Live Through This

I've never listened to Hole. Courtney Love is a complicated and polarizing figure and for that reason I've never really had an interest in her music. I should've just listened. This is a monster of an album and grabbed me immediately with its punk and hardcore inspired grunge. It has memorable lyrics, great musicianship, all topped off with Courtney Love's incredible vocal delivery. Hole is supremely talented and after hearing this, much preferred to other grunge acts of the time. I'm glad I gave it a listen.

hits hard

I’m a little ashamed that younger me had some sort of block in my head that convinced me that this band was lesser than the other similar bands I liked at the time and wasn’t worth checking out, because I love this now and I’m sure I would’ve then too.

This was one of my favourite albums as an angsty teenage girl. So there's a big slice of nostalgia going on for me. It's great though- angry, visceral, the themes and lyrics are sharp and raw and dark, melancholic. I loved listening to female hard rock growing up, mostly riot grrl and later 90s/00s punk, and I guess Hole were part of a pioneering movement of women bands, part of 3rd wave feminism that normalised rage and writing about female experiences. Thanks for that Hole. And of course lots of really catchy loud-quite-loud grunge Nirvana-formula songs, melodic but raw. Courtney's voice sounds a lot like Brody Dahl (or rather, the other way around). Favourites: She walks on me - verses especially are driving, noisy, punk Rock Star/Olympia - I WENT TO SCHOOOOOL Violet

A revered contribution to grunge and punk rock, Hole excels at capturing listeners' attention with 'Live Through This'. Courtney Love's rugged vocals is the key ingredient amongst crunch guitars and tasteful drum patterns in producing a generous serving of the punk rock spirit. This record is critically acclaimed for good reason - like the CHBs it manages to effortlessly present, in a complete package of both energetic and downtempo tracks.

I was busy during grunge and wasn't paying much attention. But when I think of grunge, I think only of the dudes and shame on me for that. This album is superb!

Oh man. What an album. Surprised I haven't listened to Hole very much before, because this is exactly up my alley. Some fun history in this one: there were some (very misogynistic) allegations that Cobain ghostwrote these tracks and Love's response was that he was a better songwriter--so obviously they were written by her. That's a pretty iconic comeback. Also apparently the title was inspired by a phrase from Gone with the Wind. Have to love an American classic. Fave track: Asking for It. A feminist anthem for the ages. This album was so ahead of its time.

EXACTLY what I wanted and needed to hear today. Melodic, cathartic rage.

For my money probably the best grunge album

Much more amazing than I have it credit for.

Hole is raw and potent. Courtney has an excellent delivery, and the sound has a solid blend of diversity and cohesiveness that helps elevate the album experience.

Fucking iconic! This is a landmark grunge album. Love or hate her, Courtney’s artistry is undeniable. From her furious primal screams on Violet to her heartbroken guttural wailing on Doll Parts she leaves no piece of herself behind. It’s all out there on this record, every raw feeling. And I fucking love every minute of it. Masterpiece.

this album fucking rocks. the lyrics are great

lesbian vibes. girl in red/clairo type beat. Nvm, it's rock. pretty spicy ngl :0

Was great!! WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOOL!! ....IN OLYMPIA!!!!! !m!

About time I listened to this. Courtney Love, infamous wife of Kurt Cobain (that some believe killed him(!)). I don't know about any of that jazz, but I do know that I enjoyed this album. It struck me immediately as a female-led Nirvana. Not in a bad way, as I don't think it's purely imitative, but it's got the same vibe. I understand why people speculate that Cobain ghostwrote some of this. I love the punk energy here, and it's very enjoyable with a female vocalist for a change. A good number of killer tracks on here (pardon the potential pun, I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I swear). I also love that there's a track called Jennifer's Body, which no doubt is where the movie got the title, because this music sounds EXACTLY like that movie and what the characters would listen to. I enjoyed it overall. It's on the edge between a 7 and 8 for me, but I'm feeling generous today so we'll round up. Favorite tracks: I Think That I Would Die, Jennifer's Body, Violet, Asking for It. Album art: Definitely iconic. I've seen this plenty of times, it really captures an essence so immediately. I think Courtney Love sued (or maybe just complained about) Olivia Rodrigo ripping this aesthetic for something she did this year. Wouldn't surprise me, given how brazenly Rodrigo wears her inspirations, but c'mon, you can't be shocked when you make something that looks and sounds so memorable. 4/5

Did you know Courtney Love’s boyfriend has a band ? Yeah she wrote all of his songs though

Although I had heard a lot about Courtney Love through the years, I didn't realise she had her own band. Heavy grunge reminiscent of the 90s with a strong female empowerment/feminist overtone lyrically, that as a whole was often criticised and mocked for being whiny and overdramatic due to the 'Riot grrrl' movement, would resonate with audiences today. Best: Miss World; Jennifer's Body; Doll Parts; Gutless Worst: N/A

I've only done 2 weeks into this 1001 album list and I've had 2 Hole albums. That's definitely 1 more Hole album than should be on a 'Best albums ever' type list and make me lose some respect for the author... Thankfully, this is their one really good album, mixing bitter emotions and lyric with some great songwriting and production that manages to walk the line between raw energy and polish.

Rock star is a tune!

I was actually pretty surprised I knew so many Hole songs. Very consistent sound, didn't feel much variation between tunes but it fits right in with the 90s grunge movement. Separating the music from the artist, overall it's a good album. Well put together, songs have good hooks, Courtney can belt. A bit angry which I can't get into at this stage in my life but I would have enjoyed before. She definitely cribbed some songwriting notes from Kurt, not that that's a bad thing.

Like so many other albums I've listened to, the opener to this album, 'Violet', is arguably the best song on the album. Courtney Love's raw, savage energy and vocal performance is inspiring, her shouts of "Go on, take everything" chill-inducing. Fortunately, while 'Violet' is my favourite track on the album, it's far from the only good one. The album oscillates between higher intensity, punk-rock driven tracks ('She Walks on Me' being one of the heaviest) to more mellow, introspective tracks like 'Doll Parts'.

I’m very familiar with this album cover, having routinely see it on T-shirts, but I have never listened to this. A bit strange since I was into 90’s growl rock back in the day. Somehow I never worked a Hole album into the rotation. What I’ve been missing out on is some awesome 90s feminist rock. The omission is glaring. The songs snarl with enough hooks to keep me interested. And as I dig into the lyrics there is a lot to work through. This is a great album. I have listened to a lot of music that seems to have influenced and been influenced by this. I’ve had a Hole in my 90s music puzzle that is finally filled.

I'm just as surprised as you are 5

Hi- Violet, Plump, Asking For It, Jennifer's Body, She Walks On Me, Lo- Doll Parts Just a week before the release of this album, Kurt Cobain's death rocked the music world, forever upstaging his wife while simultaneously inextricably linking the two events in history. Live Through This is a time capsule captured just before it all went down. A stronger opener couldn't be had: Violet gets right to business, with Love painfully daring you to "Take Everything". A common theme through out the album is being beaten down by the world, while at the same time projecting the image of perfection, balancing ever-rising expectations until one just snaps, as perfectly illustrated in Asking For It and Jennifer's Body. Musically, it's a timeless catalog of femme-grunge, with crunchy guitars, lilting vocals, and hard-hitting drums. Every track is unique to each other, but they share a common tapestry and is recognizable as Hole. The only "weak track" I can think of here is Doll Parts because it's very repetitive; but yet it makes sense and I probably wouldn't change a thing.

I love carpet. I love desk. I love lamp. I love Hole.

Started as annoying American fliffle. Grew on me. Grew off me. Won't be revisiting

I remember clearly how fashionable it was to hate on Courtney Love when she was in the spotlight in the 90s. I hate it when that happens; always seems to bring out the nastiness in society. That being said, I didn't listen to Hole back then because my interest in "grunge" was somewhat fleeting. There was some music in that broad category that I enjoyed, but after a few years I lost interest. I did my best, as I generally try to do with this interesting album-generator experiment, to clear my mind of the heavy biases and prejudices I knew I'd bring to my listening. It's pretty much impossible to fully erase expectations, at least for this flawed listener, so I admit I still expected on some level to dislike it. It's better than I thought it would be. I found the songs to be more melodic and layered than I expected (reading the Wikipedia article on it, that seems to have been quite intentional), the composition and performances are good, and my only main criticisms are (1) I don't always like Courtney Love's voice as the main vocalist. I'm not sure why because she can sing quite well. Just how I hear it, I guess, but I always have to allow for the possibility that my brain cannot separate the voice from the image of the person. (2) Many of the tracks sound too similar to each other. The album is not so compelling that I intend listening to it regularly, but for the most part it was enjoyable.

I hated Hole when they were big, and I hate them now. Screaming into mic does not a song make. In my unpopular opinion they have only one not-too-bad song and it’s not even on this album.

I made it to "She Walks on Me" and that was enough. God I hated this album.

Thank fuck that's over.

Not a fan at all. Her voice, imo, sounded awful

First of all, what a fucking album! 1994 was an infamously tumultuous year for Courtney Love, compounded by the suicide of her grunge-icon husband just days before her commercial and artistic breakthrough. While some might crumble under such scrutiny and tragedy, Love channelled her fury, grief, and apprehension into an incredibly cathartic collection of songs. Don’t let Love’s outspoken, often antagonistic, public persona overshadow her artistry or colour your perception of her work on 'Live Through This'—this is an album with phenomenal songwriting from start to finish. This album is a powerful exploration of the messy complexities of human emotion, delivered with all the fury you could hope for. Lyrically, it addresses themes of body image, identity, loss, empowerment, and trauma from a deeply personal perspective, with Love’s visceral lyrics cutting right to the bone. In "Doll Parts", for instance, her haunting refrain—“I want to be your doll”—articulates profound longing and insecurity, encapsulating the struggle for self-worth in an objectifying world. Musically, the album is a potent mix of grunge, punk, and alt-rock, dripping with intensity and emotional depth. Distorted guitars, catchy yet chaotic melodies, and loud-quiet-loud dynamics create a constant push and pull of tension and release. Eric Erlandson’s jagged riffs perfectly complement Love’s raw vocals, whether in the blistering "Violet" or the melancholic strumming of "Doll Parts". The rhythmic complexity shines in tracks like "Asking For It", where Patty Schemel’s relentless drumming builds urgency that underscores themes of consent and control. Kristen Pfaff’s contributions on bass are essential to the album’s sonic depth, as exemplified in "Jennifer’s Body", where her brooding, pulsating bassline adds a sinister undercurrent to the song’s already dark energy. Her playing grounds the track, providing a heavy, foreboding atmosphere that complements Love’s biting vocals. Love’s vocal performance is crucial to the album’s impact. She shifts seamlessly from guttural screams to fragile whispers, capturing the emotional peaks and valleys of the music. Her unpolished voice encapsulates both rage and vulnerability, making the music aggressively cathartic and emotionally powerful. The raw production from Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade allows the album to maintain its heart and hooks while sounding visceral. The album opens with "Violet", an anthem of defiance marked by blistering rage and fierce guitars. "Miss World" delivers sharp commentary on beauty standards, its haunting melody underscoring Love’s biting lyrics. "Plump" follows with fierce, punk-infused energy, exploring sexuality and body image through aggressive instrumentation. The anthemic "Asking For It" addresses consent and control with a chilling mix of vulnerability and aggression. "Jennifer’s Body" offers unsettling energy, driven by dark, provocative lyrics that challenge perceptions of female desire. The previously mentioned "Doll Parts" stands out for its melancholic chord sequence and aching vocals, perfectly capturing feelings of insecurity and longing. "Credit in the Straight World" reflects on societal expectations, while "Softer, Softest" explores love and longing with delicate instrumentation, providing a softer counterpoint to the album’s aggressive tracks. "She Walks on Me" blends aggression and vulnerability, showcasing tumultuous relationship dynamics. "I Think That I Would Die" hits with raw emotional intensity, merging desperation with a melodic hook that lingers. "Gutless" returns to an abrasive sound, embodying anger and frustration. The biting sarcasm of "Rock Star" closes the album with a scathing critique of the music industry, fueled by blistering guitars and Love’s fierce delivery. The contrast between the opener "Violet" and "Rock Star" illustrates the album’s emotional complexity, with vulnerability and defiance coexisting powerfully. Tragically, Kristen Pfaff’s overdose just months after the album’s release deepened the sense of loss and personal tragedy surrounding 'Live Through This'. Coming so soon after Kurt Cobain’s suicide, her death casts an even darker shadow over the album, intensifying its haunting themes of grief, trauma, and survival. Today, 'Live Through This' stands as a pivotal moment in both Love’s career and the broader alternative rock movement, where female artists began to challenge a male-dominated MTV landscape. This album showcases the raw power of women reclaiming their voices in music and paves the way for countless female-fronted bands. Quite simply, 'Live Through This' is not just a milestone for grunge; it’s one of the best albums of the '90s. Courtney Love would never quite match this high point, even though Celebrity Skin had its standout moments. But after pouring so much of herself into Live Through This, maybe surviving was the real victory. Honestly, I can’t blame her for kicking back now and enjoying those Nirvana royalty cheques. After all, she does sing in Violet: "I told you from the start just how this would end. When I get what I want, then I never want it again" Did/Do I own this release? On CD Does this release belong on the list? Definitely Would this release make my personal list? Definitely Will I be listening to it again? I’ve listened to this album more times than I can remember.

Well shit, I wish I had given this a chance earlier. Love is in possession of the perfect vocals for what Hole is doing here. Such a good blend of both snarl and harmony in her voice and the band is so strong behind Love, blistering thru the entire album. Despite the heavy themes, Love sings with a playfulness at times, giving this grunge album a fresh feel, there’s humour at times too, Rock Star specifically. Overall really strong songwriting and personality displayed. Not a bad track on this one, really just fucking great. Upon reading of the tragic loss of bassist, Kristen Pfaff I learned that her replacement, Melissa Auf see Maur only came to be the replacement bc her roommate got in a fight with Billy Corgan after tossing a bottle at him at a Punpkins show in Montreal. Auf der Maur apologized for her roommates behaviour and this was the start of their friendship, that roommate btw became the drummer of the great Godspeed Black Emperor. Anyway, thought that was all neat. 5 stars!

A damn good album. Courtney Love has a pretty damn good voice. I never wanted to listen to these guys because she's such a dumpster fire of a person, but I'm glad that this showed up on my list. But this album should have been titled "Thank Heaven That Our Singer Is Married To That Guy From Nirvana".

honestly pretty close in quality to ''nevermind''

This album rocks! I never gave Hole a chance based on the anti-Courtney Love feelings in the mid nineties. Shame on in me. As far as I'm concerned, this is real grunge right here.

Grungy and brash; I can't really explain my adoration for this style of music, but I really groove with it. Courtney has such a strong voice and intense presence, and even though I didn't vibe with every song, I still enjoyed the ride.

Hole is 2/2. What a great rock band and what a fantastic voice! The raw power gets you going and you can right away see what the live experience would be like. I had a lot of fun with this one.

At the time, I thought this was over praised in the wake of Kurt Cobain's death. And somehow in 2020, this album went from being previously ranked 467 to 106 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Albums List. I always wondered how this would have been received had it been released during Cobain's life instead. I like a lot of Hole's songs, including many on their follow up album. I'm not in the camp that suggests Cobain wrote most of these songs. Rather, I'm sure Kurt likely influenced and inspired Courtney Love. What ultimately matters is this is a great album. Unfortunately, listening to it reminds me that it was released one week after Cobain's death. It also brings back memories of rumors about Cobain and Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff carrying on an affair, and Pfaff dying two months after this album's release. And then I end up going down rabbit holes suggesting Love's involvement in her husband's demise. That's one slippery slope. I'll just focus on the fact that Courtney Love had a pretty good run while she was interested in the music more than the fame.

Grung

So I had heard a few tracks from “Live Through This” back in the day – but never ran through the whole album, so this was a good experiment… Not a lot to say about this one, and below are a few of those thoughts – - I found the album to be fairly well-done, both in terms of song structure, audio quality, energy, and diversity throughout the album… - While I didn’t do a deep dive on the lyrics, it sorta felt like female grunge steeped in lesbonic anger… Not sure if that’s what’s actually going on, but that was my vibe… - I thought Courtney’s vocals were the highlight of the album, as the conviction was definitely there in spades… - Best songs for me by far, were “Violet” & “Credit In A Straight World” – though there really isn’t a bad track on the entire album… - Kinda funny that a few weeks ago, I had Frank Black’s “Teenager Of the Year” – with essentially the same cover – only drawn – and it was a dude… : ) All in all, a solid 3 in my book, and glad that I listened…

I’m sure it was hard for Courtney Love to feel dismissed as a musician because she was Kurt Cobain’s wife, but I think this album shows she earned her own recognition. I don’t love everything on here but I do like a lot of it. It rocks hard.

3.7 - It's good but it's derivative - Courtney Love made herself a chick version of Kurt Cobain. Mostly, I appreciate her swagger - she sings with such a loose but ferocious intensity. And "Violet" remains a standout in the grunge rock canon. But somehow I can't shake the feeling that she's a scenester who wanted to be famous at any cost, and for a brief moment was able to channel that ambition to place herself and her voice in the right place at the right time.

This Hole is a little sloppier and more aggressive than the other one on this list. …I feel like I’m missing a word in there somewhere. Oh well, proofreading is for suckers.

2/5. Not great, but better than I expected given some of the reviews here! No real standout tracks, angry, mostly tuneless grunge without much to say really. Can't imagine I'll ever listen to it or any song on it on purpose, but wasn't offensive enough to give a one.

UGH, I cannot stand Courtney Love's voice. I appreciate the musicality and feel of it, but I just can't take her voice at all.

Ffs these are all muso crolitic wnkfests please for the love of christ send me something i can listen too

Nah

Not my jam. At all. Was boring and loud in my opinion.

No

Courtney killed Kurt and got away with it. She is a trashbag.

Some of the songs sounded like Phoebe from Friends, some of them were just shouting. Dire

This seems to be a very angry woman shouting over what is otherwise very standard and very mediocre garage rock for almost 40 minutes. I skipped the seconds halves of most songs, and stopped altogether after half the album. So luckily I didn't need to listen to it for 40 minutes.

A classic album that was moulded from the mind of Kurt Cobain. How could it not be this good?

Hele mit skriv blev slettet 😭 Men fedt album!

This was such a fun album! Love the angst, probably would have been obsessed as a teenager.

my only issue with this album is that Celebrity Skin is on a different one

Ярость, которую редко можно услышать в таком доступном виде. Лучшая песня - Violet.

There is a sexist theory that people like to throw around that Kurt Cobain ghost wrote this album. My retort: Nirvana never made a record this good

When I saw the music video to Violet playing in the background on Kerrang!, I sat down in front of the TV entranced.... this was it, this was the music I needed during a time where I didn't know what each day would bring. The soundtrack to my 19th year on this planet, this album is firmly nestled into my heart forever - it was the soundtrack to heartbreak, finding my soulmate, depression, dropping out of university, breaking down and building myself back up.... this album is the definition of girlhood, and I was lucky enough to experience a transitionary period in my life listening to this album the entire time. My favourite tracks on this perfect album: - Violet (one of the best songs of all time, so many days staring at the ceiling, getting ready for nights out, watching the sunset from my uni halls window singing along to the lyrics) - Plump - Asking for it - Jennifer's body - Doll parts - Gutless - Rock star

Puttung aside a lot of what I could say about Courtney as a person, sympathetically or negatively—hot damn, now this is the kind of angry punk grunge I dig the shit out of. Those rockin' guitars, those crashin' drums, and goodness **me**, when Courtney Love's voice gets that "yelling strain" on it... I'm all for it; I'm all over it. Like, I can't remember exactly how CELEBRITY SKIN sounded, though I can tell you for sure that this has gotten me more into Hole than that album did. Jus', goodness, it's amazing this thing came out as good as it did despite everything that happened around it, both before **and** after. (And to be clear, of course this album isn't 100% wall-to-wall loud and angry grunge guitars. It gets softer musically every now and then, and I like those moments a lot as well. They keep this album up at the 5 where the louder songs put it. I'm just being honest about what I'm probably gonna remember this album for, and it's gonna be for the louder, angrier songs.)

I’m either at a 4 or a 5 – I’ll figure it out as I write this. I really fucking liked this, though. Courtney Love is, in fact, really good at this. I had some doubt back on Celebrity Skin, but she shut me up back then, and she really solidified herself here for me. She carries herself like a fucking star throughout this album – her voice is confident, her writing unabashedly honest, and the band carries that energy in a way that creates a sort of perfect storm, fueled by anger (at the world, at people, at herself) that’s mostly underlined by an acknowledgement that it is what it is, and she can only really live through it. Unlike Celebrity Skin, this album doesn’t carry Kurt Cobain’s shadow all over it, at least from a lyrical standpoint. It came out right after his death, so in that sense, a lot of this can be read with the context of Kurt, but it’s not as latent and as sorrowful as it was on Celebrity Skin. Instead, it almost feels like a harmonious anger – part of why her lyrics feel so honest to me is because so much of it is channeled from how much she and Kurt must’ve been under a constant microscope, especially when it comes to their kid. She references her kid several times on this album, and the references to “milk” (almost certainly a drug allegory) don’t go unnoticed. Granted, all of that’s about the writing and the surrounding context of the album – when it comes to the actual music, I think every single one of these songs are good, but not many of them are outright great, and that’s where I’m sort of flipping between a 4 and a 5. It’s an awesome album, don’t get me wrong – I think it does a great job of slowly building up the anger in each track over time, going from a sort of annoyed indifference, to contempt, to outright hatred by the end. However, there’s something within each track that sort of holds the album back from really hitting a full blown stride for me. I don’t think it’s the instrumentation, though a few songs do hit on the “first minute is the whole song” trope. I don’t think it’s the lyrics, but sometimes, it does feel like once Courtney’s said all she has to say, a few tracks lose their direction and sort of repeat their way to the finish line. It’s definitely not in her vocal performance – as far as I’m concerned, she’s rather flawless throughout most of this. Really, the only thing I can think of is that the album doesn’t touch on a super diverse number of themes, and that a few tracks tend to dip into a similar well from an instrumental and lyrical standpoint, but that undermines just how good all of the tracks still are, and how well this album is constructed. It’s not a perfect album, but I think I’m gaslighting myself to try and find some sort of overarching flaw here, and there really isn't one. It’s a damn good album, and I enjoyed this a lot. I’m at a 5.

probably the most emotionally direct record of the 90's grunge scene -- Nirvana at least attempted a couple hard to parse metaphors for all their fury. i know exactly what Courtney Love is thinking upon hearing the song's main conceit. this isn't in any way a put down, of course. there's something almost Hemingway-like about the lyrics on "Doll Parts" or "Asking For It" -- you don't have to do a lot of work to get what she's talking about, but it just makes it all the more impactful. in this way, i think the Young Marble Giants cover is fitting. both they and Hole are bands that embrace simplicity, like the pure elegant design of a chunk of metal that we call a crowbar. also my pet conspiracy theory is that Kurt doesn't even sing on the two tracks he's credited on, like how he didn't even really produce anything on Houdini. listen to those songs and tell me if you can pick him out in the mix, cause i sure fuckin' can't.

How did I not listen to this before? This is exactly my jam.

Ontzettend lekkere openingstrack. Daarna is het vooral 'gewoon' een lekker album met lekkere nummers. Dit soort muziek is een kolfje naar mijn hand. Dit album heeft aan het einde nog wel een paar heerlijke nummers ("Gutless" klinkt als Nirvana), waar dat andere album wat inkakte. Dat andere album van Hole kreeg een 4, deze vind ik iets dikker en daarom ga ik naar boven afronden. Een ietwat makkelijk gegeven 5 dus.

Absolute fire. My guess is Hole has kind of been Shadowbanned from public consumption because I never see this album or its singles anywhere. Damn shame, because this is one of my favorite's I've listened to doing this thing so far.

As vile as Courtney Love can be, this is a shockingly good album.

This is very underrated.

I think I've heard them before. I like.

This was a formative album for me and it still holds up all these years later. Regardless of your feelings about Courtney Love, this is a foundational record for so many bands. It's propulsive, angry, and honest. Even now, Violet and Asking For It hit really hard. Also, for the record, I went to school in Olympia.

I'm a little ashamed to say that I only came around to this album about a year ago. I guess I (perhaps subconsciously) bought into the media narrative that Courtney Love is a terrible human and her music is just rip off Nirvana, etc. However, after hearing a few of the singles again I decided to give the album a try, and it is surprisingly brilliant. I've had it on heavy rotation since then. Obviously, it's hard not to compare them to Nirvana, given the similarities in their singing voices and style. But I don't consider that to be unoriginal. When two people live together, they're obviously going to take on eachother's mannerisms and bounce off eachother artistically. I'm not going to pretend this is the best album of the 90s or anything (as seems to be the trend of late with some in the music press), but it is significantly better than say, Bleach, in my opinion. Courtney Love was an important part of 90s grunge/rock, but she was unfairly sidelined. There is a great podcast called "You're Wrong About" that did a very interesting Courtney Love episode. I would really recommend it for any others who have a similar "block".

Underrated grunge record. Reminds me of the girls I liked in high school.

This is good rip kurt :(

So much better than I expected

it’s always been fuck courtney love but you literally can’t argue with perfection. this is what it feels like to be a woman: scarred and raw and just fucking angry!!!! i love everything about it 1.) jennifer’s body 2.) miss world 3.) asking for it

"Live Through This" is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. The music was a departure from their previous more harcore album "Pretty on the Inside" towards more refined melodies and song structures. There had been accusations that lead singer/guitarist Courtney Love's husband Kurt Cobain had written most of the songs which were denied by all the band members; Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson wrote the songs. The two other band members for this album were bassist Kristen Pfaff and drummer Patty Schemel. Lyrics deal with beauty, motifs of milk, motherhood, anti-elitism, violence against women, suicide, depression and child abuse. Yeah, Love covers a lot. The album was very well received critically and, commercially, hit #52 in the US and #13 in the UK. An acoustic guitar strumming opens "Violet." Loves voice comes in which goes to a scream as the band kicks in fast and hard. They do the soft-hard-soft dynamic perfectly in this song and throughout the album. The song was based on Love's tumultuous relationship with Billy Corgan. On the the first single, "Miss World," the band showcases their melodic edge. Acoustic guitar and a great vocal chorus. This song features another structure I really like in that the music is happy sounding but the lyrics describe post-partum depression and substance abuse (a dichotomy). "Doll Parts" starts with an acoustic guitar and Love singing softy. A nice melodic bass and layered vocals. It's a song about Love's insecurity in her relationship with Cobain. The band covers the Young Marble Giant's "Credit in the Straight World." The song with the most punk edge on the album as they substitute in drugs for money relative to the original. "Soft, Softest" starts off very soft and builds. It's a very melancholic and personal song. Love alludes to bullying and child abuse. This is great album. It's melodic, has catchy choruses and a hard and punk edge. It also has some songs that best display the soft-hard-soft song dynamic. The lyrics are excellent and very personal. I remember when it came out I thought it was one of the best albums I had heard in a awhile. I still think that and easily put it in my favorites of the 90's.

one of the best grunge projects i've heard

Love the rage and angryness

Straight out of the frying pan and into the fire. Live Through This came through at a most unfortunate time, the consequences of which would linger around its existence to this very day. That doesn't negate, however, it being not only Hole's greatest album but Courtney Love's finest hour: an unrelenting blast of righteous fury, searing proclamations and uncompromising sincerity. Regardless of the troubles that followed through the album before, during and after, Live Through This is a testament of the sheer power that surged through Hole in the 90s, whether administered through outside forces or not. Go on and take everything, she'll want you too. You'll ache like she aches anyway.

Some really great tunes on this album. Rock Star is such a great tune. That just tells you how great the other songs on this album are.

One of the most passionate and raw emotional albums. Violet is one of my all time favorite songs, and tracks like Miss World, Asking for It, and Doll Parts are all outstanding. The album doesn't shy away from some challenging angry rock, but still it delivers punch after punch. Really love this album.

A gut punch of an album given the timing and subject matter. Still raw to this day.

I hate to say how much I loved this album. Hate because everything I've read or seen about Courtney Love suggests she's a narcissistic bully but what can I do? This isn't about her. So far, this album, Steely Dan's Aja, and the Fela Kuti album are the only "new-to-me" albums from this project that I've listened to multiple times.

Definitely my favorite album I have gotten on here so far. I’ve seen the cover so many times and listen to a lot of similar music so I’m really glad I was finally prompted to listen to this. I regret not checking it out sooner.

The boys made up a good chunk of the grunge scene, but the girls can rock it too. I love how Hole offered up a different flavor of the genre. Obviously the lyrical perspective is different, but the strong feminine energy is also awesome. Standouts are Plump, Asking for It, Doll Parts, Credit in the Straight World, and She Walks on Me. Long live grunge!

What an album! It's full of rage, of energy, of melody. Listening to it almost 30 years after its released, it stands out as one of the best albums of the genre and the period.

It's annoying how good this is.

Courtney Love doing what she does best. Amazing.

4.5 rounded up to a 5

10! I LOVE this album!

Couldn't be any better; this is it. Grunge at its best. Loud and lyrically devastating.

Fits into the tiny space between L7 and Mudhoney, with hints of the Melvins and early Pearl Jam, and a bunch of other grunge progenitors. I loved it! Hope to see more of them later in the list

- Never heard this before - Heard good things about it and can see why - Very very good album - Fav songs: Plump, Violet, Gutless

Truly the most ‘real’ grunge album I’ve heard. Incredible

Waited way too long to finally listen to this, absolutely lived up to my high expectations. The anger and angst are biting. 4.5/5

Their best album by a long shot. Kurt Cobain's influence is obvious. The rage in Courtney's voice comes from the heart.

Rock solid album. More thematic depth than I was expecting, great '90s-style alt rock sound, and Love's vocals are delightfully raw. This was a pleasant surprise. Not 100% sure it quite deserves a 5, but I'm giving it one anyway.

I'll always remember hearing this album my freshman year of college. It was core shaking & everyone at the dorm was listening to it. A lot of us had mixed feelings because of her husband's death, but we had to admit this album rocked. I saw Hole at Red Rocks amphitheater, and I was a stoned & drunken mess (fitting considering the band). Great album with cutting lyrics and grunge angst.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Violet, Miss world, Asking for it, Jennifer’s body, She walks on me, Gutless, Rock star