So who really is the Godfather of Grunge?

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain is often cited as the Godfather of Grunge. In October 1988,according to Rock On The Net Nirvana's first recording effort together resulted in a demo named 'Godfather Of Grunge' and the single 'Love Buzz/Big Cheese.' "

So does recording a song 'Godfather Of Grunge' truly establish Nirvana's Kurt Cobain as THE 'Godfather Of Grunge'? And where does Neil Young fit in the picture?

"As a style of music, it is generally characterized by 'dirty' guitar, strong riffs, and heavy drumming. Grunge is also popularly referred to as the Seattle Sound."

In many ways, grunge music was to the 90's what punk was to 70's. Both grunge and punk were relatively short lived musical genres that had a much greater impact than their sales, radio play, and concert performances would indicate. However, critically, both genres were both hailed and disparaged as either the future of rock or an indication that rock was dead.

So just as Neil Young's 1979 release of "Rust Never Sleeps" marked a turning point in both punk and rock, so did "Ragged Glory"'s release in 1991 foreshadow the emergence of grunge. Ragged Glory's raging feedback was widely emulated and influenced numerous bands, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth among others.

The earliest written reference to Neil Young as the 'Godfather Of Grunge' was in December 1991, when Tower Records in house publication Pulse! published a cover article on Neil Young titled 'The Godfather Of Grunge Rock' by Steve Martin.

The album Freedom is considered to be one of the ten most important albums in the history of alternative music. Pagewise in 2001 said:

"Despite what some Nirvana fans might say, this is the album that started it all. Neil Young is the grandfather of grunge. 'Freedom,' which Young released in 1989, was the first true alternative album. It seems a stretch to call an album by someone Young's age alternative, but the label is applied to the music, no

According to Josh Korr in Valley News, "Neil Young officially became the 'Godfather of Grunge' when Pearl Jam backed him on "Rockin In The Free World" at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards." Certainly the legendary Rockin' In the Free World performance established a link between the grunge scene, Pearl Jam and Neil Young.

Commenting on upcoming concerts by Neil Young and Pearl Jam in Seattle in June 2003, JIM DeROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC writes on "Brothers in more ways than grunge":

"At a time when few artists can hold an audience of 20,000 with the strength of their music alone, Neil Young and Pearl Jam stand as unique concert experiences. Though the phrase has always been essentially meaningless as a genre tag, Young has often been called "the godfather of grunge," while the Seattle quintet was one of the sound's most successful purveyors when it burst on the scene in the early '90s. Of course the two collaborated on a generally underwhelming album, "Mirror Ball" (1995).

From BLAST @ explode.com :

"The grunge era provided a welcome return to the garage-band sound of the '60s, a stripped-down vitality that made superstars of such talents as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Unfortunately, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994, Soundgarden broke up in 1999, and Pearl Jam seems a weak choice to carry the torch. It should come as no surprise that the 'godfather of grunge,' Neil Young, is outlasting any of his successors. "

From Tech MIT article "Neil Young shows what Unplugged was meant to be" By Eric Oliver:

"Billed as the 'Godfather of Grunge,' Neil Young performed on the March 10 MTV Unplugged. As in the 'Live Rust' concert tour, the show began with just Neil, a guitar, and a harmonica. Opening with 'Old Laughing Lady,' the bearded, graying Young, sporting an oversized black leather jacket, rolled into the classic 'Mr. Soul.' Finishing his solo guitar set with 'World on a String' and 'Pocahontas,' his only song in the show from the Rust album, he donned a pair of black Terminator glasses and stepped up to the piano for 'Stringman' and 'Like a Hurricane.' Hearing the latter with just piano and harmonica accompaniment was similar to hearing Eric Clapton's Unplugged 'Layla' for the first time. For many old Young fans who have probably heard 'Hurricane' dozens of times, this version was different, yet familiar, and was one of the highlights of the show. He finished the first set with the popular 'Needle and the Damage Done,' a biting ballad of a junkie's life eroding before him."

And in case you were ever curious as to whether Neil Young is really the Godfather of Grunge, here's some data to prove the point. The alternative choices for Godfather of Grunge are: Mark Arm of Mudhoney
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
Jack Endino of Skin Yard
Andrew Wood of Malfunkshion/Mother Love Bone