Sub Pop was the original grunge label, home to Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. It was Soundgarden that brought the label’s founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman together in Seattle in 1987.
Grunge, or the Seattle sound, is a hybrid of punk rock and heavy metal. The owners marketed the style cleverly, encouraging the media to describe it as grunge.

In the mid-’80s, Microsoft hadn’t yet taken over the world’s computers, and Starbucks wasn’t on every corner. Seattle was mostly seen as a rainy backwater, especially by the music industry. While the rest of America was all about synthesizers and big hair, Seattle was brewing a unique rock scene – not quite hardcore punk or heavy metal, but a fusion of both. It was during this time that Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman started a standout independent record label. Learn more

At Sub Pop Records, it is our intent to market and sell the recorded music of artists which some shifting definition of “we” really and truly love.

Experience the vibe of the ’90s and Sub Pop Records ongoing mission to promote the music they love by visiting the label’s flagship store in Belltown.