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In the 1990s, Mick Jagger confessed he was “never crazy about Nirvana”, but there was one grunge band he loved
In a 1995 interview, Mick Jagger said he had never been especially keen on Nirvana, describing the band’s music as too angst-ridden, but said he liked Pearl Jam. His comments show how one of rock’s established stars viewed grunge as it reached a wider audience.
Jagger said he appreciated grunge’s emotional intensity but was not drawn to morose music. He also saw links to 1960s rock, while noting that grunge had different grooves influenced by dance music. Keith Richards later jokingly or provocatively claimed the Rolling Stones’ 1972 album *Exile on Main St.* was “the first grunge record”.
In short
- Jagger preferred Pearl Jam to Nirvana.
- He found Nirvana too angst-ridden.
- He saw grunge’s roots in earlier rock.
Explained simply
Grunge was a rock movement that emerged in the US in the late 1980s and became widely popular in the early 1990s. Bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam mixed heavy guitars with raw vocals and lyrics that often dealt with frustration or sadness.
Mick Jagger is the Rolling Stones’ singer, part of a generation of British rock musicians who had been famous for decades by the time grunge reached a wide audience. His remarks offer one established musician’s view of the new sound, which drew on earlier rock while developing its own rhythms.
The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards later linked grunge to the band’s 1972 album *Exile on Main St.* His comment reflected a broader question about how new musical movements borrow from, and differ from, earlier styles.