# What's your perfect grunge jam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896 "2014-03-30T15:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/21 "2014-03-31T15:33:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose” for me. Just epic. Epic. With one of the best grooves in grunge drumming. > > As for the Nirvana side discussion, despite the fact that they broke the whole grunge scene into the mainstream with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” they were always more of a punky college rock band a la the Pixies to me than the dirty, grimy, swampy, Black Sabbath-influenced rock that I think of as grunge. It’s all a continuum, and they were definitely on the pop-punk side of the grunge continuum, as opposed to the more 70s metal, almost “proggy” (as in prog rock) side of grunge that Soundgarden and Alice in Chains ventured into. Pearl Jam would be somewhere smack dab in the middle, I think. I hear what you’re saying about Nirvana. And though I’m as big a fan of Nirvana as anybody else mentioned in the thread, they really were lighting in a bottle on the grunge scene. [They shone so much brighter live, even.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPXny2MIe8Q) It was Kurt’s ability to weave instantly catchy tunes that caused grunge to consume the face of rock at the time, and this is largely because of _Nevermind._ Almost every song on there is accessible to even-keel non-grunge fans. But there’s some really down and dirty grunge material in _Bleach,_ _Incesticide_ and _In Utero_ too. They sort of had it all for me, while my other favorite grunge bands like AIC or Soundgarden, well they sort of had a very particular “zone” they worked within. As for something that appealed to more of a pop-set, or radio-friendly grunge, I’d have to give that one to STP (or even Pearl Jam). That’s not to dis them at all though. They’re were one of the greatest bands out there. In fact, I have _Purple_ spinning now… ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/22 "2014-03-31T15:42:44Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > I’d have to go with Smells like Teen Spirit, which I’m sure is too mainstream, but it’s just The Song from that era to me. I can’t turn off the radio in the middle. > > AIC’s Would is also a good choice. Or Pearl Jam’s Black. Or Black Hole Sun. > > And now I’m sad that I have no good music on my phone. I had contemplated Smells Like Teen Spirit; _everybody_ loves that song. Still. After 23 years. That’s how great it is. It’s certainly a quintessential example, but it just seemed… too obvious? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/23 "2014-03-31T16:37:14Z")
I always liked “Come As You Are” much, much better than SLTS. For some reason that guitar riff will still raise hairs on my arms. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/24 "2014-03-31T16:56:03Z")
_Nevermind_ is one of those albums where my favorites change with the weather. It’s very hard for me to pick one, though _Lounge Act, On a Plain, Lithium, Smells Like Teen Spirit_ and _Come as You Are_ are the strongest for me. Maybe _Polly_ too. And _Drain You._ Shuddup! I know that’s over half the album! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/25 "2014-03-31T17:26:41Z")
Nirvana’s **Breed**. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/26 "2014-03-31T17:30:37Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > I’d have to go with Smells like Teen Spirit, which I’m sure is too mainstream, but it’s just The Song from that era to me. I can’t turn off the radio in the middle. Oh yeah - it is That Song. But I really don’t…_need_ to listen to Nevermind anymore. I can just look at it - the name, the CD on my shelf - and get a “listening hit” off of it 😉 because it got played so much. No slam on the material - I didn’t need to listen to a lot of Zep and The Who for a long time after radio saturation, too… ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/27 "2014-04-01T02:27:16Z")
The Nymphs, [Imitating Angels](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5GcHoeQb8U). They only really had one memorable song {well, maybe that and Sad and Damned}, but dear God, it was a good one. And the whole of Mother Love Bone’s _Apple_, but especially [Crown of Thorns.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaeLgJzNTAY) And Mudhoney channelling the Stooges on [In ‘n’ Out of Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMuLYVOqFNQ) ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/28 "2014-04-01T02:43:09Z")
Anyone remember Gruntruck? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jk_hjsPE6T0/hqdefault.jpg "Gruntruck - Tribe") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk_hjsPE6T0) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/29 "2014-04-01T02:58:31Z")
[Lithium](http://youtu.be/pkcJEvMcnEg)is probably my favorite Nirvana and grunge song. The lyrics plus the juxtaposition between the laid-back verses and screaming "Yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah!"chorus always immediately bring me back to my slacker, insecure and frenetic youth. Plus I think it was the first song I learned to play on the bass. It is absolutely impossible for this song not to get cranked when it comes on the radio in my car, or for me not to be in a great mood after it’s done. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/30 "2014-04-01T04:46:07Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Lithium](http://youtu.be/pkcJEvMcnEg)is probably my favorite Nirvana and grunge song. The lyrics plus the juxtaposition between the laid-back verses and screaming "Yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah!"chorus always immediately bring me back to my slacker, insecure and frenetic youth. Plus I think it was the first song I learned to play on the bass. It is absolutely impossible for this song not to get cranked when it comes on the radio in my car, or for me not to be in a great mood after it’s done. Another neat bass lick Novoselic has on a Nirvana tune is on “Heart Shaped Box”…which I guess is a pretty damn grungy song itself. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/31 "2014-04-01T07:00:03Z")
_Rearview Mirror_, for me. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/32 "2014-04-01T13:15:13Z")
A lot of great choices in this thread. It’s making me want to dig out my Alice in Chains cassettes from high school. 🙂 For me, it’s Soundgarden’s [Fourth of July](http://youtu.be/UIJWv03kyMY). There’s no other word to describe that guitar but “grungy”. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/33 "2014-04-01T16:39:40Z")
Man, I don’t wanna be “that guy”, but here goes: I can’t even listen to the Nirvana songs they play on the radio anymore. If it’s not from _Bleach_ or the singles, I just lacks the right amount of spice. I liked them at the time, but they haven’t aged well on me. I used to hold them separate from STP or Pearl Jam, but through the paper towel tube of time their later songs sound more and more like radio hits rather than what I think of as “grunge”. Ehh, maybe to others, grunge was something that happened on the radio, it wasn’t to me. And, I’d like to change my answer, it’s actually either [“Bad Times”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WM_s9Yn1H0) by Lubricated Goat\* (caution, NSFW word in image of album cover), or the whole album [_Lysol_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFUuZXW99TY) by the Melvins\*\*. It doesn’t matter which it is, they’re both methods for living. \*If it’s not the perfect grunge jam, it’s got the Best Opening Line Ever: _And so they covered me with blood and threw me into shark infested waters. Schools of mermaids gathered 'round and together we were slaughered._ \*\* It’s the Sgt. Pepper’s of grunge, or metal. Take your pick. It’s all one 31 minute track on the CD, so I think it qualifies as a “jam” mightily. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/34 "2014-04-01T20:43:45Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Soundgarden-“Outshined” > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNh-iw7gsuI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNh-iw7gsuI) This was definitely my vote. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/35 "2014-04-01T23:46:33Z")
Wow, that was a cranky post this morning. After a little bit of sleep, I must admit that I know I listen to crap; and if the stuff you like doesn’t intersect with the crap I like, it doesn’t mean either is inferior. Heck, I’ll probably like Nirvana’s last two records again next week. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/36 "2014-04-02T03:25:54Z")
_Very Ape_ is awesome by Nirvana too. ---
**Author:** ![Leonard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@Leonard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leonard)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/37 "2014-04-02T03:54:31Z")
I think I’d go with AIC-God Am and Soundgarden-Pretty Noose. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/38 "2014-04-04T04:02:43Z")
Willard, [Seasick](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d7N6km7iuo&list=PLB892A5CCC37FB5E5&feature=share&index=5) Dickless, [Sweet Teeth](http://youtu.be/lQTlQcoWwBE) Tad, [Jinx](http://youtu.be/PYcwjBG4nTk) Mudhoney, [Touch Me I’m Sick](http://youtu.be/_nGsT_qFMBs) Soundgarden, [Gun](http://youtu.be/saq7sjYonSQ) Hole, [Garbage Man](http://youtu.be/skS3KiexI_g) L7, [Shove](http://youtu.be/X-XQV63E0GU) Babes In Toyland,[Handsom Gretel](http://youtu.be/Y5JS72ZD0ec) Silverfish, [Pink and Lovely](http://youtu.be/3DWimklZIDg) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/39 "2014-04-04T04:12:28Z")
[Man In the Box](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAqZb52sgpU&feature=kp) by Alice In Chains. And, for someone not from the Seattle area, Puddle of Mudd’s [“She Hates Me”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYE4CVhVkhw&feature=kp), even though Wiki calls them “post-grunge.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896/40 "2014-04-04T04:28:05Z")
Missed the edit window. On Puddle of Mudd’s [“She Hates Me”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYE4CVhVkhw) video, can anyone tell me who that [actress](https://www.google.com/search?q=puddle+of+mudd+she+hates+me+video+actors&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=wTM-U9yQKou0sQTUloGIBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=775#q=puddle+of+mudd+she+hates+me+video+actress&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Hi62quYBaIcnAM%253A%3BAGpcCaMENXDLFM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi.ytimg.com%252Fvi%252Fu2rCK2SKASI%252F0.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Farticle.wn.com%252Fview%252F2014%252F02%252F12%252FS_Harvey_Mudd_NIH_researcher_dies_at_86%252F%3B480%3B360) is singing along? Google searches say [Leighton Meester](https://www.google.com/search?q=puddle+of+mudd+she+hates+me+video+actors&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=wTM-U9yQKou0sQTUloGIBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=775#q=leighton+meester&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=NyiLkAZBRUL-uM%253A%3BcwrYJybJ6XBllM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftotallyschools.com%252Fceleb_images%252F1%252Fleighton-meester-education%252Fleighton-meester.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftotallyschools.com%252Fcelebs%252Fleighton-meester-education%3B2020%3B2824), but they don’t seem to be “official” cites. I think she looks more like [Dominique Swain](http://www.starpulse.com/Actresses/Swain,_Dominique/gallery/TTO-003492/). Any ideas? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-perfect-grunge-jam/684896.md?page=3)