Green River

“Come On Down” (1985)

Hindsight has proven this EP to be one of the first releases to mix punk and hard rock with Seattle’s raunchy, fuzzy aesthetic du jour. “Come On Down” didn’t sell particularly well and Green River would eventually break up, its members destined for fame in Mudhoney, and global superstardom in Pearl Jam.

Various Artists

“Deep Six” (1986)

This compilation, from Seattle-based label C/Z Records, documents the musical petri dish that would give birth to grunge. “Deep Six” is like a who’s who of proto-grunge, with tracks by the Melvins, Soundgarden, Green River, the U-Men and Skin Yard, a band that featured the guitar playing of Jack Endino, who went on to produce …

Nirvana

“Bleach” (1989)

Heard of these guys? Yeah, “Nevermind” was its most successful album, and “In Utero” it’s best, but “Bleach” is Nirvana at its grungiest. The sludge-metal influence of the Melvins can be heard in the pounding riffs of “Paper Cuts,” while Kurt Cobain’s appreciation of pop melody is evident in “About A Girl.”

Mudhoney

“Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” (1991)

Loyalists will tell you that Mudhoney’s first EP, “Superfuzz Bigmuff,” is the band’s definitive document. Maybe. But this album, released during the height of the grunge craze, perfectly marries Mudhoney’s garage-punk leanings with, y’know, good songs. No band was more important to the rise of the Seattle sound (and Sub Pop Records) than Mudhoney.

Alice in Chains

“Dirt” (1992)

This harrowing ode to drug addiction and despair peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned five hit singles, thanks to Jerry Cantrell’s powerful guitar work and Layne Staley’s distinctive voice. “Dirt” was also one of the last true grunge records to hit big before the genre began to fade. Staley would die of a drug overdose in 2002.

— Ben Salmon