The Best Bands Like Nirvana
Looking for more good bands like Nirvana? You've come to the right place. Thanks to classic hits like "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the trio of Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic is the most famous grunge group of all time, but there are many other great bands who share a similar sound.
Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, and Pearl Jam are among the top grunge bands that sound like Nirvana, while other '90s bands like Radiohead are also often considered to be related artists to the group thanks to their brooding take on alternative rock.
Undeniably, Nirvana has had a massive influence on the grunge and alternative scenes, inspiring both their contemporaries and new bands today. And, while there are a lot of awesome groups and artists that sound like the legends behind Nevermind in their own ways, it's up to you to decide which are the best of the best. Vote up the bands you'd be most likely to recommend to people who are fans of Nirvana, and be sure to add any that you feel we might have missed.
- The Pixies are an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group currently consists of founders Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering. Co-founder Kim Deal left in ...more
- Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. The band was founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of Nirvana ...more
- Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear on ...more
- Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) ...more
- Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited ...more
- The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar), D'arcy Wretzky (bass), James Iha (guitar), and Jimmy ...more
- Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has comprised Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament. The band's ...more
- Stone Temple Pilots (often abbreviated as STP) are an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean DeLeo (guitar) and Robert ...more
- Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood (guitar/vocals), his brother Cris Kirkwood (bass guitar/vocals), and ...more
- Mudhoney are an American alternative rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. Following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist ...more
- Bush are an English rock band formed in London, England in 1992. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gavin Rossdale, drummer Robin Goodridge, lead guitarist Chris ...more
- Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and Rage Against the Machine members ...more
- Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California by two musicians from Mississippi and one from Indiana. They are best known for their 1993 hit "No Rain", and enjoyed critical ...more
- Hole was an American alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1989 by singer-songwriter Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson. The band had a revolving line-up of ...more
- Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris ...more
- Temple of the Dog was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. It was conceived by vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, ...more
- The Presidents of the United States of America (occasionally referred to as PUSA, The Presidents or Pot USA) was an American alternative rock power trio band. The band formed in Seattle, Washington, ...more
- The Wipers were a punk rock group formed in Portland, Oregon in 1977 by guitarist Greg Sage, drummer Sam Henry and bassist Dave Koupal. The group's tight song structure and use of heavy distortion ...more
- Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name. The band was founded by J Mascis ...more
- Toadies is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom". The band's classic lineup consisted of Vaden Todd Lewis (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), ...more
- Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with Ben Gillies on drums, Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, and Chris Joannou on bass ...more
- Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres ...more
- Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult ...more
- L7 is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, first active from 1985 to 2001 and re-formed since 2014. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge ...more
- Screaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had ...more