10 Best Hard Rock Bands Of The 90s

In terms of influence on rock music as a whole, Nirvana would probably obtain the title for best rock act of the 90's without any shadow of doubt. However, Kurt Cobain's unique songs blended with the rhythm section of Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl developed a sound that was alt-rock with hard rock habits.

While there is certainly a nasty bite to the riff of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," more contemplative material like "Come As You Are" and "Dumb" show some of the more vulnerable rock music to come from the decade. The alt-rock scene was made because of bands like Nirvana, but the heaviness of In Utero puts them one notch above their contemporaries. Even though Nevermind is an undeniable classic, the band's follow-up was some of the harshest rock music you will ever hear from the punk thrash of "Very Ape" to the noise-rock of "Scentless Apprentice."

Even before the band's critical success, the raucous hard rock found on the band's Sub Pop album Bleach showed just how much they admired the hard rock of the 80's. Cobain's ethos throughout his life always seemed like the king of alt-rock, but the hard rock found across Nirvana's catalog is impossible to ignore.