However, it wasn’t until their sophomore effort, The Low End Theory (1991), that the act started to make a real impact. They released their first album the next year, kicking off the decade with People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. The Queens, New York-based group, A Tribe Called Quest formed in the ‘80s, but didn’t take off until they signed with Jive Records in 1989. The ‘80s and ‘90s marked the true beginnings of rap, and the early ’90s were defined by what’s now known as alternative hip-hop.

As of 2014, Grohl, Novoselic, and Cobain are inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The remaining primary members, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, have since performed together a number of times, most notably with Sir Paul McCartney at a Hurricane Sandy relief fundraiser in 2012. The band effectively broke up, and began to divide up their estate. He subsequently escaped, and was found dead from a self-inflicted shotgun wound on April 8, 1994. Cobain, a former heroin addict, had relapsed, and agreed to go to a treatment facility. While on tour, Cobain’s wife, Courtney Love, found him unconscious in their hotel room. However, they managed to come to an agreement, and recorded another album, In Utero (1993), before embarking on a final tour in early 1994. Lead singer and guitarist, Kurt Cobain felt he deserved more royalties than the rest of the members due to his songwriting contributions, which caused tension among the group. The short-lived group was riddled with issues.

The following year, the band performed at the MTV VMAs, and received the awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Video. But it wasn’t until their sophomore album, Nevermind (1991) that they were recognized by the masses, having signed with major label DGC Records.

Nirvana also got their start in Seattle, beginning in the late ‘80s. Of course, there’s another infamous band that truly defined grunge in the 1990s. Whether they’re making tunes or have moved on, bridged decades or disbanded as quickly as they began, take some time to enjoy 30 of the greatest musicians of the 1990s. Rather, it’s a trip through a time that many consider the last great era of music. Beyond that, the voices of a generation can be heard in all ’90s artists, from the pop songstress to the heavy metal vocalist.Ĭhoosing one musical act above another is akin to choosing a favorite child, so this list isn’t ranked. The dawning of grunge and the first true commercial success of hip-hop are marked by the ‘90s, in a display of the alternative forms rebellion and political unrest can take. What can’t justifiably be argued is what an incredible decade the 1990s was for music. So this list will likely strike a chord, so to speak, with some, while infuriating others. And more seriously, musicians are willing to die for their art: A number of the performers in this list were allegedly killed over industry disputes. Nominations and awards are given out, often causing mass controversy.

People fight over genres, bands, and individual artists, and even versions of the same song. Few things in life are more divisive than one’s taste in music.

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