10 Best Grunge Albums You Need To Hear

It's almost impossible to not bring up Nirvana when talking about grunge, considering their hand in popularizing the genre virtually overnight. With the success of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," rock fans all around the world found their own voice that was far removed from the 80's hair metal movement. However, the band's masterpiece Nevermind seems to sound more like an alt-rock album than a grunge scorcher.

Kurt Cobain especially detested Nevermind's production and was hellbent on making the polar opposite for their next release. Working with punk sound-smith Steve Albini, In Utero is more of the reflection of the grunge sound than anything else the band had put out. Even if the production seems a bit scattered at points, Nirvana perfectly ride the balance between caustic and beautiful from the freakout of "Scentless Apprentice" to the broken gorgeousness of "Dumb."

This album is a grim reflection of a band dissatisfied with their ascent and willing to put their career on the line to make the music they want to make. It's hard to even come close to beating the perfection that is Nevermind, but In Utero is the ideal display of beautiful ugliness that the grunge scene was all about.