Grunge music

:Grunge redirects here. For other uses, see Grunge (disambiguation).

Decline of mainstream popularity

The mass popularity of grunge music was short-lived, however. There were several important factors that contributed to this. Though some of them could have single-handedly ended the genre's mainstream popularity, it is generally believed that more than one factor caused the decline.

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Most fans and music historians believe that most grunge bands were too opposed to mainstream stardom to actually achieve long-lasting support from major record labels. Many grunge bands refused to cooperate with major record labels in making radio-friendly hooks, and the labels found new bands that were willing to do so, albeit with a watered-down sound that did not sit well with the genre's long-time fans. A decline in music sales in general in 1996 may also have influenced labels to look for different genres to promote rather than genres such as grunge that were popular up to that point. However, this decline may have been a result of the industry's use of such watered-down groups.

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Another factor that may have led to the fall of grunge's mainstream popularity was the advent of the sub-genre of grunge known as post-grunge. Post-grunge was a radio-friendly variation of grunge which lacked the "dirty" sound that most fans of grunge were used to. The sub-genre is generally believed to have come about at the behest of label executives who wanted to sell a variation of grunge that would sell to a larger audience as a result of sounding more like pop music. In the mid-1990s, record labels began signing several bands that used such a sound and gave them wide exposure. While some of these bands, such as Silverchair and Bush, were able to gain widespread success, many fans of grunge denounced post-grunge bands as being sell-outs. This is most notable in the cases of Candlebox and Collective Soul, who were reviled by most grunge fans. Even the commercially successful post-grunge bands would be given such accusations by grunge fans, causing most of them to have shorter spurts of popularity than earlier grunge bands. As grunge began to disappear from the mainstream, later post-grunge bands such as Creed and Days of the New would also receive such negative treatment by fans of the genre.

Related Topics:
Post-grunge - Pop music - Sell-out - Candlebox - Collective Soul - Creed - Days of the New

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Heroin use amongst grunge musicians was also a serious problem for the continuation of some grunge bands. Andrew Wood's death from an overdose in 1990 was the first major tragedy for the grunge scene, bringing an end to Mother Love Bone. Kurt Cobain's use of heroin is believed to have contributed to his death (though whether or not it did was never confirmed).{{ref|Hype4}} The deaths of Kristen Pfaff of Hole and Layne Staley of Alice in Chains in 1994 and 2002, respectively, were also caused by heroin overdoses. It is believed by many that grunge effectively began its decline when Cobain died in April of 1994. Interestingly, Cobain had often been photographed wearing t-shirts stating that "Grunge is Dead."

Related Topics:
Heroin - Andrew Wood - Kurt Cobain - Kristen Pfaff - Hole - Layne Staley - 2002

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For many fans of the genre, it wasn't until the pioneering band Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 that they finally conceded grunge's time in the mainstream was over. Over the next few years grunge's mainstream popularity quickly came to an end. Many grunge bands have continued recording and touring with more limited success, including, most significantly, Pearl Jam. Bands like Pearl Jam also have adapted their style to the ever-changing music world. Grunge music still has its followers, and many of them still express their fandom over the Internet. Grunge's mainstream following still shows some continuation in the popularity of Nirvana's post-break-up releases; the previously unreleased song "You Know You're Right" became a chart topping hit in 2002, and the box set With the Lights Out has become the best selling box set of all time.

Related Topics:
1997 - You Know You're Right - With the Lights Out

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