In the mid 80's a small movement was brewing in an unlikely place, Seattle, Washington. This movement was not actually lead by Nirvana as many have said when they released "Nevermind" in September of 91 but actually went back to other Seattle bands like Melvins and Mudhoney. It was due in large part to Nirvana and Pearl Jam that the movement came to the forefront of mainstream success, a move which combined with the tragedy of Kurt Cobain's death conspired to kill the movement. While alternative music was a term for underground rock bands, Grunge bands combined guitar rock with punk and metal to give birth to a new movement. By the mid 90s the two movements combined in the eyes of the public to one big genre known as grunge. As a offshoot of this situation rock emerged and returned to the roots of the alternative movement and took the mantle of what was formerly known as alternative or college rock. Grunge moved from a local sound in Seattle through national and international venues and became a part of the musical vocabulary of most subsequent bands. Most modern musicians owe a debt of gratitude to those plaid wearing teens from Seattle. What caused this phenomenon? No one knows exactly but there are some possible causes to consider.
http://www.silver-dragon-records.com/grunge.htm
