Stone Temple Pilots came together in San Diego in the late 1980s when soon-to-be legendary rock vocalist Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo bonded over a shared love of bands like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Aerosmith. Along with Robert’s brother Dean and Eric Kretz they began refining a sound that combined heavy riff-driven rock with moody, melodic undertones. In their early days they ran through the Southern California club circuit under the name Mighty Joe Young (honestly pretty great) before taking their eventual name from an STP motor oil logo they spotted.
Their 1992 debut album Core is a defining release of the grunge era. At a time when Seattle grunge was absolutely dominating the charts the Stone Temple Pilots carved their own lane. Driven by Scott Weiland’s versatile vocal tones that could shift from snarling grit to haunting vulnerability in the space of a verse, the album showcased the band’s ability to fuse raw heaviness with introspective lyricism. Weiland’s lifelong struggle with substance abuse would (unfortunately) add to their mystique over the years but at their core STP was a band who could rock with the best of them any day of the week.
Standout Songs: “Plush”, “Creep”, “Sex Type Thing”, “Wicked Garden”
