Grunge emerged in the 1980s in the Pacific Northwest as a subgenre of alternative rock characterized by a dirty and gritty sound. The early grunge movement centered around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop. In the early 1990s, grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains achieved mainstream success which boosted the popularity of alternative rock. While most grunge bands faded by the late 1990s, they influenced modern rock by bringing social issues into pop culture and exploring authentic self-expression.