10 Most Underrated Rock Bands Of The 90s
5. Mudhoney
When talking about the band that really defined the Seattle sound, it's a no brainer to go with one of the Big 4 of the scene. While you could call Alice in Chains the most indicative of the genre for their sludginess, there was also the stadium ready hooks of Pearl Jam or the pop friendly crossover potential that was happening with Nirvana. If you wanted to really get down to the essence of Seattle music, Mudhoney is the clearest example.
Out of all the Seattle bands, Mudhoney may be the most 'Seattle' out of all of them, going for something that was much more dirty and decrepit than what had come before. And that's exactly how Mark Arm wanted it in the early days. As much as he was starting to gel with baby Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament in Green River, Arm's heart was always focused on bands like the Stooges who shied away from the more clean production of rock and roll.
On every one of their songs, you get something that's a lot more punk rock in its attitude, from riffs that sound like they're about to fall apart the minute they get started or the vocals, which tend to go more for the tone of the voice instead of hitting the actual notes correctly. Mudhoney may never have seen the same commercial success as their Seattle brothers, but they still never managed to sell out at any point in their career either.