Grunge!

In Grunge!, Seattle music journalist Gillian Gaar presents a visual history of the movement that redefined rock, from its first rumblings in 1986 through its slow fade in 1996.

Witness one of the most stunning revolutions in rock ’n’ roll history in this authoritative and visually rich history of grunge.

In the early 1990s, a new sound from the Pacific Northwest changed everything. Grunge! charts the rise of the movement that redefined rock through its raw power, authenticity, and emotion—and the community that gave it life. Longtime Seattle journalist Gillian G. Gaar, who lived the story firsthand, explores how bands such as grunge’s so-called “Big Four”—Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains—rose from dive bars and DIY record labels to dominate airwaves, fashion, and pop culture worldwide.

Richly illustrated with rare photography, concert flyers, and memorabilia, Grunge! traces the genre’s roots in the region’s earlier garage rock and punk scenes, then follows its explosion and enduring influence, year by year, from 1986 through 1996. Gaar also spotlights:

• Key venues like the Central, Vogue, and Off Ramp that helped nurture the scene
• Foundational labels, including Sub Pop, C/Z, and Kill Rock Stars, that transmitted Seattle’s sounds around the globe
• Photographers and chroniclers such as Charles Peterson and others who visually captured the chaos and creativity
• Essential bands, including the Big Four and trailblazers such as Mother Love Bone, Mudhoney, Melvins, Screaming Trees, the Gits, 7 Year Bitch, TAD, Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, and Foo Fighters

In addition, Gaar includes relevant quotes from her own contemporary interviews with folks who figured prominently in the story, including Steve Albini (producer/engineer), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, Portlandia), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Chad Channing (Nirvana), Cameron Crowe (filmmaker), Tad Doyle (TAD), Jack Endino (producer), Eric Erlandson (Hole), Danny Goldberg (Nirvana manager), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, solo), Courtney Love (Hole), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Bruce Pavitt (Sub Pop cofounder), Charles Peterson (photographer), Jonathan Poneman (Sub Pop cofounder), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Everett True (journalist), and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney).

Grunge! revisits the years when Seattle ruled the world, offering an insider’s view of the movement that blended punk attitude, heavy riffs, and unvarnished authenticity into a cultural force that still resonates.

For fans of rock history and 1990s culture, this is the ultimate tribute to music’s last true revolution—authentic, loud, and forever influential.

About the Author

Gillian G. Gaar has written for numerous publications, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, and Goldmine. She is the author of more than 20 books about rock 'n' roll, including Quarto's Elton John at 75, Bruce Springsteen at 75, and Tom Petty: The Life & Music. She lives in Seattle.

Jack Endino is a Seattle-based record producer, mixer, mastering engineer, and musician who has worked on almost 1,000 records since 1986. Journalists have called him "Chief Architect of the Seattle Sound" and "Godfather of Grunge," but Jack prefers "professional noisemonger." Jack (jackendino.com) still maintains his workaholic pace, having produced records in fourteen countries and continuing to play in bands as guitarist, bassist, and vocalist.