rock emerged in Seattle, Washington. Such bands as
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden burst onto
the musical landscape with gritty hard-edged music.
Through the success of these and other “angst-
driven” bands, a whole “Seattle sound” became a na-
tional musical force. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana be-
came the poster boy of the troubled musician who
was never comfortable with success. With the release
ofNevermindin 1991, Nirvana was catapulted into
the limelight. The single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
took on an anthemlike status for what has come to
be known as Generation X. For Cobain, this rise to
almost godlike status became extremely difficult to
cope with. He was addicted to heroin and suscepti-
ble to periods of deep depression. Tragically, he
committed suicide on April 5, 1994.
While this tragedy cut short the life of a very tal-
ented musical voice and the band he helped to form,
Nirvana’s influence did not diminish. Several other
quality bands found a large audience during the
1990’s, including the Smashing Pumpkins, the Dave
Matthews Band, Counting Crows, and Alice in
Chains. After initially receiving exposure on smaller
radio stations or college radio stations, many of
these groups eventually were given exposure on
more traditional rock radio stations. A Lollapalooza
tour was initiated in 1991 in order to introduce the
listening public to several previously unknown alter-
native acts. Alternative rock was on the verge of be-
coming the next big thing in music, and for the next
few years that seemed to be the case. Soundgarden
released the critically acclaimed albumBadmotor-
finger in 1991. Along with Nirvana’s Nevermind,
Soundgarden’s album is considered one of the great
grunge statements of the decade. In 1993, the
Smashing Pumpkins released the hugely popular al-
bumSiamese Dream. By 1994, the album had sold
three million copies. Although the band’s 1995 re-
leaseMellon Collie and the Infinite Sadnesswas a double
album, it also sold very well. By the end of the de-
cade, many of the bands that had made alternative
rock a musical force had either disbanded or lost
their creative intensity.
Impact While an alternative band’s commercial
success was looked upon in some quarters as selling
out, the impact of the best that alternative rock had
to offer cannot be denied. Bands such as Nirvana,
Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and the Smashing Pump-
kins produced extraordinary music during their
prime. The music from these seminal alternative
bands spoke to the generation that had come of age
during the decade. In addition, several quality fe-
male performers found their voice during the
1990’s, including Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette,
Courtney Love, P. J. Harvey, and Liz Phair.Further Reading
Anderson, Kyle.Accidental Revolution: The Stor y of
Grunge. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007. An
incisive look at the rise and fall of a vital music
genre.
Cross, Alan.Alternative Rock. Burlington, Canada:
Collector’s Guide, 2000. An engrossing look at
the best that alternative rock had to offer during
the 1990’s.
Hermes, Will, with Sia Michel, eds.Spin: Twenty Years
of Alternative Music. New York: Three Rivers Press,- A incisive collection of critical essays on the
alternative music scene.
Reisfeld, Randi.This Is the Sound! The Best of Alterna-
tive Rock. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1996. A
pointed discussion on the important alternative
bands.
Skancke, Jennifer.The Histor y of Indie Rock. Detroit,
Mich.: Lucent Books, 2007. As part of the Music
Library series, this volume details the rise of the
independent music industry.
Thompson, Dave.Alternative Rock. San Francisco:
Miller Freeman, 2000. Focuses on the important
bands that impacted the alternative music scene.
True, Everett.Nirvana: The Biography. Cambridge,
Mass.: Da Capo Press, 2007. A thorough evalua-
tion of a seminal band.
Jeffr y Jensen
See also Grunge fashion; Grunge music; Lolla-
palooza; Love, Courtney; Morissette, Alanis;MTV
Unplugged; Music; Nirvana; Woodstock concerts. Alvarez, Julia
Identification Dominican American author
Born March 27, 1950; New York, New YorkAlvarez is one of the first Dominican American writers to
achieve international acclaim. In the 1990’s, her first nov-
els were published and awarded, which ensured a perma-
nent place for her in the literar y and academic canon.30 Alvarez, Julia The Nineties in America