10 Best Grunge Guitarists

At the end of the '80s, the entire rock scene was looking a little worse for wear. For as much as the hair metal scene was fun, the entire cartoony look had gotten ridiculous to the point of self-parody. Emerging from the Northwest, grunge swooped in like a hard rock phoenix and rewrote the rules of how rock would be going forward.

Though grunge had some of the most heartfelt performances on record, you'd be hardpressed to find any virtuosos in the scene. The amount of technical expertise may not have been the biggest draw, but these guitarists were able to develop their own individualized styles outside of the usual shredder roles. Some found their groove in feedback while others just lashed out on their instruments, but you could hear the pure anger and angst being brought through with every single note.

Not only did this open up the playing field as to what a guitarist's role could be in a band, but also signaled a new regime of guitarists who didn't have to rely on studying scale exercises to be considered a genius. Grunge may be mocked for being a basic form of rock music, but as far as these guitarists go, you don't need to play a billion notes if the feel is this good.

Long before grunge was a widely accessible term, most of the seeds of the genre could be found in alternative rock bands. While the bands from Seattle were still trying to handle their instruments, bands like the Pixies and Husker Du were laying the blueprint for what they would eventually become. Even though the alt boom of the ‘80s was its own entity, J Mascis certainly belongs in the grunge conversation.

During his time with Dinosaur Jr., Mascis became one of the best guitarists that no one was talking about. Though his parts were nothing too flashy, it always ended up suiting the more laid back rock and roll these guys would lay down. Whether the song was a punk song or a mellow jam, Mascis could really do it all, as he switched from high-speed runs to slow elongated notes with just the right balance of melody.

Dinosaur Jr. is not really mentioned within the confines of grunge, but you can bet most of the off-the-wall experiments coming from the Seattle bands wouldn’t have existed without him coming first. Sure, it’s a bit primitive, but it was time for a guitarist to get to the point instead of hitting you over the head with scales.