The 90s Grunge Cocktail Hour For Your Wedding Playlist

Your cocktail hour is a chance for you and your guests to chill out with an adult beverage after your ceremony. It'a my belief that there are no boundaries as to the possibilities that your cocktail hour playlist can sound like.  Time and time again, modern brides and grooms meet with me week in and week out and tell me that they don't want their wedding to sound like any other wedding that they had been to recently. One of the ways they can do this is by putting together a playlist that is different.  My wedding DJ blog and Spotify are available to provide wedding playlist inspiration for brides and grooms.  Over the course of my blog, I've put together posts that celebrate the musicians and bands from some of the popular cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City where brides and grooms come to the Holy City to have their wedding. If I were to create one of those posts for Seattle, it would probably have a lot of 90s grunge music on it. 

`Grunge music has its roots to the Pacific Northwest part of the United States around Seattle, and burst onto the scene in the early 90s.  Grunge had a sound that was a hybrid of hard rock and punk and put an abrupt end to the decadent 80s Glam & Hair Metal scene that was so vibrant in Los Angeles.  Alternative music radio stations began to put into rotation bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. There has a lot that has been said about the death of Kurt Cobain, and how grunge began to dwindle after his passing. By the end of the 90s, a lot of the bands who made the genre what it was, broke up, but their legacy will live on forever. As grunge would fade, the post grunge era would begin ushering in new bands like Creed and Nickleback in the late 90s.

Download  This Grunge Cocktail Hour Playlist From  Mike's Spotify NOW
Are you a modern bride or groom who lives and dies by streaming services? Do you tend to discover new music through the use of Apple Music or Spotify? Well earlier this year, I made a decision to move all of the playlists you've come to know and love on this blog over to Spotify. More and more modern brides and grooms are coming to me with a lot of the songs they'd like to hear at their wedding on a Spotify playlist. I went ahead and put together a Spotify profile that when a bride and groom check it out, they are instantly inspired when they are getting ready to put together the music for their wedding playlist. Just head over to Spotify and search for DJ Mike Bills.

"All Apologies" | Nirvana
Originally written by the late Kurt Cobain, "All Apologies" is the final cut on the In Utero album released in 1993. The song was released in December of 1993, right around the time of their iconic taping at MTV Unplugged. The song would make it all the way to Number 1 on the U.S. Alternative Airplay chart.

"Hunger Strike" | Temple Of The Dog
Temple Of The Dog was an early 90s grunge supergroup comprised of members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. "Hunger Strike" was written by the late Chris Cornell.  Released in 1991, "Hunger Strike" would peak at #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Yellow Ledbetter" | Pearl Jam
If you've ever been to a Pearl Jam concert, you probably know that "Yellow Ledbetter" is a popular way that the band likes to close its concerts.  The song was the B side of the single "Jeremy" released in August 1992 and would peak at #21 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Interstate Love Song" | Stone Temple Pilots
One of the most depressing things about putting together this playlist of 90s grunge is realizing a lot of the singers have left us far too soon. Scott Weiland was the original lead singer of STP and he left us in December 2015.  "Interstate Love Song" can be found on the album Purple, and would reach the top of the mianstream rock charts in September 1994.

"Heaven Beside You" | Alice In Chains
In 1995, Alice In Chains would release Alice In Chains. "Heaven Beside You" would be the second song to be released and would peak at #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Black Hole Sun" | Soundgarden
This signature song by Soundgarden would be released in May of 1994 and become one of the biggest alternative rock songs of the year. The song would peak at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and #2 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

"Comedown" | Bush
At the latter part of 1994, Bush would release their album Sixteen Stone.  "Comedown" would be the 3rd song to be released to radio in the fall of 1995, and would make it all the way to #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

"Doll Parts" | Hole
In April of 1994, Hole would release their album Live Through This. "Doll Parts" would be the second song to be released off the record in the fall of 1994. The song would peak at #4 on Modern Rock chart.

"Come As You Are" | Nirvana
"Come As You Are" would be the second single to be released from Nirvana's album Nevermind in March of 1992.  Their first single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would turn the music world upside down by knocking Michael Jackson out of the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1992.  "Come As You Are" would peak at #3 on the Alternative airplay chart.

"Black" | Pearl Jam
"Black" can be found on Pearl Jam's album, Jeremy.  While the song was never officially released as a single, the number managed to make it all the way to #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Possum Kingdom" | Toadies
The Toadies might have been based out of Fort Worth, Texas, but had that grunge sound. Back in the summer of 1994, they would release their album Rubberneck, which featured their signature song Possum Kingdom.  "Possum Kingdom" would peak at #4 on the modern rock chart, and #9 on the Alternative chart.

"Pretend We're Dead" | L7
The 90s were definitely a decade where women rocked hard, and as I put this post together,  I should probably do a Women of 90s Rock post. L7 was an all-female grunge band that formed in Los Angeles.  In the spring of 1992, the band would release their album Bricks Are Heavy.  "Pretend We're Dead" was all over alternative radio that summer and would peak at #8 on the Alternative airplay chart.

"Cherub Rock" | The Smashing Pumpkins
In 1993, the Smashing Pumpkins would release their album Siamese Dream.  "Cherub Rock" was the first song to be released in the summer of 1993 and would peak at #7 on the Alternative airplay chart.

"Glycerine" | Bush
"Glycerine" was the follow-up single to "Comedown" (in case you missed it up above). "Glycerine" was released in the fall of 1995 and would make it all the way to #1 on the Alternative airplay chart.

"Big Empty" | Stone Temple Pilots
If you are a fan of classic 90s movies, you might remember that this song appeared in The Crow, starring the late Brandon Lee.  "Big Empty" would be featured on the album Purple and make it all the way to #3 on the album rock charts.

 "Tomorrow" | Silverchair
Silverchair was an Australian rock band who'd release their album Frogstomp in September of 1994. "Tomorrow"  would make it all the way to Number 1 on the Mainstream Rock, as well as Modern Rock chart.

"No Excuses" (Unplugged) | Alice In Chains
 I threw this version of this classic Alice In Chains song on here because I remembered throwing it on a playlist for a client of mine a few years ago. "No Excuses" was the first single off their album Jar Of Flies in 1994. The song would peak at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

"Seether" | Veruca Salt 
Veruca Salt has its roots back to the great city of Chicago. For more of The Best Musicians And Bands From Chicago, <----Click HERE
Veruca Salt would release their American Thighs in 1994.  "Seether" would peak at #8 on the Modern Rock chart.

"Plush" (acoustic) | Stone Temple Pilots
For those modern brides and grooms who'd like to add the original version of this song onto their playlist, you can find it on the album Core, released in 1992.  I threw this version of the song onto this playlist to put in between a few uptempo songs.

"Cannonball" | The Breeders
In 1993, the Breeders would release their album Last Splash. "Cannonball" would be released to radio in August of 1993 and would peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock charts.

Wanna Speak With Mike Bills About Being Your Wedding DJ?
Hope you enjoyed this playlist for your cocktail hour that included some of the Top 90s Grunge Songs. Remember, it's your wedding. You are certainly free to plan the music for your wedding however you choose.  When you work with me, you get inside my mind as a professional wedding DJ. I love music. I love all types of music. I would love to speak with you about your upcoming wedding. If you just landed on this page and care to learn more about me and Why Should Hire Me, <---Click on this link. Click back over to my blog and also check out my Spotify.  Thank you so much for finding me and I look forward to speaking with you about your wedding.