6. Green River
Sometimes, the true originators of a movement are forgotten in the wake of the bands that followed in their trailblazing ways. Such is the case with Green River, best remembered now as the group whose members included future contributors to Pearl Jam. Their mid-‘80s output remains a mystery to most rock fans, but seek out Dry as a Bone/Rehab Doll, which plays like a blueprint of what was to come in the ‘90s.
7. Mother Love Bone
An unhappy undercurrent to the story of the Seattle sound is the amount of artists who died young. Staley’s and Cobain’s deaths are more widely known, but Mother Love Bone’s lead singer, Andrew Wood, suffered a fatal drug overdose in 1990 just as his band seemed headed to prominence. Stardog Champion, also known simply as Mother Love Bone, compiles the group’s catalog on one disc, highlighting Wood’s melancholy spirit that was snuffed out much too early.
8. Temple Of The Dog
A supergroup with a cause, Temple of the Dog united members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to pay tribute to their deceased friend Andrew Wood. Their self-titled album contains the expected ruminations on death, but Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell reveals a softer, more romantic side as well, looking to love as a way to help keep grief at bay.
9. Mudhoney
The class clowns of the genre, Mudhoney flaunted a messy looseness that guaranteed they’d never be superstars but did result in a series of playful albums that sounded like they were recorded live in the garage. For the uninitiated, the best place to start is March to Fuzz, a greatest-hits compilation that spans their ‘80s and ‘90s peaks, including their immortal single “Touch Me I’m Sick.”
10. Candlebox
They were roundly chastised for their homogenized grunge aesthetic when they become radio staples on the strength of their self-titled 1993 debut. But while there’s plenty of validity to the claims that the quartet represented the most cynical commercialization of the Seattle scene’s deeply-felt anger and disenchantment, hits like “Far Behind” have become the template for mainstream rock bands looking for a combination of tunefulness and introspection.
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