Vibe Shift: A Lesson from Grunge & the Innovation Diffusion Curve

Trends come and go, but Vibe Shifts change our cultural DNA. A Vibe Shift grows because it resonates with something deeply personal, reaching us by word of mouth through trusted sources. There is no marketing plan or rollout schedule for a Vibe Shift, but there are signs. This year started with a flood of signs that we are shifting to Dark Mode.

The excitement and energy around Dark Mode remind me of other times when culture, politics, economics, and a general state of existence came together to create a tectonic shift and a change in our direction. For me, changes in music culture indicate a larger shift, and Grunge is a fine example of an epic Vibe Shift.

If you were around in the early '90s, you felt it: the seismic shift from polished '80s pop to the raw, unfiltered energy of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains. It wasn't just music—an attitude, a movement, a rejection of excess. And like all great movements, it had its peak... and its decline.

My experience with Grunge started in my high school cafeteria in 1989 when a copy of Nirvana's debut album "Bleach" started getting passed around. By '89, New Wave had become optimized for mass consumption, and while it still had some landmark albums left, its edge was starting to dull. Bleach was nothing like the albums we listened to; opinions were split. Some of us became instant converts, and others found it hard to make the leap. I like this example because we all know where it goes, but the timeline might be fuzzy.

The Nirvana most people think of happens a few years after "Bleach." On September 30, 1991, MTV's 120 Minutes debuted the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video, and the ground cracked under our feet.

Dave Grohl said this about the power of the video: "The video was probably the key element in that song becoming a hit. People heard the song on the radio and they thought 'This is great.' But when kids saw the video on?MTV they thought, 'This is cool. These guys are kinda ugly and they're tearing up their fucking high school'. And then with the video came more people and the clubs got bigger and bigger."

I think about this shift a lot, but today, it hit me—Grunge followed the Innovation Diffusion Curve to a T.

?? The Innovators & Early Adopters (1989-1991):

Grunge started in the underground, championed by small but loyal fans in the Seattle scene. It was rough around the edges, unpolished, and exactly the opposite of what was dominating MTV at the time.

?? The Early & Late Majority (1992-1994):

Then came the explosion. Nirvana's Nevermind dethroned Michael Jackson, major labels rushed to sign any band wearing flannel, and suddenly, Grunge wasn't just music—it was mainstream culture. Even Marc Jacobs put it on the runway in 1993.

?? The Decline & Laggards (1995-1999):

By the mid-'90s, the same thing that made Grunge cool—its anti-establishment ethos—became diluted. The sound got polished, major labels overproduced it, and post-grunge and alt-rock took over. Bands like Nickelback and Creed satisfied those who couldn't move on, but the industry set its sights elsewhere.

Discogs.com shows how the diffusion curve plays out in real life over Grunge's 10-year lifespan. The peak in grunge album releases? 1994. After that, a steep decline. The music didn't disappear, but the movement had run its course.

And this happens in every era of music. Hip-hop, EDM, punk, hyperpop—it's the same pattern. Something starts as a rebellion, goes mainstream, gets co-opted, then fades or evolves.

So, as Dark Mode rises, there are some things to consider. Marc Jacobs' Grunge collection is seen as the moment that defined his career. Marc was an Innovator and Early Adopter of the Grunge aesthetic. Gen Z still embraces the impact of Nirvana and Grunge. Have you ever noticed how many Nirvana tees you see today and how you never see someone proudly wearing a Creed concert tee?

Are you seeing Vibe Shift signs in your industry?