3 Grunge Albums From the ’80s You Forgot About That Still Hit

When people think about grunge music today, typically it’s the ’90s that first leap to mind. That is, after all, when albums like Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten were unleashed and let loose into the world. It’s the same decade when songs like “Rooster” and “Black Hole Sun” dominated the rock radio airwaves. The ’90s and grunge are indeed synonymous.

But where would the ’90s be without the ’80s? It was in the otherwise synth-driven musical decade that grunge music first poked its head out of the primordial ooze and began to take shape in the Pacific Northwest. If it hadn’t been for the ’80s, then all that we enjoyed in the following decade would not have transpired.

To that end, we wanted to shine a light on the formative decade. Here, we wanted to dive into and remember three albums from the ’80s that just downright rocked. A trio of LPs that remain both formative and entertaining. These are three grunge albums from the ’80s you likely forgot about but that still hit.

Bleach by Nirvana (1989)

When you listen to Bleach, the debut album from Nirvana, back-to-back with the group’s sophomore release, Nevermind, it’s almost like night and day. One is more garage-sounding (perhaps that’s obvious given that it was recorded in a matter of about 30 hours). And the other is highly produced, given a fine finish, and made for radio.

But while the two are starkly different, they are also connected by the buzzy, thought-provoking talent of frontman Kurt Cobain. We can see and hear his dynamism on Bleach. We can forecast where he might be going. As a result, the album is one never to forget today.

Ultramega Ok by Soundgarden (1988)

While people often think of bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam as the signature, quintessential grunge groups, it was Soundgarden that got some of the first notoriety. The band burst onto the mainstream ahead of the pack, helping to pave the way for Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, and everyone else.

Indeed, the band’s debut studio album, Ultramega OK, earned the group a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. How’s that for a first impression? But how could you not stand out from the beginning when you have a frontman like the handsome, banshee-voiced Chris Cornell?

Rehab Doll by Green River (1988)

It’s hard to pinpoint where a sound and a sonic movement began. But when it comes to Seattle-born grunge music, it might have all begun with Green River. While the group released its only studio album in 1998, it’s influence goes back to the mid-80s and their 1985 EP, Come On Down.

Members of Green River went on to form other more prominent projects, including Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and Temple of the Dog. But that heavy, embattled, sludgy sound that all those groups benefited from might just begin from the band known as Green River.