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Alice in Chains
Band

Alice in Chains

4.3 / 5 from 144 ratings across 11 albums
Albums
114
Members
6
Active
1987–present
Origin
United States
Biography

Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne Staley. Starr was replaced by Mike Inez in 1993. William DuVall joined the band in 2006 as co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, replacing Staley, who died in 2002. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, the glam metal band Alice N' Chains.

Often associated with grunge music, Alice in Chains' sound incorporates heavy metal elements. The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals between Staley and Cantrell (and later Cantrell and DuVall). Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on the 1992 acoustic EP Sap, and his role continued to grow in the following albums, making Alice in Chains a two-vocal band. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

They achieved success during the era with the albums Facelift (1990), Dirt (1992), Alice in Chains (1995), as well as the EP Jar of Flies (1994). Although never officially disbanding, Alice in Chains was plagued by extended inactivity from 1996 onward, due to Staley's substance abuse, which resulted in his death in 2002. The band toured in 2006, with DuVall taking over as lead vocalist full-time. The new line-up have released the albums Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018).

Alice in Chains have sold over 30 million records worldwide, and over 14 million records in the US alone. The band has had 18 Top 10 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 5 No. 1 hits, and received 11 Grammy Award nominations. The band was ranked number 34 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and was ranked as the 15th greatest live band by Hit Parader. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released six studio albums, three EPs, three live albums, four compilations, two DVDs, 43 music videos, and 32 singles.

The Groove
Groove by decade

The Groove is music.nw’s own measure of renown — not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. It weighs reach (how many people engaged) against acclaim (how highly they rated it), balanced so a handful of votes can’t outshout a lasting favourite.

Computed the NeuraWeb way, across the whole record. The same yardstick for everyone — which is why the little-known can out-Groove the famous in their own corner.

The trajectory

How Alice in Chains moved

Genre belongs to the record, not to the artist. Every album’s Groove is shared out across the genres it actually is — by how the raters tagged it — so nobody is 100% one thing. Stack that by decade and a career draws itself.

Discography

The Full Discover Package
Alice in Chains · 2008
Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains · 2009
Album cover
Black Gives Way to Blue
Alice in Chains · 2009
Original Album Classics
Alice in Chains · 2011
Dirt (Chopped Not Slopped by DJ Lil Steve)
Alice in Chains · 2012
Jar of Flies (Chopped Not Slopped by DJ Lil Steve)
Alice in Chains · 2012
Sap (Chopped Not Slopped by DJ Lil Steve)
Alice in Chains · 2013
Album cover
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Alice in Chains · 2013
Album cover
1990-09-15: Sheraton La Reina, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Alice in Chains · 2015
Album cover
1991-10-06: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Alice in Chains · 2015
Rock Am Ring
Alice in Chains · 2015
Sea of Sorrow
Alice in Chains · 2015
Under the Knife
Alice in Chains · 2015
Freak Show: California Broadcasts 1990 & 1992
Alice in Chains · 2016
Jar of Flies/ Sap
Alice in Chains · 2016
Live Facelift
Alice in Chains · 2016
Live in Oakland October 8th 1992
Alice in Chains · 2017
Live In Oakland October 8th 1992
Alice in Chains · 2017
Glasgow Barrowlands 1993
Alice in Chains · 2018
Greatest Songs
Alice in Chains · 2018
Rainier Fog
Alice in Chains · 2018
Bleed the Freak (American radio broadcast)
Alice in Chains · 2019
It Aint Like That (live)
Alice in Chains · 2019
Man in the Box (American radio broadcast)
Alice in Chains · 2019
Rock Am Ring
Alice in Chains · 2019
Sickman (live)
Alice in Chains · 2019
We Die Young
Alice in Chains · 2019
We Die Young: Live
Alice in Chains · 2019
FM Broadcast
Alice in Chains · 2020
FM Broadcast: Alice in Chains & Pearl Jam
Alice in Chains · 2020
Greatest Hits (Chopped Not Slopped by DJ Lil Steve)
Alice in Chains · 2021
Put You Down: Alice in Chains Recordings
Alice in Chains · 2021
Sea of Sorrow
Alice in Chains · 2023
1992‐12‐20: Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA, USA
Alice in Chains · 2024
Live at the Palladium Hollywood 1992
Alice in Chains · 2024
Los Angeles 1990
Alice in Chains · 2024
Praça Da Apoteose, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, January 22nd, 1993 (Remastered, Live On Broadcasting)
Alice in Chains · 2025
Album cover
1989 Publisher Demos
Alice in Chains · —
1991-01: Alice in Wonderland: Dallas Amphitheater, Dallas, TX, USA
Alice in Chains · —
1991-06-28: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA
Alice in Chains · —
Album cover
1991‐10‐30: The Centrum, Worcester, MA, USA
Alice in Chains · —
1992-11-27: The Channel, Boston, MA, USA
Alice in Chains · —
1993-01-08: Aloha Tower, Honolulu, HI, USA
Alice in Chains · —
1993‐02‐26: Town and Country Club, London, England, UK
Alice in Chains · —
1993‐03‐03: Rock City, Nottingham, England, UK
Alice in Chains · —
1993‐10‐13: Hugenottenhalle, Neu Isenburg, Germany
Alice in Chains · —
2007‐08‐25: Events Center, Borgata Casino, Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Alice in Chains · —
2009‐11‐14: Manchester Academy, Manchester, England, UK
Alice in Chains · —
Bad Dream
Alice in Chains · —
Boot!
Alice in Chains · —
Tilburg 1993
Alice in Chains · —
Unchained Demos
Alice in Chains · —
Unchained Demos
Alice in Chains · —
We Die Young
Alice in Chains · —

Credits

Ranked #974 of 14,615 producers — 1,155.10 career Groove across 16 records.