Image: Anton Corbijn [Official press photo]
Anyone who is really deeply immersed in the grunge movement musically, or who was already there in the ’90s when Nirvana and others were conquering the stages, won’t be surprised by some of the names here. However, we won’t only tell you which bands, alongside Nirvana, made the grunge movement in hard rock so popular, but also which young bands are keeping the sound alive with modern influences.
So if you’re a huge fan of songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Come As You Are,” or of the hard rock and grunge era in general, we know which classic bands of the ’90s and which young and modern acts you should have on your radar just as much as Nirvana.
Bands of the 1990s: The Grunge Era Around Nirvana
Alice In Chains
As one of the famous acts from the grunge hotspot Seattle, Alice In Chains have gone down in music history as one of the central acts of this movement. Their second album Dirt (1992) is considered an absolute classic, with songs like “Them Bones,” “Rooster,” and “Would?” — the breakthrough record for the band. Their influences come from both punk and heavy metal. Like most bands under the label “grunge,” their sound differs greatly from other acts such as Nirvana, but label or not, they are indispensable to the hard music scene of the ’90s.
Pearl Jam
With their debut album Ten (1991), Pearl Jam already achieved their first breakthrough at the beginning of the golden age of grunge — and it would become one of the biggest of the entire era. Their best-known songs remain “Even Flow,” “Alive,” and “Black.” The band has been active since 1990 and still is today — their studio album Dark Matter was released as recently as 2024. They have always been characterized by classic punk and rock influences. Especially after the tragic death of Kurt Cobain, Pearl Jam found themselves at the center of attention, but subsequently withdrew strongly from the media.
Soundgarden
Soundgarden also belong to the music scene from Seattle and were already active during the heavy metal era of the ’80s. They only truly gained widespread recognition with their 1994 album Superunknown — hits like “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” remain among their most successful tracks to this day. The distinctive voice of singer Chris Cornell, who tragically passed away in 2017, was particularly defining for their sound. They, too, are consistently labeled as grunge, yet bassist Ben Shepherd once said: “We were never grunge, just a band from Seattle.”
Melvins
Although they themselves would probably fall more under rock music, the Melvins are often mentioned in connection with grunge — if only because they are considered pioneers of many bands that were later influenced by their music. Kurt Cobain himself was a big Melvins fan and produced one of their most significant albums: Houdini (1993).
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots were also often placed in the grunge drawer in the early ’90s. Their debut celebrated strong success with songs like “Plush” and “Sex Type Thing” — today the classics have long since appeared in remastered versions. There is no doubt that Stone Temple Pilots belong among the most celebrated bands of the ’90s era. Alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, they also had their place — especially when it came to their large number of radio hits.
Bush
Bush’s debut album Sixteen Stone in particular was heavily compared with Nirvana by critics. There are certainly similarities in the sound here, but the later albums — beginning with titles like The Science of Things — moved decisively away from that. Alternative rock describes them more accurately. The good news here as well is that the band still regularly releases new music, most recently works like The Art of Survival (2022) and I Beat Loneliness (2025).
Silverchair
Silverchair formed toward the end of grunge’s golden era, in 1994, and lasted only until 2011. Nevertheless, albums like their debut Frogstomp and the later Freak Show remain relevant to this day. Initially still very close to what is associated with Nirvana’s grunge sound, Silverchair also evolved after several releases and brought a more experimental sound to their later records.
Pixies
The Pixies themselves actually broke up in 1993, just as the grunge movement was in full bloom, and only returned in 2004. Nevertheless, they are regarded as major trailblazers for the styles of other bands such as Nirvana.
Also for Nirvana Fans: Post-Grunge, Psychedelic & Alternative Rock
The Smashing Pumpkins
Not grunge, but from the same era: The Smashing Pumpkins produced very strong and successful albums at the same time as Nirvana and others, though they never played in exactly the same “genre.” Siamese Dream was released in 1993 and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness in 1995 — both works that marked their international breakthrough and long-term establishment in the alternative and psychedelic rock scene.
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an obvious choice; after all, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl is the founder of the band, and the project emerged in the same year the world had to say goodbye to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. He is fully aware of the significance of Nirvana’s legacy, yet the Foo Fighters will always do their own thing, as he said in an interview:
“I owe everything to Nirvana. […] For the first few years, I didn’t even want to talk about Nirvana. Partly because it was just painful to talk about losing Kurt but also because I wanted the Foo Fighters to mean something."
Queens Of The Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age also have less to do with grunge; they are more closely associated with hard and alternative rock. But precisely for that reason, their influences lie in the ’90s as well. The band itself formed in 1996, while their self-titled debut was released in 1998.
Seether
Classified within the genres of post-grunge and alternative rock, Seether have been active since 1999 and remain so today, with newer works like Poison the Parish (2017) and The Surface Seems So Far (2024). If you miss the grunge era and are open to modern influences, this is a step in the right direction.
Modern Bands Like Nirvana
Turnstile
This is grunge spirit in a new guise: since 2010, Turnstile have been delivering a strong mix of hardcore, shoegaze, and indie, with the same “sounds simple, is brilliant” feeling as Nirvana. NEVER ENOUGH is practically the Nevermind of today’s hardcore community; with this album, the scene was opened up to the mainstream as well, without the band betraying who they are.
Dayseeker
With Dayseeker you get post-hardcore and alternative rock with an emotional core, just like the bands of the ’90s already had. Personal lyrics, melodic hooks — everything for Nirvana fans who also love quieter songs.
Sleep Token
Even though Sleep Token are mentioned in almost every context these days, we can’t get around them here either. The masked band from England has only been active since 2016 and basically does exactly what defined Kurt Cobain: singer Vessel doesn’t hide his vulnerability, but has made an art out of it. The genre influences here are clearly much more diverse, but above all the strong contrast between fragility in intimate, quiet passages and pure heaviness is also part of the Nirvana DNA.
Boston Manor
In the past punk, today alternative rock. All of it with raw honesty, just like Nirvana. There are Boston Manor songs about anxieties, songs about personal matters. The project was founded in 2013; most recently they were touring the biggest festivals of the scene in 2025, including Download and Rock am Ring.
Touché Amoré
With hardcore punk and melodic hardcore vibes, Touché Amoré also bring the spirit of the ’90s to the stage in a very different form: intense songs that get under the skin and have what it takes to carry along everyone who listens.
The Pretty Reckless
The band around singer Taylor Momsen has been making post-grunge and alternative rock since 2009. Four albums have already been released, most recently Death by Rock and Roll in 2021. In reviews, The Pretty Reckless have already been compared with ’90s bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots. Here’s where to start listening:
Basement
Basement have been delivering alternative rock from England since 2009 that can definitely also be placed in the soft-grunge category. The sound is definitely something for Nirvana fans who want to include younger bands in their playlists as well. You can listen to the current single “WIRED,” the title track of the upcoming album, here:
24/7 Diva Heaven
This time we’re not landing in Seattle, but in Berlin: the trio 24/7 Diva Heaven came together in 2017 and have since released their two albums Stress (2021) and Gift (2024). Their sound: grunge rock and alternative rock, raw and direct — just the way you know it from role models like Nirvana. In an interview, singer Kat (Katharina Ott-Alavi) already said:
“The nineties actually play a major role for us musically. There’s a large overlap here of bands we all love and that are a huge inspiration for us: Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Melvins, and many others.”
With “Rat Race,” we’ve highlighted one of their most recent singles.
