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Post-grunge

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Post-grunge
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly–mid-1990s, United States
Other topics
Alternative metal,soft grunge

Post-grungeis an offshoot ofgrungethat has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such asBush,Candlebox,Collective Soul,Live,Foo Fighters,andSilverchair,that emulated the original sound of grunge.

In the late 1990s, post-grunge morphed into a more clearly defined style that combined the sound andaestheticof grunge with more commercially accessible songwriting, rising to prominence that lasted into the 2000s. Bands such as Foo Fighters,Nickelback,Creed,Staind,Puddle of Mudd,Breaking Benjamin,Three Days Grace,Shinedown,Seether,andMatchbox Twentyachieved mainstream success in this second wave.

Characteristics[edit]

During the 1990s, a post-grunge sound emerged that emulated the attitudes and music of grunge, particularly its thick,distortedguitars,but with a less intense and less abrasive tone.[1][2]Unlike a lot of early grunge bands, post-grunge bands often worked throughmajor record labelsand incorporated influences from a variety of musical genres such asjangle pop,pop-punk,ska revival,alternative metal,andclassic rock.[2]Post-grunge music tends to be in mid-tempo and is noted for having "a polished, radio-ready production".[2]Tim Grierson ofAbout.comwrote that musically, post-grunge bands "split the difference between plaintive ballads and aggressive rockers, resulting in songs that combine the two extremes into a sad-eyed, propulsive middle ground".[3]Post-grunge tends to feature the "...same kind of melody as...bubblegum pop"and pop song structures.[4][5]On some occasions,post-grungemusic features both an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar playing simultaneously.[4]Post-grunge tends to have production quality that is much higher and cleaner than grunge.[6]

Post-grunge bandNickelbackin 2008

A "major rift" between grunge andpost-grungeis in the lyrical substance of the music; grunge often expressed emotion through loose metaphors or third-person narratives, while post-grunge was known for being direct and blunt.[4]While describing lyrics that are common inpost-grunge,Sasha Geffen ofConsequence of Soundwrote thatpost-grunge"plunged directly into the'I.' "[4]Geffen also wrote that most post-grunge songs that achieved mainstream success "call after a prospective or past companion in the first person".[4]Post-grunge lyrics also tend to be about topics such as relationships, romance and drug addiction.[4][7]According to Geffen, "grunge's frontmen posed with their addictions;post-grunge'ssongwriters sought redemption for them ".[4]Geffen then states that post-grunge songs "fit the mold of songs made for...teenage boys and girls" who were "longing for a distant someone".[4]

Pejorative labels[edit]

British band Bush (pictured) were described by Matt Diehl ofRolling Stoneas "the most successful and shameless mimics of Nirvana's music".[8]

Originally, post-grunge was a label that was meant to be almost pejorative, suggesting that grunge bands labelled aspost-grungewere simply musically derivative, or a cynical response to an "authentic"rock movement.[1]When grunge became a mainstream genre because of bands such asNirvanaandPearl Jam,record labels started signing bands that sounded similar to these bands' sonic identities. Bands labeled aspost-grungethat emerged when grunge was mainstream such asBush,CandleboxandCollective Soulare all noted for emulating the sound of bands that launched grunge into the mainstream.[1]According to Tim Grierson ofAbout.com,the almost pejorative use of the "post-grunge" label to describe these bands was "suggesting that rather than being a musical movement in their own right, they were just a calculated, cynical response to a legitimate stylistic shift inrock music".[1]During the late 1990s, post-grunge morphed, becoming a derivative of grunge that combined characteristics of grunge with a more commercially accessible tone. During this time, post-grunge bands such asCreedandNickelbackemerged. Grierson wrote:

Creed and Nickelback espoused a more conventional, almost conservative worldview built around the comforts of community and romantic relationships. Ironically, this attitude was diametrically opposed to the antisocial angst of the original grunge bands, who railed against conformity and instead explored troubling issues such as suicide, societal hypocrisy and drug addiction.[1]

Grierson also wrote, "Post-grunge was a profitable musical style, but bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam were beloved partly because of their perceived integrity in avoiding the mainstream. Post-grunge, by comparison, seemed to exist in order to court that very audience."[1]

In the late 2000s and 2010s, the derogatory term "butt rock" gained traction when applied in relation to many post-grunge artists who were popular during the genre's prime, such as Nickelback, Creed,Puddle of Mudd,andHinder.While the origins of the term are debated, the term "butt rock" usually comes from someone critical of an overuse of raspy vocals (often described as imitations of Pearl Jam'sEddie Vedder) or, less often, overly clichéd or angsty lyrics.[9]

History[edit]

1993–1997: First wave and rise in popularity[edit]

Even at the height of their popularity, after the release ofNevermind(1991) brought grunge to international attention, Nirvana experienced increasing problems, partly caused byKurt Cobain'sdrug addictionand growing dissatisfaction with commercial success.[10]In late 1992, Cobain was photographed in a T-shirt with 'Grunge is Dead' printed on its front[11]at which point the genre's decline started to be widely discussed.[12][13]Cobain's suicidein 1994, as well as Pearl Jam's touring problems, marked a decline for grunge that year.[2]Problems of addiction forLayne StaleyofAlice in Chainsled to the band cancelling scheduled dates in 1995.[14]Addiction and legal problems forScott WeilandofStone Temple Pilotsled to the band having touring problems, causing the band to tour their albumPurplefor only four months, and their follow up albumTiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shopfor only 6 weeks.[15]

Live, one of the first post-grunge bands, performing in 2013

As the original grunge movement began to fade, major record labels began signing and promoting bands emulating the genre in a more mainstream style, dubbed by some writers as "post-grunge".[16]In spite of the fact that bands such as Bush[17][18][19]and Candlebox[20]have been categorized as grunge, both bands have also been categorized as post-grunge.[2]Collective Soul[1]andLive[7]are two other bands categorized as post-grunge that emerged along with Bush and Candlebox. Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul and Live all achieved mainstream success; Candlebox'sself-titled album(1993) was certified4× platinumby theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA)[21]and, according toNielsen SoundScan,sold at least 4,000,000 copies.[22]Its song "Far Behind" peaked at number 18 on theBillboardHot 100.[23]Collective Soul's song "Shine" peaked at number 11 on the same chart[24]and was certified gold by the RIAA in September 1994.[25]Collective Soul's albumHints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid(1993) was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA,[26]and the band'sself-titled album released in 1995was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.[27]Bush's debut studio albumSixteen Stone(1994) was certified6× platinumby the RIAA[28]and the band's second studio albumRazorblade Suitcase(1996), which peaked at number 1 on theBillboard200,[29]was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.[30]Carl Williott ofStereogumcalled Bush's albumSixteen Stone"a harbinger ofpost-grunge'spop dominance ".[31]Live's albumThrowing Copper(1994) was certified 8× platinum by the RIAA,[32]and the band's albumSecret Samadhi(1997) was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA.[33]BothThrowing CopperandSecret Samadhipeaked at number 1 on theBillboard200.[34]

In 1995, former Nirvana drummerDave Grohl's newer bandFoo Fightershelped to popularize post-grunge and define its parameters, becoming one of the most commercially successfulrockbands in the United States, aided by considerable airplay onMTV.[35]Like grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam,Soundgarden,and Alice in Chains, the post-grunge band Candlebox was fromSeattle,but post-grunge was marked by a broadening of the geographical base of grunge, with bands categorized as post-grunge such asYork, Pennsylvania's Live,[36]Atlanta,Georgia's Collective Soul, Australia'sSilverchairand England's Bush, who all paved the way for later post-grunge bands.[2][37]Female solo artistAlanis Morissette's 1995 albumJagged Little Pill,which is considered a post-grunge album, became a hit[38]and was certified 16× platinum by the RIAA in 1998[39]having sold at least 15,000,000 copies in the United States.[40]Matchbox Twenty's 1996 debut album,Yourself or Someone Like You,was a success; it was certified 12× platinum by the RIAA.[41]A 2024 review of Live'sThrowing CopperbyConsequence of Sound's Paolo Ragusa credits that album with starting post-grunge and shifting rock music to a new direction after thedeath of Kurt Cobainby combining some harder rock influences with clearer vocals, softer guitar melodies, and the production of Jerry Harrison to make a distinct sound.[42]

1997–2010: Second wave and peak popularity[edit]

Post-grunge band Creed in 2002

With the first wave of post-grunge bands losing popularity, post-grunge morphed in the late 1990s and 2000s, gaining further popularity with newer acts such asCreed,Nickelback,Three Days Grace,3 Doors Down,Puddle of Mudd,Staind,[43]Hinder,Audioslave,[44] Hoobastank,[45]Fuel,Breaking Benjamin,Shinedown,Seether,[1]andDaughtry,[46]abandoning some of the angst and anger of the earlier artists for more conventional anthems, narratives, and romantic songs. Creed's albumsMy Own Prison,released in 1997, andWeathered,released in 2001, were both certified6× platinumby the RIAA.[47][48]Weatheredsold at least 6,400,000 copies in the United States.[49]Creed's albumHuman Clay,released in 1999, was certified diamond by the RIAA[50]and sold at least 11,690,000 copies in the United States.[51]Human Clay'ssong "With Arms Wide Open"peaked at number 1 on theBillboardHot 100.[52]

Nickelback broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s; their song "How You Remind Me"peaked at number 1 on theBillboardHot 100.[53]The Nickelback album that featured the song,Silver Side Up,was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA[54]and sold at least 5,528,000 copies in the United States.[55]Nickelback's next album,The Long Road,was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA[56]and sold at least 3,591,000 copies in the United States.[55]The album's song "Someday"peaked at number 7 on theBillboardHot 100 and number 1 on both theCanadian Singles Chartand theAdult Top 40chart.[53]Nickelback's albumAll the Right Reasonswas certified 6× platinum by the RIAA fourteen months after being released. Four years after being released, the album was certified 8× platinum by the RIAA. In March 2017,All the Right Reasonswas certified diamond by the RIAA.[57]Staind's albumBreak the Cyclepeaked at number 1 on theBillboard200[58]and sold at least 716,000 copies in its release week,[59]and, according to Nielsen SoundScan, sold at least 4,240,000 copies in 2001.[60]Break the Cycle'ssong "It's Been Awhile"peaked at number 5 on theBillboardHot 100.[58]

Man performing to an audience with both a guitar and a microphone
Puddle of Mudd vocalistWes Scantlinin 2008

3 Doors Down's debut studio albumThe Better Lifewas certified 6× platinum by the RIAA[61]and sold at least 5,653,000 copies in the United States.[62]The Better Life'ssong "Kryptonite"peaked at number 3 on theBillboardHot 100[63]and number 1 on theMainstream Top 40chart.[64]3 Doors Down's second studio albumAway from the Sunwas certified4× platinumby the RIAA[65]and sold at least 3,863,000 copies in the United States.[66]Lifehouseachieved mainstream success in the early 2000s; their song "Hanging by a Moment",which peaked at number 2 on theBillboardHot 100,[67]was the most played song on the radio in 2001.[68]Puddle of Mudd broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s; their albumCome Cleanwas certified3× platinumby the RIAA[69]and the album's songs "Blurry"and"She Hates Me"both reached very high positions on theBillboardHot 100. "Blurry" peaked at number 5 on theBillboard Hot 100and "She Hates Me" peaked at number 13 on theBillboardHot 100.[70]"She Hates Me" also peaked at number 7 on theTop 40 Mainstreamchart.[70]The bandDefaultbecame popular with their song "Wasting My Time".It peaked at number 13 on theBillboardHot 100.[71]

The post-grunge bandCold's song "Stupid Girl"peaked at number 87 on theBillboardHot 100.[72]Post-grungebandCrossfade's song "Cold"peaked at number 81 on theBillboardHot 100, number 23 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart, number 39 on thePop 100chart, number 28 on thePop 100 Airplaychart, and number 57 on theHot Digital Songschart.[73]It was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2006.[74]Crossfade'sself-titled albumwas certified platinum by the RIAA in August 2005.[75]Three Days Grace broke into the mainstream during the 2000s; their song "Just Like You"peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on both theMainstream Rock chartand theModern Rock Trackschart.[76]

Three Days Grace in 2006

The Three Days Grace song "I Hate Everything About You"peaked at number 55 on theBillboardHot 100 and number 28 on thePop Songschart.[76]In 2006, Three Days Grace released their albumOne-X,which was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.[77]The album's song "Pain"peaked at number 44 on theBillboardHot 100, number 47 on the Pop 100 chart and number 35 on the Hot Digital Songs chart.[76]One-X'ssong "Never Too Late"peaked at: number 71 on theBillboardHot 100, number 12 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart, number 19 on the Pop 100 chart, number 17 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, number 30 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, number 18 on theHot Canadian Digital Singleschart, number 13 on the Adult Top 40 chart and number 1 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Recurrents chart.[76]Daughtrybroke into the mainstream in 2006 with the release of theirself-titled debut album.Stephen Thomas ErlewineofAllMusicnoted thepost-grungesound of the album.[78]It sold at least 5,040,000 copies in the United States.[79]The bandFlyleaf's song "All Around Me"peaked at: number 40 on theBillboardHot 100, number 12 on the Top 40 Mainstream, number 17 on the Pop 100, number 15 on the Pop 100 Airplay, number 38 on the Hot Digital Songs and number 23 on the Adult Top 40.[80]Flyleaf'sself-titled albumwas certified platinum by the RIAA.[81]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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