• Billboard Pro
  • Subscribe
  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters

Billboard Pro

  • Subscribe
  • Sign In

Follow Billboard

About Billboard

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC

  • Charts Weekly
    • Hot 100
    • Billboard 200
    • Billboard Global 200
    • Billboard Global Excl. US
    • Artist 100
    • All Weekly Charts
    Year-End
    • Year-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Year-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • 2020 Year-End Boxscore
    • Google's Top Hummed Songs 2020
    • All Year-End Charts
    Decade-End
    • Decade-End Top Artists
    • Decade-End Top Artists - Interactive
    • Decade-End Hot 100 Songs
    • Decade-End Billboard 200 Albums
    • All Decade-End Charts
    Bandsintown X Billboard
    • Buzzing Livestream Artists
    • Rising Livestream Artists
    • Top Livestream Artists
  • News Genres
    • Pop
    • Hip-Hop/R&B
    • Dance
    • Country
    • Latin
    • Rock
    • K-Pop
    Topics
    • Year In Music 2019
    • Pride
    • Podcasts
    • International
    • All News
  • Video Video Series
    • Billboard News
    • Live Videos
    • Quizzed
    • How It Went Down
    • Emerging Artists: You Should Know
    • My Billboard Moment
    • All Videos
  • Photos
  • Pro Industry News
    • Legal and Management
    • Executive Turntable
    • Touring
    • Record Labels
    • Streaming
    • Tech
    • Publishing
    • Radio
    • All Industry News
    Pro Tools
    • Insights
    • Deep Dive
    • - Songs For Sale
    • - Music On TV: What Works Now
    • Close Calls
    • Chart Search
    • Boxscore
    • Billboard Bulletin
    • Artist index
    • Song Index
    Pro Charts
    • Pop Songs
    • Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs
    • Hot Country Songs
    • Songwriters & Producers
    • View All Pro Charts
  • Newsletters
    • Billboard Pro
    • Subscribe
Three Sixty
Top Artists
View All
Top Charts
Hot 100 Songs
Billboard 200
View All
Top Videos
Anuel AA & Ozuna Talk Rewriting the Rules of Reggaeton With Joint Album ‘Los Dioses' | Billboard News
Gigi Hadid Reveals Daughter's Name on Instagram | Billboard News
View All
Top Articles
Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Spends Second Week Atop Both Billboard Global Charts
Billie Eilish Accidentally Ordered 70 Boxes of Froot Loops During the Pandemic
View All
Watch Now

Charles Peterson's 'Grunge' Gallery

By Billboard Staff
9/16/2011
  • Copied to clipboard
1 / 14
Item 1 of 14

1200109-Charles-Peterson-grunge-10-617-409

Nirvana, 1991: "Krist and Kurt at the Seattle record release of Nevermind at Beehive Records. An amazing intimate late afternoon show and the last time I (or anyone?) would photograph Nirvana live stageless." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
By Billboard Staff
9/16/2011
  • Copied to clipboard
2 / 14
Item 2 of 14

1200179-Charles-Peterson-grunge-3-617-409

Soundgarden, 1986: "Soundgarden at Seattle's Vogue Tavern on a "Sub Pop Sunday" night in 1986. This photo was used for the cover of their first EP, Screaming Life, and was the first photo of mine to really make people sit up and take notice with its larger than life, in your face, yet oddly artistic for underground rock and roll sensibility." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
3 / 14
Item 3 of 14

1200129-Charles-Peterson-grunge-8-617-409

Alice In Chains, 1988: "The only time I shot Alice in Chains live was very early on, here at the Central Tavern in 1988. They weren't part of the Sub Pop scene and not really my cup of tea so to speak. But I love this shot of Layne taken through the hair of their decidedly more heavy metal headbanging audience than the other grunge bands." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
4 / 14
Item 4 of 14

1200199-Charles-Peterson-grunge-1-617-409

Nirvana stagediver, 1990: "Taken at a 1990 Nirvana show in at the University of Washington HUB Ballroom, I remember tugging on this stagediver's pant leg as he climbed to the top of the p.a., and shouting to him "Don't to do it!" Since he wouldn't listen to me I set up for the shot. I'm glad he didn't take my advice!" - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
5 / 14
Item 5 of 14

1200139-Charles-Peterson-grunge-7-617-409

Nirvana, 1989: "Another back to nature shot with Nirvana for a promo shoot for their first LP 'Bleach.' They found the idea very silly and Krist started acting out, cracking up Kurt. Ya gotta love Kurt's Scratch Acid t-shirt!" - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
6 / 14
Item 6 of 14

1200189-Charles-Peterson-grunge-2-617-409

Green River, 1985: "An early days shot of the band that started it all, the mighty Green River that would spawn into Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. Here legendary producer Jack Endino reaches out to Mark Arm as he climbs on the monitor at Seattle's Ditto Tavern in 1985." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
7 / 14
Item 7 of 14

1200169-Charles-Peterson-grunge-4-617-409

Mudhoney, 1988: "Mudhoney's third ever gig at Seattle's Central Tavern. In the background, arms overhead, is Sub Pop founder Bruce Pavitt, and ace illustrator Ed Fotheringham is holding the ubiquitous can of Schmidt beer. I love how the fish on the beer can mimics Mark Arms bendy moves!" - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
8 / 14
Item 8 of 14

1200149-Charles-Peterson-grunge-6-617-409

Soundgarden, circa 1987: "Soundgarden in the lily pads at Seattle's arboretum park for an early (1987?) promo shoot. It took forever to convince guitarist Kim Thayil (far right) to wade out. It looks like he's enjoying it but he actually griped the whole time!" - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
9 / 14
Item 9 of 14

1200079-Charles-Peterson-grunge-13-617-409

Bruce Pavitt & Kim Warnick, 1993: "Sub Pop's Bruce Pavitt talks with Kim Warnick of the Fastbacks next to the cigarette machine at Seattle's legendary Crocodile Cafe during a Sub Pop party in 1993. The Crocodile is one of the few remaining clubs from these days and a large print of this hangs there now as part of a permanent show of my work." - Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
10 / 14
Item 10 of 14

1200089-Charles-Peterson-grunge-12-617-409

Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan: "[This is] Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan for a Sub Pop shoto shoot in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood in 1992. Mark hates having his photograph taken so I posed (in other words hid) him in my 1967 Buick Special. He chain smoked the entire time, lighting one cigarette after another with the previous one. Classic." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
11 / 14
Item 11 of 14

1200099-Charles-Peterson-grunge-11-617-409

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, 1991: "After the Beehive [Records] show [for Nevermind's release in 1991] ended Kurt slumped down outside exhausted and was beseiged by autograph seekers. It seemed quite alien to him and a portent of things to come." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
12 / 14
Item 12 of 14

1200159-Charles-Peterson-grunge-5-617-409

The Fluid, circa 1989: "The Fluid from Denver, Colorado, were one of the first outside-of-Seattle bands signed to the Sub Pop roster. In the audience looking into the camera is UK music journo Everett True on assignment for the first time in Seattle for the Melody Maker feature that would break the Seattle scene to the rest of the world." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
13 / 14
Item 13 of 14

1200119-Charles-Peterson-grunge-9-617-409

L7, 1990: "L7 from Los Angeles were another Sub Pop signing from outside the Pacific Northwest who fit in perfectly with what was going on at Sub Pop. This is at Seattle's Vogue Tavern in 1990. Guitarist Donita Sparks in full grunge hair glory." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
14 / 14
Item 14 of 14

1200059-Charles-Peterson-grunge-15-617-409

Nirvana, 1992: "One of my personal favorite shots of Kurt Cobain form the UK Reading Festival in 1992. I was one of the few photographers allowed on the stage for the entire show and part way Kurt looked over, seemingly to check if everything was okay, as if the 45,000 screaming fans in front of him didn't exist. Priceless." - photographer Charles Peterson

Back to the Charles Peterson Q&A
By Billboard Staff
9/16/2011
  • Copied to clipboard

Watch Now

News

Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole: Who Won the 'Verzuz' Battle? | Billboard News

3 days ago

Follow Billboard

The Daily

A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry

  • Subscribe
  • Billboard Events
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • FAQ
  • Feedback
  • Sitemap
  • Media Kit
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdChoices
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. All rights reserved. BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC