Post-grunge is a musical offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used derisively and indicated mid-1990s alternative rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul, Live, Foo Fighters, and Silverchair, that emulated the original sound of grunge.
In the late 1990s, post-grunge became a more clearly defined style that combined the sound and aesthetic of grunge with more commercially accessible songwriting, rising to prominence that lasted into the 2000s. Bands such as Foo Fighters, Creed, Matchbox Twenty, 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd, Nickelback, Seether, and Staind achieved mainstream success in this second wave. Some bands in this wave also had crossover with the alternative metal and nu metal genres.
Characteristics
During the 1990s, a post-grunge sound emerged that emulated the attitudes and music of grunge, particularly its thick, distorted guitars, but with a less intense and less abrasive tone. and incorporated influences from other genres such as classic rock, alternative metal, On some occasions, music features both an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar playing simultaneously. Hence, Graham Hartmann of Metal Injection noted that the genre's second wave "had a vice grip on rock radio from the mid-to-late 2000s—arguably the last time a wave of rock experienced mainstream popularity."
thumb|upright=1.1|Post-grunge band [[Nickelback in 2008]]
A "major rift" between grunge and is in the lyrical substance of the music; grunge often expressed emotion through loose metaphors or third-person narratives, while post-grunge was known for being direct and blunt.]]
Originally, post-grunge was a label that was meant to be almost pejorative, suggesting that mid-1990s bands labelled as were simply musically derivative, or a cynical response to the "authentic" rock movement of grunge. When grunge became a mainstream genre through bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, record labels started signing bands with similar sonic identities, such as Bush, Candlebox and Collective Soul. gained traction when applied to many second-wave post-grunge artists. Notably, the term would be used to refer to the likes of Nickelback, Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Shinedown, Flyleaf and Hinder. Graham Hartmann of Metal Injection stated that the term "usually refers to the second wave of post-grunge music, where bands like Bush and Candlebox ultimately turned into Nickelback and Seether."
The origins of the term are debated, with some attributing it to the alleged radio slogan "Nothing but rock". The term "butt rock" is usually used by individuals critical of what they perceive to be derivative musicianship, overly clichéd or angsty lyrics, and over-reliance on raspy vocals (often described as imitations of Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder). Eva Zhu of CBC said butt rock is "a style of music that manages to be as popular as it is hated." Butt rock has also been referred to as a subgenre in itself, or a microgenre.
History
1993–1997: First wave and rise in popularity
Even at the height of their popularity, after the release of Nevermind (1991) brought grunge to international attention, Nirvana experienced increasing problems, partly caused by Kurt Cobain's drug addiction and growing dissatisfaction with commercial success. In late 1992, Cobain was photographed in a T-shirt with 'Grunge is Dead' printed on its front at which point the genre's decline started to be widely discussed. Cobain's suicide in 1994, as well as Pearl Jam's touring problems, marked a decline for grunge that year. Addiction and legal problems for Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots led to the band having touring problems, causing the band to tour their album Purple for only four months, and their follow up album Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop for only 6 weeks.
thumb|upright=1.0|Live, one of the first post-grunge bands, performing in 2013
As the original grunge movement began to fade, major record labels began signing and promoting bands emulating the genre in a more mainstream style, dubbed by some writers as "post-grunge". Though bands such as Bush and Candlebox have been categorized as grunge, both bands have also been categorized as post-grunge. are two other bands categorized as post-grunge that emerged along with Bush and Candlebox. Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul and Live all achieved mainstream success; Candlebox's self-titled album (1993) was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, according to Nielsen SoundScan, sold at least 4,000,000 copies. Its song "Far Behind" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Collective Soul's song "Shine" peaked at number 11 on the same chart and was certified gold by the RIAA in September 1994. The band's album Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid (1993) was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA, and their self-titled 1995 album was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA.
Bush's debut studio album Sixteen Stone (1994) was certified by the RIAA and the band's second studio album Razorblade Suitcase (1996), which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200, was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA. Carl Williott of Stereogum called Bush's album Sixteen Stone "a harbinger of pop dominance". Live's album Throwing Copper (1994) was certified 8× platinum by the RIAA, and the band's album Secret Samadhi (1997) was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA. Both Throwing Copper and Secret Samadhi peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200. Consequence of Sounds Paolo Ragusa credits Throwing Copper with starting post-grunge and shifting rock music to a new direction after the death of Kurt Cobain by combining some harder rock influences with clearer vocals, softer guitar melodies, and the production of Jerry Harrison to make a distinct sound.
In 1995, former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl's newer band Foo Fighters released their self-titled debut album, becoming one of the most commercially successful rock bands in the United States, aided by considerable airplay on MTV. Like grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains, the post-grunge band Candlebox was from Seattle, but post-grunge was marked by a broadening of its geographical base, with bands such as York, Pennsylvania's Live, Atlanta, Georgia's Collective Soul, Australia's Silverchair, and England's Bush.
1997–2010: Second wave and peak popularity
thumb|right|upright=1.07|Post-grunge band Creed in 2002
The 1997 breakup of Soundgarden was seen by some as the end of the original grunge movement. Post-grunge then morphed in the late 1990s and 2000s, gaining further popularity with newer acts such as Creed, Matchbox Twenty, Fuel, Oleander, Godsmack, 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd, Staind, Nickelback, Seether, 12 Stones, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Stone Sour, Hinder, Daughtry, and Skillet. This wave retained some of the angst and anger of the earlier artists Creed's album Human Clay, released in 1999, was certified diamond by the RIAA and sold at least 11,690,000 copies in the United States. Human Clay song "With Arms Wide Open" peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Matchbox Twenty's 1996 debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, was a success in 1997 and 1998 on the strength of radio singles "Push" and "3AM"; it was certified 12× platinum by the RIAA. The Foo Fighters' second album The Colour and the Shape, which is considered a post-grunge album, became a hit and was certified Platinum by the RIAA having sold at least two million copies in the United States.
Nickelback broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s; their song "How You Remind Me" peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Nickelback album that featured the song, Silver Side Up, was certified 6× platinum by the RIAA and sold at least 5,528,000 copies in the United States. Nickelback's next album, The Long Road, was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA and sold at least 3,591,000 copies in the United States. and sold at least 716,000 copies in its release week, and, according to Nielsen SoundScan, sold at least 4,240,000 copies in 2001. Break the Cycle song "It's Been Awhile" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Better Life song "Kryptonite" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart. 3 Doors Down's second studio album Away from the Sun was certified by the RIAA and sold at least 3,863,000 copies in the United States. Lifehouse achieved mainstream success in the early 2000s; their song "Hanging by a Moment", which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, was the most played song on the radio in 2001. Puddle of Mudd broke into the mainstream in the early 2000s; their album Come Clean was certified by the RIAA and the album's songs "Blurry" and "She Hates Me" both reached very high positions on the Billboard Hot 100. "Blurry" peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "She Hates Me" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. "She Hates Me" also peaked at number 7 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart.
The post-grunge band Cold's song "Stupid Girl" peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100. band Crossfade's song "Cold" peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 23 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart, number 39 on the Pop 100 chart, number 28 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, and number 57 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. It was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2006. Crossfade's was certified platinum by the RIAA in August 2005. Three Days Grace broke into the mainstream with their 2003 self-titled album; their song "I Hate Everything About You" peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 28 on the Pop Songs chart.
thumb|right|upright=1.03|Three Days Grace in 2006
In 2006, Three Days Grace released their album One-X, which was certified 3× platinum by the RIAA. The album's song "Pain" peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 47 on the Pop 100 chart and number 35 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. It sold at least 5,040,000 copies in the United States. The band Flyleaf's song "All Around Me" peaked at: number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 12 on the Top 40 Mainstream, number 17 on the Pop 100, number 15 on the Pop 100 Airplay, number 38 on the Hot Digital Songs and number 23 on the Adult Top 40. Flyleaf's self-titled album was certified platinum by the RIAA.
See also
- List of post-grunge bands