Post-grunge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Post-grunge Stylistic origins
Alternative rock,
[1] grunge Cultural origins Mid-1990s United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia Typical instruments
Electric guitar •
acoustic guitar •
bass guitar •
drums •
vocal Mainstream popularity Mid-1990s to early-2010s Regional scenes
British Columbia,
California,
Pacific Northwest,
Southern Ontario,
Upper Midwest Other topics
Post-grunge bands Post-grunge is a subgenre of
alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of
grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone. This made post-grunge bands like
Foo Fighters,
Nickelback,
Creed and
Matchbox Twenty among the most commercially successful rock acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
[edit] History
The
death of Kurt Cobain of
Nirvana in early 1994, as well as touring problems for
Pearl Jam and the disbandment of
Soundgarden, marked a decline for grunge that year.
[1] At the same time major record labels began signing and promoting bands that were emulating the genre.
[2] The term post-grunge was coined to describe these bands, who emulated the attitudes and music of grunge, particularly thick, distorted guitars, but with a more radio-friendly commercially-oriented sound.
[1] Often they worked through the major labels and came to incorporate diverse influences from
jangle pop,
pop punk,
ska revival,
alternative metal, or
hard rock.
[1] The term post-grunge was meant to be pejorative, suggesting that they were simply musically derivative, or a cynical response to an "authentic" rock movement.
[3]
In 1995, former Nirvana drummer
Dave Grohl's new band, the
Foo Fighters, helped popularize the genre and define its parameters, becoming one of the most commercially successful rock bands in the US, aided by considerable airplay on
MTV.
[4] Some post-grunge bands, like
Candlebox, were from Seattle, but the sub-genre was marked by a broadening of the geographical base of grunge, with bands like
Atlanta,
Georgia's Collective Soul,
Australia's Silverchair and
England's Bush, who all cemented post-grunge as one of the most commercially viable sub-genres by the late 1990s.
[1][5] Although male bands predominated, female solo artist
Alanis Morissette's 1995 album
Jagged Little Pill, labelled as post-grunge, also became a multi-platinum hit.
[6] With the first wave of post-grunge bands losing popularity, bands such as
Nickelback,
Creed and
Puddle of Mudd took post-grunge into the 21st century with considerable commercial success, abandoning most of the angst and anger of the original movement for more conventional anthems, narratives and romantic songs. At the start of the 2010s the genre is still active, including new acts
Shinedown and
Seether. It also gained exposure through American Idol
David Cook whose music has been compared to the style.
[3][7] While it may be that certain current post-grunge outfits don't have that angst and anger in their music like the bands of post-grunge's first wave and the old grunge guard have, outfits like
Breaking Benjamin have retained some of that angst and anger fire in their music.