3 Grunge Deep Cuts That Rival the Biggest Alt-Rock Anthems of the 90s

There was no shortage of alt-rock hits in the 1990s. And what was most impressive about the decade wasn’t the number of guitar bands that existed but how many of them were undeniably great. By the time grunge broke in 1991, underground bands occupied mainstream charts, and major labels raced to sign new bands to meet the demand.

With so many alt-rock anthems to keep track of, it’s easy to overlook a few under-the-radar but equally great songs. So here’s a reminder of a few you might have missed.

“It Ain’t Like That” by Alice In Chains

I’m going to get some static for this take, but Jerry Cantrell’s best guitar riff isn’t “Man In The Box” or “Them Bones”. They are bangers, obviously. But this deep cut from Facelift is a must-know. It echoes the band’s glam roots with a T. Rex vibe and features one of Layne Staley’s signature howls. In Cantrell’s verse riff, we hear Marc Bolan’s swaggering glam meeting Tony Iommi’s low-tuned doom metal.

“Stardog Champion” by Mother Love Bone

Though “Stardog Champion” was released as a single, Mother Love Bone’s debut and only studio album went somewhat unnoticed following singer Andrew Wood’s death and the rise of grunge. But Wood, and tragically, his death, helped ignite the new scene. Bandmates Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament endured the loss of their friend and formed Pearl Jam, but without Mother Love Bone, you don’t get to “Alive”, “Even Flow”, or “Jeremy”. Or Temple Of The Dog. You’ll want to crank it when Wood instructs the children to sing.

“Gun” by Soundgarden

When Soundgarden signed with a major record label, the Seattle band had zero intentions of offering a more radio-friendly version of grunge. Here, Chris Cornell screams over sludge metal as his drummer Matt Cameron pushes and then drags the rest of the band through various tempo changes. A&M Records released Louder Than Love in 1989, and few would have predicted how Soundgarden would help reshape rock music in the 1990s. I saw them perform at the second Lollapalooza in 1992, and you could sense a cultural revolt happening in real time.

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