Grunge

Compiling a list of the most important grunge songs was like compiling a list of the best of '90s alt-rock, so toweringly influential was the genre. For many iTunes staffers, these songs were the anthems that defined the most pivotal time of our lives. Suffice it to say, the process of positioning "Spoonman" versus, say, "Would?" was downright brutal . . . but damn if it wasn't amazing.

Some of the best cuts of the grunge era fell below a pop cultural radar dotted by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, STP, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains. Not because they were lesser songs, but in a crowded field sometimes the good stuff just doesn't get the airtime it deserves. Consider the Melvins' "Revolve" and Babes in Toyland's "Bruise Violet" for starters.

If names like the Fastbacks, Seaweed, and Treepeople don't ring a bell, you've been missing out on some of the best that grunge had to offer. Fortunately, we've dug deep for your listening pleasure. Cue up "Deer Trap" or "Handsome Traveller," and crank up the volume to ear-bleed levels — yes, those are your bones rattling.

How many cities can claim to have given birth to a specific strain of rock 'n' roll? Outside of New York, London, San Francisco, and a couple other spots, there's only one — Seattle, where molten, fuzzed-out guitars fused with the punk rock spirit to utterly revitalize rock radio. But the sound of "grunge" was bigger than one city, encompassing bands ranging from pioneers Mudhoney and Nirvana to British imports Bush and Down Under upstarts Silverchair. All these years later, the music's range and revolutionary power are still breathtaking.