I saw this thread for a bit, but then it disappeared! I was wondering why the mods would bother to delete it, but I guess you were just editing the post.
It's a little silly to make it so specific when there are only about five (and that's being generous) grunge songs in that game, though.
I'll be recommending albums, because that's how you listen to music that you care about, but I'll link to sample songs for each album.
First, Screaming Trees was the best grunge band. Get their
three major-label albums (
Sweet Oblivion is probably where you'll want to start) and
Invisible Lantern.If you want badass bastard rip-your-head-off grunge straight out of the original underground scene, get
8-Way Santa and
Inhaler (better sound quality
here), by Tad.
(If you're really serious, try
Bullhead or
Houdini, by the Melvins.)
The 3DO
Road Rash's soundtrack has a couple of underdog grunge bands that never made it big, and I have a soft spot for them:
Hammerbox and
Paw (better sound quality
here). I recommend both bands' 1993 albums, although that might just be bias from hearing them first in the game.
San Andreas has a song from
Badmotorfinger (which you should get), but it doesn't have
the best one, which is also the best song that Soungarden ever had. Same with
Dirt and
the best song on that album. (The best Alice in Chains song is on
the Jar of Flies EP.)
Finally, I know that this is breaking one of your rules, but
Incesticide is Nirvana at their most interesting. Don't get
Nevermind without getting it too. (And hey, why not pick up
Bleach and
In Utero while you're at it?)
On the chance that you're looking for early-'90s alternative/indie rock in general and not just grunge, here are some recommendations in that vein:
Beck -
Mellow GoldBelly -
StarBlind Melon -
Soup (they were a much, much better band than "No Rain" got them stereotyped as being)
Butthole Surfers -
Independent Worm SaloonCop Shoot Cop -
Ask Questions LaterCows -
Cunning StuntsDazzling Killmen -
Face of CollapseDeconstruction -
Deconstruction (Jane's Addiction is in
San Andreas, but this cool project by the bassist isn't)
Dinosaur Jr. -
Green MindFaith No More -
Angel Dust (
San Andreas has a song from this, but it's such a great album that I can't care)
The Flaming Lips -
Clouds Taste Metallic (take this as a recommendation for every '90s Flaming Lips album)
Guided by Voices -
Alien LanesThe Jesus Lizard -
GoatMadder Rose -
Bring It DownMedicine -
The Buried Life (full-length version with better sound quality
here)
Mercury Rev -
BocesMy Bloody Valentine -
LovelessPavement -
Wowee ZoweePixies -
Bossanova (the least popular of the original four, but it's my favorite)
Polvo -
Today's Active Lifestyles (better sound quality
here)
Primus -
Pork Soda (uncensored version
here)
Prong -
Prove You WrongSlowdive -
SouvlakiSmashing Pumpkins -
Gish (this and
Pisces Iscariot are the only Smashing Pumpkins that I can stand)
Sonic Youth -
Washing MachineTar -
JacksonThrowing Muses -
The Real RamonaThe Tragically Hip -
Day for Night (better sound quality
here)
Yo la Tengo -
Painful