A presentation for school about the history of Grunge

1. The Seattle rock scene, and why it’s important Kayla Stephenson 2nd Period

2. Why should we care about the Grunge movement? The early nineties were all about angst, angst, angst! The lyrics of bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam perfectly summed up the feelings of apathy and desire for freedom that the teenagers were feeling. The grunge movement unified the youth of the nineties through rebellion against the state of society at the time.

3. The Washington Culture Washington was already getting a lot of attention in the early ‘90s. The hit cult classic, Twin Peaks, was set in the state. Movie soundtracks such as The Basketball Diaries and Singles featured up and coming Seattle artists. The “grunge look” was characterized by torn jeans, flannel shirts, and unkempt hair.

5. Mother Love Bone-One of the original grunge bands. Soundgarden- The first band to be signed to a major record label. Temple Of The Dog-When Mother Love Bone’s singer, Andrew Wood, died, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden formed a band with the remaining members and recorded an album in his memory. Pearl Jam-After Temple of the Dog, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard formed this band, achieving huge mainstream success. Nirvana-Their album Nevermind replaced Michael Jackson’s Dangerous in the number one spot in a matter of two weeks. Prominent Artists in the Grunge Movement

6. What Caused the Grunge Movement? During the ‘80s and ’90s, the economy was booming. Our country became extremely wealthy, bringing about the emergence of the Yuppie (young, upwardly mobile professional) culture, and with it the rise of extreme materialism. Teenagers and young musicians were disgusted with this overindulgent lifestyle, and immersed themselves in the music scene in Seattle, WA. The duty of youth is to challenge corruption. -Kurt Cobain

7. So What Happened Next? In 1989, Soundgarden became the first grunge band to sign with a major record label. Soon after, bands such as Pearl Jam and Nirvana also achieved huge mainstream success. Record label executives flocked to Seattle, signing a plethora of grunge artists. Hungry for an escape from their shallow, materialistic worlds, teenagers around the country clung to the lyrics for therapy and catharsis. . Soundgarden at the “Sound Garden” in Seattle.

8. Editorial Cartoon Although this cartoon isn’t specifically about the grunge movement, it is about the corruption and fascination with money in politicians and the world. The grunge movement rebelled against such materialism.

9. Media Music Videos Clips, compilations, and interviews Soundgarden-Rusty Cage (This video was based on the television show Twin Peaks) Pearl Jam-Jeremy Temple of the Dog-Say Hello 2 Heaven Mother Love Bone-Holy Roller Chris Cornell cameo in Singles YouTube - Top 10 Grunge Songs of All time Grunge Fashion(Only watch the first 48 seconds) Nirvana Headbanger’s Ball Interview(watch just for Kurt’s banana suit. You’ll see. It also shows Nirvana’s take on Grunge. It’s worth the 9 minutes.)

10. Your turn! What do you think? Why did grunge become a powerful force in the music industry? How do you think the original grunge fans and bands thought of the commercialization of their movement? If you were a teenager in the late ‘80s, would you have been a yuppie or into grunge?

11. Well, whatever…nevermind. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana is by far the most popular song of the grunge movement, and considered by many to be an anthem of ‘90s teenagers. Although many people feel that it’s a largely overrated song, it really was a powerful testament to the mentality of that generation. In more recent years, the word “whatever” has been used as a way of blowing things off and having an attitude problem. But in the early ‘90s, it was the perfect word to sum up the mentality of, “You do your own thing, I do mine, and we get along…whatever!”

12. Want to learn more?? This website has a description of grunge style and a little bit about the philosophy behind grunge. (click the picture!) This is an article about the history of grunge. (once again, click the picture!)

13. In the end… In 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Fans were devastated, and grunge began its downhill slide. In 1996, Pearl Jam played only UK shows in protest of Ticketmaster prices. Soundgarden and Screaming Trees released their last albums that year as well. After that, the movement faded away as post-grunge bands such as Alice In Chains grew in popularity. Some grunge bands still remain today. Pearl Jam recently released an album, and Soundgarden got back together a few months ago. The grunge movement made waves in the music industry, bringing “alternative” music further into the spotlight and becoming a voice for an entire generation. Blog: Kayla’s School Blog