Best Grunge era Band?

[Nirvaniac]

The answer would be Soundgarden.

[darkwinterbeast8]

This poll has one glaring omission: Green River.

Probably the most influential Grunge band, the Seattle scene possibly would not have existed without them.

I also noticed a lack of Mudhoney, Tad, and Meat Puppets on this list. That combined with the fact that Silverchair, a post-grunge band from Australia is on there makes me think that the OP didn't do his/her homework on said list.

call me a jerk, but i'm sadistically pleased to see zero votes for candlebox.

5 years later and Candlebox still has no votes.

[HardRockerBrazil]

I didn't vote because I have more than one answer.
In terms of grunginess, I'd say Melvins, because it's their kind of sound the critics had in mind when they came up with the term.
In terms of musical prowess, I'd say Pearl Jam; though they've gotten more and more folksy as time passed, their music is very well composed and played, and they do it with their hearts in the right place.

[Henry_Sardonicus]

I chose other, because Mudhoney.

[sonicnerd23]

I have a hard time calling most of Soundgarden's work grunge, as a lot of it is very early-metal-influenced, rhythmically-complex alt. metal (save for select tracks from Superunknown, Down on the Upside, and King Animal). However, out of the bands in the poll, they're definitely my favorite. Chris Cornell has a voice that only comes around once a generation, Kim Thayil has some of the grooviest riffs ever written, and Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd (Hiro Yamamoto too, don't want to forget him) provide a solid backbone to the group's songs. Definitely the best band to embody the Led Zeppelin sound (other than Led Zeppelin).

[seriousbusson]

Robin Daggers.

[M_Robbins5]

Robin Daggers.

Ha!

[hiimSMAP]

Melvins

[mastercrazyhand]

either nirvana or pearl jam.

[StoneHead37]

I have a huge fondness for Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and a few other bands listed in the OP, but, for me, Nirvana takes the cake. So many songs of theirs have stuck with me since my childhood and even though they only released three studio albums, their music will be forever immortal.

+1 Nirvana