the late 80s.

By the 90s, it was in full bloom…

Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and more were lumped into this category with many other originators and imitators. So, what were the best 90s grunge songs ever? Let’s look at the biggest hits and best-loved 90s Grunge songs.

Top 220 Best 90s Grunge Songs

1 In Bloom – Nirvana

We just have to start this list off with Nirvana, the band that was used to define Grunge. Even though they never called themselves Grunge, the release of Nevermind in 1991 drew massive attention to the Seattle scene and brought that music to the world.

And one of the defining tracks on that album was “In Bloom.” A song that encapsulated Nirvana’s sound and songwriting style.

Like so many of their songs…

“In Bloom” borrows a formula from the legendary band, Pixies. It has a slow and heavy grind to the verses, focusing on the bass and vocals over a plain beat. It then explodes into the chorus with thunderous drums care of Dave Grohl and Kurt Cobain’s signature screechy singing.

The lyrics lash out at bandwagon fans who don’t relate to their music or subculture. You can see this clearly in the chorus “He’s the one – Who likes all our pretty songs – And he likes to sing along – And he likes to shoot his gun – But he knows not what it means.”

2 Alive – Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam was another Seattle area band that helped to define the Grunge genre, if there ever truly was one. Eddie Vedder’s husky voice, combined with a moody style of long hair and plaid shirts, brought the grunge-rocker into the homes of people around the world.

And, even when they tried to scale back their success and keep the music pure, their influence on this scene was already too far-reaching.

The 1991 album Ten was the band’s breakout smash hit…

It blew up, selling at least 13x platinum. “Alive” was the first single from that album and still one of the band’s biggest songs ever. It has a nice heavy, slow groove that incorporates heavy drums and bass and lots of screaming guitars.

Vedder’s singing is unique, or it was before all the imitators, and the lyrics are about family instability. He sings, “Son, she said, have I got a little story for you – What you thought was your daddy was nothing but a…” and you get a real idea of what it means to still be alive after going through trauma.

3 Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden

By 1994, Grunge had gone mainstream. Grunge bands were all over the radio and TV, and even the relatively heavy band Soundgarden’s album Superunknown debuted at #1 on the charts.

And the biggest track from that album, the one that most people remember Soundgarden for, is “Black Hole Sun.”

This song is very different from most of the band’s other work…

Maybe that’s why it stands out. It doesn’t have a fast beat or a weird time signature. Instead, it has a slow, heavy bass and drum groove that plows the song along. The guitars give a strange combination of sounds, with underwater echoing arpeggios mixed with mournful wailing.

Also, Chris Cornell sang mostly in the low end of his impressive register, except in the chorus, where he let loose and howls as only he could. The band creates a surreal dreamscape using a combination of delay, echo, reverb, and tremolo effects on the guitar, against which the lyrics really pop.

They add to the surreal and creepy nature of this dark song, especially lines like, “Boiling heat – Summer stench – Neath the black, the sky looks dead.”

4 Hunger Strike – Temple of the Dog

Here’s a little background to Temple of the Dog. This was a band formed in 1991 as a supergroup tribute project to their friend and fellow musician Andrew Wood, who had died of a heroin overdose.

Wood was the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone; two important Grunge precursor acts from the late 80s.

The tribute project included Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament (both ex-Mother Love Bone members) and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, together with Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron from Soundgarden. Eddie Vedder also came in as a guest and is featured as a vocalist on “Hunger Strike.”

This track is the best known from the Temple of the Dog album…

It’s a slow but heavy, introspective Rock song that’s incredibly memorable. The band is tight, especially in the heavy breakdown. But it’s the vocals that make this a memorable 90s Grunge song.

Legend has it that Vedder heard Cornell struggling on the lower parts of the song and stepped in to give him some direction. Instead, he was invited to trade verses with his deeper voice with the scorching high tones of Cornell.

The way they trade the refrain “I’m goin’ hungry” is pure musical magic. And that is also why it ranks as one of the best 90s Grunge songs ever.

5 Would? – Alice In Chains

Alice in Chains was perhaps the darkest of the Grunge bands to come out of Seattle in the late 80s. They had some success in the early 90s and then hit paydirt with their 1992 album Dirt. “Would?” was another tribute song to the late Andrew Wood, this time by his friend, guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

The song is a slow, heavy rocker with driving bass and drums…

Just like with “Hunger Strike,” it’s the vocals that make this song. The verses are sung in a lower, brooding tone by Cantrell. Then the chorus comes around, and lead vocalist Layne Staley takes over with his distinctive snarling voice.

When he sings, “Am I wrong? – Have I run too far to get home? – Have I gone? – Left you here alone”, the loss of their friend comes through in stark emotions.

It is a sad 90s Grunge song, speaking of loss. But also trying to send a warning to others, like Staley, who also overdosed in 2002.

6 Plush – Stone Temple Pilots

When Stone Temple Pilots dropped their debut album, Core, in 1992, it was a massive breakthrough. To date, this album has sold over 40 million copies and won a Grammy for one song – “Plush.”

While the band went on to experiment more with psychedelic rock and other sounds, they were, at heart, a Grunge band. And this grungy song fits in perfectly with what was happening in the early 90s. Even if the California band wasn’t a part of the Seattle scene.

This song has a slow Hard Rock groove…

And you just have to nod your head along to it. The guitars are heavily distorted and crunching. And frontman Scott Weiland’s vocal performance is perfect. He sings in a husky baritone that has been widely compared to Eddie Vedder’s.

But his phrasing is all his own, and so are his lyrics. “And I feel, so much depends on the weather – So is it raining in your bedroom?” is one of my favorite lines from the angsty Grunge era.

7 Violet – Hole

The Grunge scene was a messy and almost incestuous one back in the 90s, with so many bands collaborating and pulling each other up.

And Courtney Love of Hole was right in the thick of it…

She had a relationship with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins before marrying Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain – talk about grunge royalty! And the song “Violet” from 1994’s Live Through This was about one or both of these relationships.

The song has a fast, almost Punk Rock feel, especially in the explosive chorus. But, the verses are muted and soft, making for a dark texture and contrast. The drums sizzle and the guitars are alternatively light and pretty, then dark and heavy.

Love’s vocal work here is on point…

She almost speaks the verse and then snarls and screams the chorus. This song is also heavy in content, speaking to sexual exploitation and also female sexuality.

Love screams, “Go on take everything – Take everything – I want you to,” and the title is compared to “violence” and even “violate.”

8 Today – Smashing Pumpkins

Smashing Pumpkins were formed in Chicago, but as an alternative band with a dark edge and a hard rock sound, they were lumped into the Grunge genre in the early 90s. While they put out some great stuff previously, it was 1993’s Siamese Dream that pushed the popularity of this band.

They simply sounded like no one else, playing with dynamics and emotions in a way that was ahead of their time. The song “Today” is one of their most successful ever and also one of their most radio-friendly.

But it’s not that friendly…

It does start with a lovely little guitar arpeggio that sounds almost like an ice cream truck (check out the video) or something else innocent. When the beat and crunchy guitars jump in, though, you’re in for even more of a treat. Billy Corgan alternates between singing in a high, sweet voice and nearly a scream, giving this track great texture and emotion.

And quite surprisingly, it’s about getting past thoughts of suicide and trying to live life. What’s not surprising is that it remains one of the best Grunge songs from the 90s.

9 Outshined – Soundgarden

Back in late 1991, Grunge was on the verge of a global explosion. Soundgarden’s third album, Badmotorfinger, dropped in October of that year and was one of the reasons why the Seattle scene really blew up.

This was the band’s first record with its final line-up, and it really came together. It’s heavy, hard-hitting, and sung with Chris Cornell’s scorching vocals.

“Outshined” is one of the most memorable tracks from this record. The song is about being outshined by yourself and going through the highs and lows of life.

You’ve got a heavy groove…

…along with odd time signatures (the verses are in 7/4 time) and excellent drumming. The bass provides a thick, heavy backdrop for the guitars to duel against. And Cornell’s vocals are some of his best.

He both sings low and soars to untold heights on this track. There’s even a clip of Kurt Cobain trying to imitate the chorus, but no one can sing like Cornell.

10 Smells like Teen Spirit – Nirvana

If we’re talking about the best 90s Grunge songs, well, there may not have been a Grunge explosion in the 90s if not for this song. “Smells like Teen Spirit” also comes from 1991’s Nevermind, the album that broke Nirvana to the world and propelled grunge into the mainstream.

This song was the main mechanism for that popularity…

Like “In Bloom,” this song takes advantage of the quiet verse/loud chorus dynamic. But here, Nirvana does it to the extreme. The verses are driven by Grohl’s minimal beat and Krist Novoselic’s pounding bass, with Cobain playing just two repeated notes on the guitar and mumbling weird lyrics.

Things build up in the pre-chorus and then explode with thunderous drums and Cobain’s screeching in the chorus. The lyrics are built around imagery but play on the self-deprecation of this generation with the lines “I feel stupid and contagious – Here we are now, entertain us!”

At its core, this is a Punk song. But it’s easily the most popular 90s Grunge song and the tune most people around the world associate with 90s Grunge.

11 Black – Pearl Jam

12 Jeremy – Pearl Jam

13 Man in the Box – Alice in Chains

14 Heart-Shaped Box – Nirvana

15 Rooster – Alice in Chains

16 Lithium – Nirvana

17 Spoonman – Soundgarden

18 Big Empty – Stone Temple Pilots

19 No Excuses – Alice in Chains

20 Come as You Are – Nirvana

21 Cherub Rock – Smashing Pumpkins

22 Rusty Cage – Soundgarden

23 Down in a Hole – Alice in Chains

24 Interstate Love Song – Stone Temple Pilots

25 All Apologies – Nirvana

26 Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden

27 Today – Smashing Pumpkins

28 Creep – Radiohead

29 Bullet with Butterfly Wings – Smashing Pumpkins

30 Plush – Stone Temple Pilots

31 In the Meantime – Helmet

32 Fell on Black Days – Soundgarden

33 Glycerine – Bush

34 Machinehead – Bush

35 Hunger Strike – Temple of the Dog

36 Vasoline – Stone Temple Pilots

37 Plowed – Sponge

38 Far Behind – Candlebox

39 Hitchin’ a Ride – Green Day

40 Nearly Lost You – Screaming Trees

41 Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns – Mother Love Bone

42 Where Did You Sleep Last Night – Nirvana

43 Rain When I Die – Alice in Chains

44 Say Hello 2 Heaven – Temple of the Dog

45 Mr. Jones – Counting Crows

46 Hate to Feel – Alice in Chains

47 Blow Up the Outside World – Soundgarden

48 Loser – Beck

49 Even Flow – Pearl Jam

50 Outshined – Soundgarden

More Best 90s Grunge Songs

51. 51. Platypus (I Hate You) – Green Day
    52. Garden – Pearl Jam
    53. Doll Parts – Hole
    54. Longview – Green Day
    55. The Day I Tried to Live – Soundgarden
    56. Porcelina of the Vast Oceans – Smashing Pumpkins
    57. Roots Radicals – Rancid
    58. Sick of Myself – Matthew Sweet
    59. She Talks to Angels – The Black Crowes
    60. Fade into You – Mazzy Star
    61. My Friends – Red Hot Chili Peppers
    62. Song 2 – Blur
    63. All Over You – Live
    64. Stupid Girl – Garbage
    65. Corduroy – Pearl Jam
    66. The Freshmen – The Verve Pipe
    67. Brick – Ben Folds Five
    68. Zero – Smashing Pumpkins
    69. Black Metallic – Catherine Wheel
    70. Bound for the Floor – Local H
    71. The Way – Fastball
    72. Buddy Holly – Weezer
    73. Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage
    74. Wicked Garden – Stone Temple Pilots
    75. Sex Type Thing – Stone Temple Pilots
    76. Low – Cracker
    77. Not an Addict – K’s Choice
    78. All Mixed Up – 311
    79. Tomorrow – Silverchair
    80. Laid – James
    81. Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
    82. Flagpole Sitta – Harvey Danger
    83. What I Got – Sublime
    84. Push – Matchbox Twenty
    85. Bulls on Parade – Rage Against the Machine
    86. She – Green Day
    87. Seether – Veruca Salt
    88. Hey Jealousy – Gin Blossoms
    89. Feed the Tree – Belly
    90. Low Self Opinion – Rollins Band
    91. I Touch Myself – Divinyls
    92. I Will Remember You – Sarah McLachlan
    93. Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
    94. One Headlight – The Wallflowers
    95. Novocaine for the Soul – Eels
    96. Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America
    97. Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies
    98. Gel – Collective Soul
    99. When I Come Around – Green Day
    100. Rhinoceros – Smashing Pumpkins
    101. Sober – Tool
    102. Numb – U2
    103. Love Like Ghosts – Lord Huron
    104. 6th Avenue Heartache – The Wallflowers
    105. Heartspark Dollarsign – Everclear
    106. She Don’t Use Jelly – The Flaming Lips
    107. Black Gold – Soul Asylum
    108. Got You (Where I Want You) – The Flys
    109. The Way I Am – Eminem
    110. Hey Man Nice Shot – Filter
    111. Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver – Primus
    112. The Beautiful People – Marilyn Manson
    113. It’s a Shame About Ray – The Lemonheads
    114. Bawitdaba – Kid Rock
    115. Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
    116. Hash Pipe – Weezer
    117. Torn – Natalie Imbruglia
    118. Jump Around – House of Pain
    119. Run-Around – Blues Traveler
    120. Feel So Good – Mase
    121. Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
    122. Counting Blue Cars – Dishwalla
    123. Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand – Primitive Radio Gods
    124. Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio
    125. Ray of Light – Madonna
    126. The Sign – Ace of Base
    127. Tennessee – Arrested Development
    128. Jump – Kris Kross
    129. Jumpin’, Jumpin’ – Destiny’s Child
    130. No Scrubs – TLC
    131. Genie in a Bottle – Christina Aguilera
    132. Smooth – Santana ft. Rob Thomas
    133. I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
    134. Livin’ la Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
    135. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
    136. Vision of Love – Mariah Carey
    137. Don’t Speak – No Doubt
    138. Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
    139. Waterfalls – TLC
    140. Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
    141. Short Skirt/Long Jacket – Cake
    142. The Way I Feel – Remy Zero
    143. Name – Goo Goo Dolls
    144. The Freshmen – Jayhawks
    145. I Don’t Want to Wait – Paula Cole
    146. Ironic – Alanis Morissette
    147. Crash into Me – Dave Matthews Band
    148. The Distance – Cake
    149. Torn – Creed
    150. Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill
    151. All I Wanna Do – Sheryl Crow
    152. Zombie – The Cranberries
    153. Lovefool – The Cardigans
    154. Kiss Me – Sixpence None the Richer
    155. No Rain – Blind Melon
    156. Hold My Hand – Hootie & The Blowfish
    157. Santeria – Sublime
    158. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
    159. Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz
    160. Linger – The Cranberries
    161. Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
    162. Inside Out – Eve 6
    163. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm – Crash Test Dummies
    164. Vaseline – Stone Temple Pilots
    165. Bad Reputation – Freedy Johnston
    166. Found Out About You – Gin Blossoms
    167. Sunny Came Home – Shawn Colvin
    168. My Own Worst Enemy – Lit
    169. Razorblade Suitcase – Bush
    170. Crush with Eyeliner – R.E.M.
    171. One of Us – Joan Osborne
    172. Connection – Elastica
    173. Feel the Pain – Dinosaur Jr.
    174. Cut Your Hair – Pavement
    175. Regret – New Order
    176. Popular – Nada Surf
    177. Dyslexic Heart – Paul Westerberg
    178. Criminal – Fiona Apple
    179. D’You Know What I Mean? – Oasis
    180. The Freshmen – Verve Pipe
    181. Violet – Hole
    182. All Star – Smash Mouth
    183. What’s My Age Again? – Blink-182
    184. Jumper – Third Eye Blind
    185. Mr. Brightside – The Killers
    186. Last Nite – The Strokes
    187. No One Knows – Queens of the Stone Age
    188. Someday – Sugar Ray
    189. I Want to Hold Your Hand – T.V. Carpio
    190. Do the Evolution – Pearl Jam
    191. The Impression That I Get – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    192. The Kids Aren’t Alright – The Offspring
    193. Wonderwall – Oasis
    194. Closing Time – Semisonic
    195. Tainted Love – Marilyn Manson
    196. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) – The Offspring
    197. I Try – Macy Gray
    198. Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
    199. Fly – Sugar Ray
    200. All the Small Things – Blink-182
    201. Dumpweed – Blink-182
    202. Everything Zen – Bush
    203. Midlife Crisis – Faith No More
    204. Sour Girl – Stone Temple Pilots
    205. Who Will Save Your Soul – Jewel
    206. The Way You Love Me – Faith Hill
    207. You Get What You Give – New Radicals
    208. Closing Time – Leonard Cohen
    209. Zoot Suit Riot – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
    210. Killing Me Softly – Fugees
    211. Groove Is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
    212. Wannabe – Spice Girls
    213. The One I Love – R.E.M.
    214. Two Princes – Spin Doctors
    215. Meet Virginia – Train
    216. Don’t Let Go (Love) – En Vogue
    217. Dreams – The Cranberries
    218. No Diggity – Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre
    219. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai
    220. Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind

Want to Find Great Songs from Other Music Eras?

If so, check out our thoughts on the Best 70s Rock Songs, the Best 80s Rock Songs, the Best Classic Rock Songs, the Best Songs of The 2000s, and the Best Songs Of All Time for more incredible school selections.

Also, you need to listen to those tunes. So, take a look at our in-depth reviews of the Best Headphones for Music, the Most Comfortable Headphones, the Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, the Best Headphones For Rock & Metal Music, as well as the Best Headphones Under $200 you can buy in 2023.

Best 90s Grunge Songs – Final Thoughts

Grunge started in the 80s and continued into the 90s. It was a sort of blanket term for any Alternative Rock that was heavy and darker than the late 80s hair metal that had come before. And it definitely provided a stark contrast.

The so-called Grunge sound came out of the Seattle area but was soon picked up, played with, and improved on by bands around the US and later the world. Still, Seattle icons like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden are some of the first groups most people think of when they think of Grunge.

The best songs of this era expressed feelings of angst…

And, to some degree, anti-mainstream feelings of the youth at the time. So, it was ironic when grunge hit the mainstream in the early 90s. But, music politics aside, some of these songs are simply perfect.

They worked then and still stand the test of time. With darker themes, contrasting dynamics, raging vocals, and screaming guitars, 90s Grunge hit songs made their way into Rock music history, whether they wanted to or not.

Until next time, happy listening.