The PLAY Lists >> Grunge

PLAY List
Grunge

2004 __ Volume 5

The PLAY Lists >> Just a Little Ragged — A Grunge Core Collection

This core collection recognizes the 10th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide, and it's no surprise, presumably, that Nevermind (which ranked as the top album of the '90s when that PLAY List was compiled) is slouching comfortably at the top of the pile. Spin and the About.com guide to grunge both listed it as their No. 1 pick. In fact, Nirvana was the most impressively represented band with In Utero, Bleach, and MTV Unplugged in New York all getting critical acknowledgment from the sources consulted. Two Pearl Jam CDs—Ten and VS.—are ranked as "First Purchase" quality, with Green River, Mudhoney, Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains rounding out this elite group or recordings.

	Grunge
Influences	MC5. Kick Out the Jams. (Elektra 60894, 1969) [Source=G1, Spin] Pixies. Surfer Rosa. (4AD 78030, 1988) [Source=G1, Spin] Black Sabbath. Paranoid. (Warner Bros. 3104, 1971) [Source=G1] Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath. (Warner Bros. 1871, 1970) [Source=Spin] Blue Cheer. Vincebus Eruptum. (Polygram 514685, 1968) [Source=G1] Creedence Clearwater Revival. Cosmo's Factory. (Fantasy 58402, 1970) [Source=Spin] Husker Du. Zen Arcade. (SST 27, 1984) [Source=G1] Killdozer. Little Baby Buntin'. (Touch & Go 26, 1987) [Source=Spin] Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin II. (Atlantic 82633, 1969) [Source=G1] Sonic Youth. Daydream Nation. (Blast First 24515, 1988) [Source=G1] The Stooges. Raw Power. (Columbia 66229, 1973) [Source=G1] Neil Young. Rust Never Sleeps. (Reprise 2295, 1979) [Source=EPM]
First Purchase	Nirvana. Nevermind. (DGC 24425 , 1991) [Source=About, MBSN, Rev, Spin / Score=66] Pearl Jam. Ten. (Epic 47857 , 1991) [Source=G1, MBSN, Rev, Spin / Score=49] Green River. Dry As A Bone/ Rehab Doll. (Sub Pop 11, 1988) [Source=About, G1, Rev, Spin / Score=39] Mudhoney. Superfuzz Bigmuff. (Sub Pop 21, 1992) [Source=G1, Rev, Spin / Score=35] Pearl Jam. Vs. (Sony 53136, 1993) [Source=About, MBSN / Score=35] Temple of the Dog. Temple of the Dog. (A&M 5350, 1991) [Source=About, G1, MBSN / Score=35] Soundgarden. Badmotorfinger. (A&M 5374, 1991) [Source=About, G1, MBSN / Score=33] Alice in Chains. Dirt. (Columbia 52475, 1992) [Source=G1, MBSN, Spin / Score=33]
Second Set	Nirvana. In Utero. (DGC 24607, 1993) [Source=MBSN, Spin / Score=27] Mad Season. Above. (Sony 67057, 1995) [Source=About, G1 / Score=26] L7. Bricks Are Heavy. (Warner Bros./Slash 26784 , 1992) [Source=G1(, MBSN, Spin / Score=21+5=26] Screaming Trees. Sweet Oblivion. (Epic 48996 , 1992). [Source=MBSN, Spin / Score=23] Melvins. Ozma/Gluey Porch Treatments. (Boner 16, 1989) [Source=Rev, Spin / Score=18+5=23] Tad. 8-Way Santa. (Sub Pop 89 , 1991) [Source=G1, Rev, Spin / Score=13+5+4=22] Mother Love Bone. Stardog Champion. (Polygram 512884, 1990) [Source=About, Spin / Score=20] Soundgarden. Superunknown. (A&M 540198, 1994) [Source=Spin / Score=18] Love Battery. Dayglo. (Sub Pop, 1992) [Source=G1, Spin / Score=18]
Next Set	Babes in Toyland. Spanking Machine. (Twin/Tone 89183 , 1990) [Source=G1, Spin / Score=16] Stone Temple Pilots. Core. (Atlantic 82418, 1992) [Source=MBSN, Spin / Score=13+3=16] Hole. Live Through This. (DGC 24631, 1994) [Source=G1, Spin / Score=10+5=15] Soundgarden. Louder Than Love. (A&M 5252 , 1989) [Source=Rev / Score=13] Alice in Chains. Facelift. (Columbia 46075, 1990) [Source=Rev/ Score=13]
Deeper	Mad Season. Above. (Sony 67057, 1995) [Source=About, G1 / Score=26] Mudhoney. Mudhoney. (Sub Pop 44, 1989 [Source=About / Score=10] Hole. Pretty on the Inside. (Caroline 1710, 1991) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Melvins. Stoner Witch. (Atlantic 82704, 1994) [Source=Spin / Score=10] Screaming Trees. Uncle Anesthesia. (Epic 46800, 1991). [Source=G1 / Score=10] L7. Smell the Magic. (Sub Pop 79, 1991) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Tad. God's Balls. (Sub Pop, 1989) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Nirvana. Bleach. (Sub Pop 34, 1989) [Source=G1 / Score=10] The Fluid. Glue. (Sub Pop, 1990) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Afghan Whigs. Up in It. (Sub Pop 60, 1990) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Smashing Pumpkins. Gish. (Caroline 39663, 1990) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Blood Circus. Primal Rock Therapy. (Sub Pop, 1988). [Source=G1 / Score=10] Halo of Flies. Music for Insect Minds. (Ampetamine Reptile 2, 1991) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Paw. Dragline. (A&M 540065, 1993) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Big Chief. Face. (Sub Pop, 1991) [Source=G1 / Score=10] Wipers. Wipers Box Set. (Zeno 5, 2001) [Source=Spin / Score=8] Tad. Inhaler. (Giant/Warner Bros. 24525, 1993) [Source=Spin / Score=8] Nirvana. MTV Unplugged in New York. (DGC 24727, 1994) [Source=Spin / Score=6] Stone Temple Pilots. Purple. (Atlantic 82607, 1994) [Source=Spin / Score=6]
Compilations	Various artists. Singles [Soundtrack]. (Sony 52476, 1992) [Source=About, MBSN, Spin / Score=29] Various artists. Deep Six. (C/Z, 1986) [Source=G1, Rev / Score=23] Various artists. Sub-Pop-200. (Sub Pop 25, 1988) [Source=G1, Spin / Score=20] Various artists. Hype!: Surviving the Northwest Rock Explosion [Soundtrack]. (Sub Pop 371, 1996) [Source=About / Score=14] Various artists. The Grunge Years. (Sub Pop 112, 1991) [Source=G1 / Score=10]

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Quantifying Critical Consensus: Methodology >>

This core collection drew upon the five sources identified below, all of which were weighted equally. Spin and the About.com listings were both ranked, the rest were unranked. To ensure that worthy artists were adequately repesented—even when there was a difference of opinion regarding which recording was the most deserving—I adjusted the scores of a handful of CDs, adding half of the score of the lower ranked CDs to the one by that artist that placed highest on this listing. L7, Melvins, Hole, and Stone Temple Pilots all moved up thanks to this adjustment. Tad pushed all the way into the "Second Set" and serves as a good example of how this process works:

Tad. 8-Way Santa. (Sub Pop 89 , 1991)

[Source=G1(10*0.5=5), Rev(U=13), Spin(8*0.5=4) / Score=13+5+4=22]

The unranked, ten-item Revolution lists 8-Way Santa, so that title picked up 13 points. GuitarOne preferred God's Balls, so here I awarded half of the 10 points normally assigned to a CD in 20-item unranked listing. Spin liked Inhaler best, listing it at its Number 13 slot, so here Heard earned half of the eight points normally assigned to a CD ranked 13th. In these cases, the source is shown in red.

See Quantifying Critical Consensus for more detail.

Sources >>

[About] — Kempfert, Chad. "Guide Picks — Top 10 Grunge Albums." Available: http://altmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aatp_grunge.htm (Accessed 12 May 2004).

[G1] — Forsythe, Tom. "Architects of Grunge." GuitarOne Vol. 7, No. 5 (May 2004): pp. 84-102.

[MBSN] — Kimes, Kent. "The Best of Grunge." Myrtle Beach Sun News (April 6, 2004): p.

[Rev] — "Flyin' the Flannel: 10 Essential Grunge Albums. " Revolver No. 24 (April 2004); pp. 56-62.

[Spin] — "The 20 Greatest Grunge Albums of All Time." Spin Vol. 30, No. 4 (April 2004): pp; 62-63.

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This core collection recognizes the 10th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's suicide, and it's no surprise, presumably, that Nevermind (which ranked as the top album of the '90s when that PLAY List was compiled) is slouching comfortably at the top of the pile. Spin and the About.com guide to grunge both listed it as their No. 1 pick. In fact, Nirvana was the most impressively represented band with In Utero, Bleach, and MTV Unplugged in New York all getting critical acknowledgment from the sources consulted. Two Pearl Jam CDs—Ten and VS.—are ranked as "First Purchase" quality, with Green River, Mudhoney, Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains rounding out this elite group or recordings.