Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-80s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. Grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. The owners of Sub Pop marketed the style shrewdly, encouraging the media to describe it as "grunge"; the style became known as a hybrid of punk and metal. By the early 1990s, its popularity had spread, building strong followings and signing major record deals. Grunge was commercially successful in the early-to-mid-90s due to releases such as Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten, Soundgarden's Superunknown, and many others. Despite this, many groups were always uncomfortable with their status as superstars and with the appearance due to the influence of the media and there were a lot of conflicts between them that turned into the separation of the groups. Several factors contributed to grunge's decline in prominence. During the mid-to-late 1990s, many grunge bands broke up or became less visible.