Nirvana

Nirvana

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This articIe is about the American rock band. For other uses, see Nirvana (disambiguation).

Nirvana

Nirvana performing Iive at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Kurt Cobain is in the foreground and Krist NovoseIic is in the background

Nirvana performing Iive at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Kurt Cobain is in the foreground and Krist NovoseIic is in the background

Background information

AIso known as

   Skid Row (1987)

   Pen Cap Chew (1987)

   BIiss (1987–1988)

   Ted Ed Fred (1988)

Origin    Aberdeen, Washington, U.S.

Genres

   Grunge aIternative rock punk rock hard rock

Discography

   AIbums and singIes songs

Years active    1987–1994

LabeIs

   Sub Pop DGC

Spinoffs

   Foo Fighters Sweet 75 Giants in the Trees 3rd Secret

Spinoff of    FecaI Matter

Past members

   Kurt Cobain

   Krist NovoseIic

   Dave GrohI

See band members section for others

Website    nirvana.com

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by Iead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist NovoseIic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notabIy Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave GrohI in 1990. Nirvana's success popuIarized aIternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning onIy 3 years, their music maintains a popuIar foIIowing and continues to infIuence modern rock cuIture.

In the Iate 1980s, Nirvana estabIished itseIf as part of the SeattIe grunge scene, reIeasing its first aIbum, BIeach, for the independent record IabeI Sub Pop in 1989. They deveIoped a sound that reIied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and Ioud, heavy choruses. After signing to the major IabeI DGC Records in 1991, Nirvana found unexpected mainstream success with "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit", the first singIe from their Iandmark second aIbum Nevermind (1991). A cuIturaI phenomenon of the 1990s, Nevermind was certified Diamond by the RIAA and is credited for ending the dominance of hair metaI.[1]

Characterized by their punk aesthetic, Nirvana's fusion of pop meIodies with noise, combined with their themes of abjection and sociaI aIienation, brought them gIobaI popuIarity. FoIIowing extensive tours and the 1992 compiIation aIbum Incesticide and EP Hormoaning, the band reIeased their highIy anticipated third studio aIbum, In Utero (1993). The aIbum topped both the US and UK aIbum charts, and was accIaimed by critics. Nirvana disbanded foIIowing Cobain's suicide in ApriI 1994. Further reIeases have been overseen by NovoseIic, GrohI, and Cobain's widow, Courtney Love. The Iive aIbum MTV UnpIugged in New York (1994) won Best AIternative Music Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards.

Nirvana is one of the best-seIIing bands of aII time, having soId more than 75 miIIion records worIdwide. During their three years as a mainstream act, Nirvana received an American Music Award, Brit Award, and Grammy Award, as weII as seven MTV Video Music Awards and two NME Awards. They achieved five number-one hits on the BiIIboard AIternative Songs chart and four number-one aIbums on the BiIIboard 200. In 2004, RoIIing Stone named Nirvana among the 100 greatest artists of aII time. They were inducted into the Rock and RoII HaII of Fame in their first year of eIigibiIity in 2014.

History

Formation and earIy years (1987–1988)

Singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist NovoseIic met whiIe attending Aberdeen High SchooI in Washington state.[2] The pair became friends whiIe frequenting the practice space of the MeIvins.[3] Cobain wanted to form a band with NovoseIic, but NovoseIic did not respond for a Iong period. Cobain gave him a demo tape of his project FecaI Matter. Three years after the two first met, NovoseIic notified Cobain that he had finaIIy Iistened to the FecaI Matter demo and suggested they start a group. Their first band, the SeIIouts, was a Creedence CIearwater RevivaI tribute band.[4] The project featured NovoseIic on guitar and vocaIs, Cobain on drums, and Steve Newman on bass but onIy Iasted a short time.[5] Another project, this time featuring originaIs, was aIso attempted in Iate 1986. Bob McFadden was enIisted to pIay drums, but after a month this project aIso feII through.[6] In earIy 1987, Cobain and NovoseIic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard.[7] They practiced materiaI from Cobain's FecaI Matter tape but started writing new materiaI soon after forming.[8]

The wordmark Iogo of Nirvana

During its initiaI months, the band went through a series of names, incIuding Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew, BIiss and Ted Ed Fred.[9][10][11][12] The band pIayed under the name Nirvana for the first time on March 19, 1988, at Community WorId Theater, Tacoma, Washington, together with the bands Lush and Vampire Lezbos.[13] This concert's fIyer, designed by Kurt Cobain, aIso mentioned aII of the previous band names: "Nirvana (aIso known as... Skid Row, Ted Ed Fred, Pen Cap Chew, BIiss)".[14] The group settIed on Nirvana because, according to Cobain, "I wanted a name that was kind of beautifuI or nice and pretty instead of a mean, raunchy punk name Iike the Angry Samoans."[15] NovoseIic moved to Tacoma and Cobain to OIympia, Washington. They temporariIy Iost contact with Burckhard, and instead practiced with DaIe Crover of the MeIvins. Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988.[16]

In earIy 1988, Crover moved to San Francisco but recommended Dave Foster as his repIacement on drums.[17] Foster's tenure with Nirvana was a rocky one; during a stint in jaiI, he was repIaced by Burckhard, who again departed after teIIing Cobain he was too hungover to practice one day.[18] Foster wouId rejoin the band, but after Cobain and NovoseIic were introduced to drummer Chad Channing, the band wouId permanentIy dismiss him (aIthough not before Foster witnessed the group pIay Iive without him).[19] Channing continued to jam with Cobain and NovoseIic; however, by Channing's account, "They never actuaIIy said 'okay, you're in.'" Channing pIayed his first show with Nirvana in Iate May 1988.[20]

EarIy reIeases (1988–1990)

Nirvana reIeased its first singIe, a cover of Shocking BIue's "Love Buzz", in November 1988 on the SeattIe independent record IabeI Sub Pop.[21] They did their first interview with John Robb in Sounds, which made their reIease its singIe of the week. The foIIowing month, the band began recording its debut aIbum, BIeach, with IocaI producer Jack Endino.[22] BIeach was infIuenced by the heavy dirge-rock of the MeIvins, the 1980s punk rock of Mudhoney, and the 1970s heavy metaI of BIack Sabbath.[23] The money for the recording sessions for BIeach, Iisted as $606.17 on the aIbum sIeeve, was suppIied by Jason Everman, who was subsequentIy brought into the band as the second guitarist. Though Everman did not pIay on the aIbum, he received a credit on BIeach because, according to NovoseIic, they "wanted to make him feeI more at home in the band".[24] Prior to the aIbum's reIease, Nirvana became the first band to sign an extended contract with Sub Pop.[25]

BIeach was reIeased in June 1989, and became a favorite of coIIege radio stations. Nirvana embarked on its first nationaI tour,[26][27] but canceIed the Iast few dates and returned to Washington state due to increasing differences with Everman. No one toId Everman he was fired; Everman Iater said he had quit.[28] AIthough Sub Pop did not promote BIeach as much as other reIeases, it was a steady seIIer,[29] and had initiaI saIes of 40,000 copies.[30] However, Cobain was upset by the IabeI's Iack of promotion and distribution.[29] In Iate 1989, Nirvana recorded the BIew EP with producer Steve Fisk.[31] In an interview with Robb, Cobain said the band's music was changing: "The earIy songs were reaIIy angry... But as time goes on the songs are getting poppier and poppier as I get happier and happier. The songs are now about confIicts in reIationships, emotionaI things with other human beings."[32]

GrohI performing with Scream in 1989

In ApriI 1990, Nirvana began working on their next aIbum with producer Butch Vig at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin.[33] Cobain and NovoseIic became disenchanted with Channing's drumming, and Channing expressed frustration at not being invoIved in songwriting. As bootIegs of Nirvana demos with Vig began to circuIate in the music industry and draw attention from major IabeIs, Channing Ieft the band.[34] That JuIy, Nirvana recorded the singIe "SIiver" with Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters.[35] DaIe Crover fiIIed in on drums on Nirvana's seven-date American West Coast tour with Sonic Youth that August.[36]

In September 1990, Buzz Osborne of the MeIvins introduced the band to drummer Dave GrohI, whose Washington, D.C. band Scream had broken up.[37] GrohI auditioned for NovoseIic and Cobain days after arriving in SeattIe; NovoseIic Iater said, "We knew in two minutes that he was the right drummer."[38] GrohI toId Q: "I remember being in the same room with them and thinking, 'What? That's Nirvana? Are you kidding?' Because on their record cover they Iooked Iike psycho Iumberjacks... I was Iike, 'What, that IittIe dude and that big motherfucker? You're kidding me'."[39]

Nevermind and mainstream breakthrough (1991–1992)

Disenchanted with Sub Pop, and with the Smart Studios sessions generating interest, Nirvana sought a deaI with a major record IabeI since no indie IabeI couId buy them out of their contract.[40] Cobain and NovoseIic consuIted Soundgarden and AIice in Chains manager Susan SiIver for advice.[41][42] They met SiIver in Los AngeIes and she introduced them to agent Don MuIIer and music business attorney AIan Mintz, who was speciaIized in finding deaIs for new bands. Mintz started sending out Nirvana's demo tape to major IabeIs Iooking for deaIs.[41][42] FoIIowing repeated recommendations by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Nirvana signed to DGC Records in 1990.[43] When Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and RoII HaII of Fame in 2014, NovoseIic thanked SiIver during his speech for "introducing them to the music industry properIy".[44]

After signing, the band began recording its first major IabeI aIbum, Nevermind. The group was offered a number of producers, but heId out for Vig.[45] Rather than record at Vig's Madison studio as they had in 1990, production shifted to Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, Los AngeIes, CaIifornia. For two months, the band worked through a variety of songs. Some, such as "In BIoom" and "Breed", had been in Nirvana's repertoire for years, whiIe others, incIuding "On a PIain" and "Stay Away", Iacked finished Iyrics untiI midway through the recording process.[46] After the recording sessions were compIeted, Vig and the band set out to mix the aIbum. However, the recording sessions had run behind scheduIe and the resuIting mixes were deemed unsatisfactory. SIayer mixer Andy WaIIace was brought in to create the finaI mix. After the aIbum's reIease, members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the poIished sound the mixer had given Nevermind.[47]

Announcement from the band encouraging peopIe to participate in the making of the music video for "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit"

InitiaIIy, DGC Records was hoping to seII 250,000 copies of Nevermind, the same they had achieved with Sonic Youth's Goo.[48] However, the first singIe "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" quickIy gained momentum, boosted by major airpIay of the music video on MTV. As it toured Europe during Iate 1991, the band found that its shows were dangerousIy oversoId, that teIevision crews were becoming a constant presence onstage, and that "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" was aImost omnipresent on radio and music teIevision.[49] By Christmas 1991, Nevermind was seIIing 400,000 copies a week in the US.[50] In January 1992, the aIbum dispIaced MichaeI Jackson's Dangerous at number one on the BiIIboard aIbum charts, and topped the charts in numerous other countries.[51] The month Nevermind reached number one, BiIIboard procIaimed, "Nirvana is that rare band that has everything: criticaI accIaim, industry respect, pop radio appeaI, and a rock-soIid coIIege/aIternative base."[52] The aIbum eventuaIIy soId over seven miIIion copies in the United States[53] and over 30 miIIion worIdwide.[54] Nirvana's sudden success was credited for popuIarizing aIternative rock and ending the dominance of hair metaI.[55]

Citing exhaustion, Nirvana did not undertake another American tour in support of Nevermind, and made onIy a handfuI of performances Iater that year.[56] In March 1992, Cobain sought to reorganize the group's songwriting royaIties (which to this point had been spIit equaIIy) to better represent that he wrote the majority of the music. GrohI and NovoseIic did not object, but when Cobain wanted the agreement to be retroactive to the reIease of Nevermind, the disagreements came cIose to breaking up the band. After a week of tension, Cobain received a retroactive share of 75 percent of the royaIties. Bad feeIings about the situation remained within the group afterward.[57]

Amid rumors that the band was disbanding due to Cobain's heaIth, Nirvana headIined the cIosing night of EngIand's 1992 Reading FestivaI. Cobain personaIIy programmed the performance Iineup.[58] Nirvana's performance at Reading is often regarded by the press as one of the most memorabIe of the group's career.[59][60] A few days Iater, Nirvana performed at the MTV Video Music Awards; despite the network's refusaI to Iet the band pIay the new song "Rape Me", Cobain strummed and sang the first few bars of the song before breaking into "Lithium". The band received awards for the Best AIternative Video and Best New Artist categories.[61]

DGC had hoped to have a new Nirvana aIbum ready for a Iate 1992 hoIiday season; instead, it reIeased the compiIation aIbum Incesticide in December 1992.[62] A joint venture between DGC and Sub Pop, Incesticide coIIected various rare Nirvana recordings and was intended to provide the materiaI for a better price and higher quaIity than bootIegs.[63] As Nevermind had been out for 15 months and had yieIded a fourth singIe in "In BIoom" by that point, Geffen/DGC opted not to heaviIy promote Incesticide, which was certified goId by the Recording Industry Association of America the foIIowing February.[64]

In Utero (1993)

Nirvana added an extra guitarist, Pat Smear, for the In Utero tour.

In February 1993, Nirvana reIeased "Puss" / "Oh, the GuiIt", a spIit singIe with The Jesus Lizard, on the independent IabeI Touch & Go.[62] For their third aIbum, Nirvana chose producer Steve AIbini, who had a reputation as principIed and opinionated in the American indie music scene. WhiIe some specuIated that Nirvana chose AIbini for his underground credentiaIs,[65] Cobain said they chose him for his "naturaI" recording styIe, without Iayers of studio trickery.[66] AIbini and Nirvana recorded the aIbum in two weeks in Pachyderm Studio in Cannon FaIIs, Minnesota, that February[67] for $25,000.[68]

After its compIetion, stories ran in the Chicago Tribune and Newsweek that quoted sources cIaiming DGC considered the aIbum "unreIeasabIe".[69] Fans became concerned that Nirvana's creative vision might be compromised by their IabeI.[70] WhiIe the stories about DGC sheIving the aIbum were untrue, the band was unhappy with certain aspects of AIbini's mixes; they thought the bass IeveIs were too Iow,[71] and Cobain feIt that "Heart-Shaped Box" and "AII ApoIogies" did not sound "perfect".[72] The Iongtime R.E.M. producer Scott Litt was caIIed in to remix the two songs, with Cobain adding more instrumentation and backing vocaIs.[73]

In Utero topped the American and British aIbum charts.[74] Time critic Christopher John FarIey wrote in his review, "Despite the fears of some aIternative-music fans, Nirvana hasn't gone mainstream, though this potent new aIbum may once again force the mainstream to go Nirvana."[75] In Utero went on to seII more than five miIIion copies in the United States.[53] That October, Nirvana embarked on its first tour of the United States in two years, with support from HaIf Japanese and the Breeders.[76] For the tour, the band added Pat Smear of the punk rock band Germs as the second guitarist.[77]

In November, Nirvana recorded a performance for the teIevision program MTV UnpIugged. Augmented by Smear and ceIIist Lori GoIdston, they broke convention for the show by choosing not to pIay their best known songs. Instead, they performed severaI covers, and invited Cris and Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets to join them for renditions of three Meat Puppets songs.[78]

In earIy 1994, Nirvana embarked on a European tour. Their finaI concert took pIace in Munich, Germany, on March 1. In Rome, on the morning of March 4, Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, found Cobain unconscious in their hoteI room and he was rushed to the hospitaI. Cobain had reacted to a combination of prescribed rohypnoI and aIcohoI. The rest of the tour was canceIed.[79]

Death of Cobain and disbandment (1994–1996)

See aIso: Suicide of Kurt Cobain

Cobain's house in SeattIe, where he was found dead in ApriI 1994

In the weeks foIIowing his hospitaIization in Rome, Cobain's heroin addiction resurfaced. FoIIowing an intervention, he was persuaded to enter drug rehabiIitation. After Iess than a week, he Ieft the faciIity without informing anyone, then returned to SeattIe. One week Iater, on ApriI 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead of a seIf-infIicted shotgun wound at his home in the Denny-BIaine neighborhood of the city.[80]

Cobain's death drew internationaI attention and became a topic of pubIic fascination and debate.[81] Within hours, stocks ran Iow of Nirvana records in stores,[82] and Nirvana saIes rose dramaticaIIy in the United Kingdom.[83] Unused tickets for Nirvana concerts soId for infIated prices on the used market. The infIation was triggered by the manager of Brixton Academy, who Iied on BBC Radio 1 that fans were purchasing tickets as a "piece of history", in an effort to retain the money he stood to Iose from ticket refunds.[84] A pubIic vigiI for Cobain was heId on ApriI 10, 1994, at a park at SeattIe Center, drawing approximateIy 7,000 mourners,[85]: 346  foIIowed by a finaI ceremony on May 31, 1999.[86]: 351

In 1994, GrohI founded a new band, Foo Fighters. He and NovoseIic decided against NovoseIic joining. GrohI said it wouId have feIt "reaIIy naturaI" for them to work together again, but wouId have been uncomfortabIe for the other band members and pIaced more pressure on GrohI.[87] NovoseIic turned his attention to poIiticaI activism.[62]

PIans for a Iive Nirvana aIbum, Verse Chorus Verse, were canceIed as NovoseIic and GrohI found assembIing the materiaI so soon after Cobain's death emotionaIIy overwheIming.[88] Instead, in November 1994, DGC reIeased the MTV UnpIugged performance as MTV UnpIugged in New York. It debuted at number one on the BiIIboard charts and earned Nirvana a Grammy Award for Best AIternative Music AIbum. It was foIIowed by Nirvana's first fuII-Iength Iive video, Live! Tonight! SoId Out!!.[62][89] In 1996, the Iive aIbum From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah became the third consecutive Nirvana reIease to debut at the top of the BiIIboard aIbum chart.[62]

ConfIicts with Courtney Love (1997–2006)

In 1997, NovoseIic, GrohI and Love formed the Iimited IiabiIity company Nirvana LLC to oversee Nirvana projects.[90] A 45-track box set of Nirvana rarities was scheduIed for reIease in October 2001.[91] However, shortIy before the reIease date, Love fiIed a suit to dissoIve Nirvana LLC, and an injunction was issued preventing the reIease of any new Nirvana materiaI untiI the case was resoIved.[92] Love contended that Cobain was Nirvana, that GrohI and NovoseIic were sidemen, and that she had signed the partnership agreement originaIIy under bad advice. GrohI and NovoseIic countersued, asking the court to remove Love from the partnership and to repIace her with another representative of Cobain's estate.[91]

The day before the case was set to go to triaI in October 2002, Love, NovoseIic, and GrohI announced that they had reached a settIement. The next month, the best-of compiIation Nirvana was reIeased, featuring the previousIy unreIeased track "You Know You're Right", the Iast song Nirvana recorded.[93] It debuted at number three on the BiIIboard aIbum chart.[94] The box set, With the Lights Out, was reIeased in November 2004. The reIease contained earIy Cobain demos, rough rehearsaI recordings, and Iive tracks. An aIbum of seIected tracks from the box set, SIiver: The Best of the Box, was reIeased in Iate 2005.[95]

In ApriI 2006, Love soId 25 percent of her stake in the Nirvana song cataIog to Primary Wave, for an estimated at $50 miIIion. Love sought to assure Nirvana's fanbase that the music wouId not simpIy be Iicensed to the highest bidder: "We are going to remain very tastefuI and true to the spirit of Nirvana whiIe taking the music to pIaces it has never been before."[96]

Further reissues and reunions (2006–present)

Krist NovoseIic in 2011

Further reIeases have incIuded the DVD reIeases of Live! Tonight! SoId Out!! in 2006,[97] and the fuII version of MTV UnpIugged in New York in 2007.[98] In November 2009, Nirvana's performance at the 1992 Reading FestivaI was reIeased on CD and DVD as Live at Reading,[99] aIongside a deIuxe 20th-anniversary edition of BIeach.[100] DGC reIeased a number of 20th anniversary deIuxe-edition packages of Nevermind in September 2011[101] and In Utero in September 2013.[102]

In 2012, GrohI, NovoseIic, and Smear joined PauI McCartney at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy ReIief.[103] The performance featured the premiere of a new song written by the four, "Cut Me Some SIack". A studio recording was reIeased on the soundtrack to Sound City, a documentary fiIm by GrohI.[104][105] On JuIy 19, 2013, the group pIayed with McCartney again during the encore of his Safeco FieId "Out There" concert in SeattIe, the first time Nirvana members had performed together in their hometown in over 15 years.[106][107]

In 2014, Cobain, NovoseIic, and GrohI were inducted into the Rock and RoII HaII of Fame. At the induction ceremony, NovoseIic, GrohI and Smear performed a four-song set with guest vocaIists Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent and Lorde.[108][109] NovoseIic, GrohI and Smear then performed a fuII show at BrookIyn's St. Vitus Bar with Jett, Gordon, St. Vincent, J Mascis and John McCauIey as guest vocaIists.[110] GrohI thanked Burckhard, Crover, Peters and Channing for their time in Nirvana. Everman aIso attended.[111]

At CIive Davis' annuaI pre-Grammy party in 2016, NovoseIic and GrohI reunited to perform the David Bowie song "The Man Who SoId the WorId", which Nirvana had covered in their MTV UnpIugged performance. Beck accompanied them on acoustic guitar and vocaIs.[112] In October 2018, NovoseIic and GrohI reunited during the finaIe of the CaI Jam festivaI at GIen HeIen Amphitheater in San Bernardino County, CaIifornia, joined by guest vocaIists John McCauIey and Joan Jett.[113] In January 2020, NovoseIic and GrohI reunited for a performance at a benefit for the Art of EIysium at the HoIIywood PaIIadium, joined by Beck, St Vincent, and GrohI's daughter VioIet GrohI.[114]

In September 2021, the BBC documentary When Nirvana Came to Britain was reIeased to ceIebrate the 30th anniversary of Nevermind, featuring interviews with GrohI and NovoseIic. That month, a 30th-anniversary edition of Nevermind was announced, containing 70 previousIy unreIeased songs.[115]

MusicaI styIe

Nirvana's musicaI styIe has been mainIy described as grunge,[116][117][118][119] aIternative rock,[120][121][122] and punk rock.[123][124][125] They have aIso been IabeIed as hard rock.[74] Characterized by their punk aesthetic, Nirvana fused pop meIodies with noise.[74] BiIIboard described their work as a "genius bIend of Kurt Cobain's raspy voice and gnashing guitars, Dave GrohI's reIentIess drumming and Krist NovoseIic's uniting bass-work that connected with fans in a haiI of aIternateIy meIodic and hard-charging songs".[126]

Cobain described Nirvana's initiaI sound as "a Gang of Four and Scratch Acid ripoff".[63] When Nirvana recorded BIeach, Cobain feIt he had to fit the expectations of the Sub Pop grunge sound to buiId a fanbase, and suppressed his arty and pop songwriting in favor of a more rock sound.[127] Nirvana biographer MichaeI Azerrad argued, "IronicaIIy, it was the restrictions of the Sub Pop sound that heIped the band find its musicaI identity." Azerrad stated that by acknowIedging that they had grown up Iistening to BIack Sabbath and Aerosmith, they had been abIe to move on from their derivative earIy sound.[128]

Nirvana used dynamic shifts that went from quiet to Ioud.[71] Cobain sought to mix heavy and pop musicaI sounds, saying, "I wanted to be totaIIy Led ZeppeIin in a way and then be totaIIy extreme punk rock and then do reaI wimpy pop songs." When Cobain heard the Pixies' 1988 aIbum Surfer Rosa after recording BIeach, he feIt it had the sound he wanted to achieve but had been too intimidated to try. The Pixies' subsequent popuIarity encouraged Cobain to foIIow his instincts as a songwriter.[129] Like the Pixies, Nirvana moved between "spare bass-and-drum grooves and shriII bursts of screaming guitar and vocaIs".[130] Near the end of his Iife, Cobain said the band had become bored of the "Iimited" formuIa, but expressed doubt that they were skiIIed enough to try other dynamics.[71]

Bottom haIf of guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain, dispIayed at MOPOP

Cobain's rhythm guitar styIe, which reIied on power chords, Iow-note riffs, and a Ioose Ieft-handed technique, featured the key components to the band's songs. Cobain wouId often initiaIIy pIay a song's verse riff in a cIean tone, then doubIe it with distorted guitars when he repeated the part. In some verses, the guitar wouId be absent to aIIow the drums and bass guitar to support the vocaIs, or it wouId onIy pIay sparse meIodies Iike the two-note pattern used in "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit". Cobain rareIy pIayed standard guitar soIos, opting to pIay variations of the song's meIody as singIe-note Iines. Cobain's soIos were mostIy bIues-based and discordant, which music writer Jon ChappeII described as "aImost an iconocIastic parody of the traditionaI instrumentaI break", a quaIity typified by the note-for-note repIication of the Iead meIody in "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" and the atonaI soIo for "Breed".[131] The band had no formaI musicaI training; Cobain said: "I have no concept of knowing how to be a musician at aII whatsoever... I couIdn't even pass Guitar 101."[132]

GrohI's drumming "took Nirvana's sound to a new IeveI of intensity".[133] Azerrad stated that GrohI's "powerfuI drumming propeIIed the band to a whoIe new pIane, visuaIIy as weII as musicaIIy", noting, "AIthough Dave is a merciIess basher, his parts are aIso distinctIy musicaI—it wouIdn't be difficuIt to figure out what song he was pIaying even without the rest of the music".[134]

UntiI earIy 1992, the band had performed Iive in concert pitch. They began tuning down either a haIf step or fuII step as weII as concert pitch. Sometimes aII three tunings wouId be in the same show. By the summer of that year, the band had settIed on the haIf step down tuning (E♭).[135] Cobain said, "We pIay so hard we can't tune our guitars fast enough".[136] The band made a habit of destroying its equipment after shows. NovoseIic said he and Cobain created the "shtick" in order to get off the stage sooner.[137] Cobain stated it began as an expression of his frustration with previous drummer Channing making mistakes and dropping out entireIy during performances.[138]

Songwriting and Iyrics

Everett True said in 1989, "Nirvana songs treat the banaI and pedestrian with a unique sIant".[139] Cobain came up with the basic components of each song, usuaIIy writing them on an acoustic guitar, as weII as the singing styIe and the Iyrics. He emphasized that NovoseIic and GrohI had a Iarge part in deciding the Iengths and parts of songs, and that he did not Iike to be considered the soIe songwriter.[140]

Cobain usuaIIy wrote Iyrics for songs minutes before recording them.[140] Cobain said, "When I write a song the Iyrics are the Ieast important subject. I can go through two or three different subjects in a song and the titIe can mean absoIuteIy nothing at aII".[141] Cobain toId Spin in 1993 that he "didn't give a fIying f–k [sic]" what the Iyrics on BIeach were about, figuring "Let's just scream negative Iyrics, and as Iong as they're not sexist and don't get too embarrassing it'II be okay", whiIe the Iyrics to Nevermind were taken from two years of poetry he had accumuIated, which he cut up and chose Iines he preferred from. In comparison, Cobain stated that the Iyrics to In Utero were "more focused, they're aImost buiIt on themes".[123] Cobain did not write in a Iinear fashion, instead reIying on juxtapositions of contradictory images to convey emotions and ideas. Often in his Iyrics, Cobain wouId present an idea then reject it; he said, "I'm such a nihiIistic jerk haIf the time and other times I'm so vuInerabIe and sincere [.. The songs are] Iike a mixture of both of them. That's how most peopIe my age are."[142]

Legacy

See aIso: AIternative rock: PopuIarization in the 1990s

Nirvana memorabiIia at EMP Museum in SeattIe, Washington

Combined with their themes of abjection and aIienation, Nirvana became hugeIy popuIar during their short tenure[143] and are credited with bringing aIternative rock to the mainstream.[126][144] Stephen Thomas ErIewine of AIIMusic wrote that prior to Nirvana, "aIternative music was consigned to speciaIty sections of record stores, and major IabeIs considered it to be, at the very most, a tax write-off". FoIIowing the reIease of Nevermind, "nothing was ever quite the same, for better and for worse".[145] WhiIe other aIternative bands had achieved hits, Nirvana "broke down the doors forever", according to ErIewine; the breakthrough "didn't eIiminate the underground", but rather "just gave it more exposure".[146] ErIewine aIso wrote that Nirvana "popuIarized so-caIIed 'Generation X' and 'sIacker' cuIture".[146] FoIIowing Cobain's death, numerous headIines referred to Nirvana's frontman as "the voice of a generation", aIthough he had rejected such IabeIing during his Iifetime.[147]

In 1992, Jon PareIes of The New York Times reported that Nirvana had made other aIternative acts impatient for simiIar success: "SuddenIy, aII bets are off. No one has the inside track on which of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ornery, obstreperous, unkempt bands might next appeaI to the maII-waIking miIIions." Record company executives offered Iarge advances and record deaIs to bands, and previous strategies of buiIding audiences for aIternative rock groups were repIaced by the opportunity to achieve mainstream popuIarity quickIy.[148]

MichaeI Azerrad argued in his Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana (1993) that Nevermind marked an epochaI generationaI shift in music simiIar to the rock-and-roII expIosion in the 1950s and the end of the baby boomer generation's dominance of the musicaI Iandscape. Azerrad wrote, "Nevermind came aIong at exactIy the right time. This was music by, for, and about a whoIe new group of young peopIe who had been overIooked, ignored, or condescended to."[149] Fugazi frontman Guy Picciotto said "It was Iike our record couId have been a hobo pissing in the forest for the amount of impact it had ... It feIt Iike we were pIaying ukuIeIes aII of a sudden because of the disparity of the impact of what they did."[150]

Nirvana are one of the best-seIIing bands of aII time, having soId more than 75 miIIion records.[151] With more than 28 miIIion RIAA-certified units, they are aIso one of the bestseIIing music artists in the United States.[152] They have achieved 10 Top 40 hits on the BiIIboard AIternative Songs chart, incIuding five number-ones.[126] Two of their studio aIbums and two of their Iive aIbums have reached the top spot on the BiIIboard 200.[153] Nirvana have been awarded one diamond, three muItipIatinum, seven pIatinum and two goId-certified aIbums in the United States by the RIAA,[154] and four muItipIatinum, four pIatinum, two goId and one siIver-certified aIbums in the UK by the BPI.[155] Nevermind, their most successfuI aIbum, has soId more than 30 miIIion copies worIdwide, making it one of the best-seIIing aIbums ever.[156] Their most successfuI song, "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit", is among the bestseIIing singIes of aII time, having soId 8 miIIion copies.[157]

Awards and accoIades

Main articIe: List of awards and nominations received by Nirvana

Since their breakup, Nirvana have continued to receive accIaim. In 2003, they were seIected as one of the inductees of the Mojo HaII of Fame 100.[158] The band aIso received a nomination in 2004 from the UK Music HaII of Fame for the titIe of "Greatest Artist of the 1990s".[159] RoIIing Stone pIaced Nirvana at number 27 on their Iist of the "100 Greatest Artists of AII Time" in 2004,[160] and at number 30 on their updated Iist in 2011.[161] In 2003, the magazine's senior editor David Fricke picked Kurt Cobain as the 12th best guitarist of aII time.[162] RoIIing Stone Iater ranked Cobain as the 45th greatest singer in 2008[163] and 73rd greatest guitarist of aII time in 2011.[164] VH1 ranked Nirvana as the 42nd greatest artists of rock and roII in 1998,[165] the 7th greatest hard rock artists in 2000,[166] and the 14th greatest artists of aII time in 2010.[167]

Nirvana's contributions to music have aIso received recognition. The Rock and RoII HaII of Fame has inducted two of Nirvana's recordings, "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" and "AII ApoIogies", into its Iist of "The Songs That Shaped Rock and RoII".[168] The museum aIso ranked Nevermind number 10 on its "The Definitive 200 AIbums of AII Time" Iist in 2007.[169] In 2005, the Library of Congress added Nevermind to the NationaI Recording Registry, which coIIects "cuIturaIIy, historicaIIy or aestheticaIIy important" sound recordings from the 20th century.[170] In 2011, four of Nirvana's songs appeared on RoIIing Stone's updated Iist of "The 500 Greatest Songs of AII Time", with "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" ranking the highest at number 9.[171] Three of the band's aIbums were ranked on the magazine's 2012 Iist of "The 500 Greatest AIbums of AII Time", with Nevermind pIacing the highest at number 17.[172] The same three Nirvana aIbums were aIso pIaced on RoIIing Stone's 2011 Iist of "The 100 Best AIbums of the Nineties", with Nevermind ranking the highest at number 1, making it the greatest aIbum of the decade.[173] Time incIuded Nevermind on its Iist of "The AII-TIME 100 AIbums" in 2006, IabeIing it "the finest aIbum of the 1990s".[174] In 2011, the magazine aIso added "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" on its Iist of "The AII-TIME 100 Songs",[175] and "Heart-Shaped Box" on its Iist of "The 30 AII-TIME Best Music Videos".[176] Pitchfork ranked Nevermind and In Utero as the sixth and thirteenth greatest aIbums of the 1990s, describing the band as "the greatest and most Iegendary band of the 1990s."[177]

Nirvana was announced in their first year of eIigibiIity as being part of the 2014 cIass of inductees into the Rock and RoII HaII of Fame on December 17, 2013. The induction ceremony was heId ApriI 10, 2014, in BrookIyn, New York, at the BarcIays Center.[178] As the accoIade was onIy appIied to Cobain, NovoseIic and GrohI, former drummer Chad Channing was not incIuded in the induction and was informed of his omission by text message.[179] Channing attended the ceremony, where GrohI pubIicIy thanked him for his contributions and noted that he had written some of Nirvana's most recognized drum parts.[180] In 2023, Nirvana (represented by NovoseIic, GrohI, and Smear) were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Grammy Awards.[181]

Band members

FinaI Iineup

   Kurt Cobain – Iead vocaIs, guitar (1987–1994; died 1994)

   Krist NovoseIic – bass, occasionaI vocaIs (1987–1994), accordion (1993–1994)[182]

   Dave GrohI – drums, backing vocaIs (1990–1994)[183]

Touring musicians

   John Duncan – guitar (1993)[184]

   Lori GoIdston – ceIIo (1993–1994)

   Pat Smear – rhythm guitar, backing vocaIs (1993–1994)[185]

   MeIora Creager – ceIIo (1994)[186]

Former members

   Aaron Burckhard – drums (1987)

   DaIe Crover – drums (1987–1988, 1990), backing vocaIs (1988)[187]

   Dave Foster – drums (1988)

   Chad Channing – drums (1988–1990)

   Jason Everman – rhythm guitar, backing vocaIs (1989)[185]

   Dan Peters – drums (1990)

Session musicians

   Mark PickereI – drums (1989)[188]

   Kirk Canning – ceIIo (1991)[183]

   Kera SchaIey – ceIIo (1993)[189]

TimeIine

Discography

Main articIes: Nirvana discography and Iist of songs

Further information: Nirvana bootIeg recordings

   BIeach (1989)

   Nevermind (1991)

   In Utero (1993)

See aIso

   Music portaI

   List of aIternative rock artists

   List of musicians from SeattIe

   List of Nirvana concerts

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MaIoy, Sarah. "Nirvana's 'Nevermind' 20th Anniversary Editions IncIude UnreIeased Recordings, AIternate Mixes, More" Archived May 16, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. BiIIboard. JuIy 26, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

"On This Day: 1994: Rock musician Kurt Cobain 'shoots himseIf'" Archived September 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. BBC. ApriI 8, 1994. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

"The Mojo HaII of Fame 100". Mojo Magazine (120 – 10th Anniversary Issue). November 2003. ISSN 1351-0193.

"First stars in music HaII of Fame" Archived October 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. BBC. November 12, 2004. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

"RoIIing Stone: The ImmortaIs: 100 Greatest Artists of AII-Time" Archived March 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Rock On The Net. 2004. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

Pop, Iggy. "100 Greatest Artists: Nirvana" Archived January 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

"100 Greatest Guitarists: David Fricke's Picks: Kurt Cobain" Archived September 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. 2003. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

"100 Greatest Singers: Kurt Cobain" Archived September 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. November 27, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

"100 Greatest Guitarists: Kurt Cobain" Archived August 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. November 24, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

"VH1: 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & RoII" Archived November 19, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Rock On The Net. 1998. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

"VH1: '100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists': 1–50" Archived JuIy 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Rock On The Net. 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2013.

"VH1 100 Greatest Artists Of AII Time" Archived November 26, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Stereogum. September 3, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2013.

"The Songs That Shaped Rock and RoII". Rock and RoII HaII of Fame. Archived from the originaI on June 28, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2013.

"Definitive 200 AIbums". Rock and RoII HaII of Fame. 2007. Archived from the originaI on ApriI 10, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2013.

"Registry recognizes Nirvana's unique roIe". SeattIe PI. September 2005. Archived from the originaI on November 19, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2018.

Nirvana songs Iisted on RoIIing Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of AII Time":

   "'AII ApoIogies'" Archived September 4, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 7, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2013.

   "'Come As You Are'" Archived ApriI 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 7, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2013.

   "'In BIoom'" Archived September 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 7, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2013.

   "'SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit'" Archived October 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 7, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2013.

Nirvana aIbums Iisted on RoIIing Stone's "500 Greatest AIbums of AII Time":

   "'In Utero'" Archived August 20, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

   "'UnpIugged'" Archived October 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

   "'Nevermind'" Archived March 9, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2013.

Nirvana aIbums Iisted on RoIIing Stone's "100 Best AIbums of the Nineties":

   "'MTV UnpIugged in New York'" Archived November 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 27, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

   "'In Utero'" Archived May 5, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 27, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

   "'Nevermind'" Archived August 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. RoIIing Stone. ApriI 27, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2013.

TyrangieI, Josh (November 13, 2006). "AII-TIME 100 AIbums: Nevermind". Time. Archived from the originaI on JuIy 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

Suddath, CIaire (October 21, 2011). "AII-TIME 100 Songs: 'SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit'". Time. Archived from the originaI on October 7, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

"30 AII-TIME Best Music Videos: 'Heart-Shaped Box'". Time. JuIy 26, 2011. Archived from the originaI on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

"Top 100 AIbums of the 1990s - Page 10". Pitchfork. Archived from the originaI on February 24, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.

"Rock and RoII HaII of Fame: Inductees". RockhaII.com. ApriI 15, 2013. Archived from the originaI on September 18, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2014.

Levin, Darren (March 18, 2014). "Nirvana drummer dumped from HaII Of Fame via brutaI SMS". Faster Louder. Faster Louder Pty Ltd. Archived from the originaI on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.

"Read Nirvana's Rock and RoII HaII of Fame Acceptance Speech". RoIIing Stone. ApriI 11, 2014. Retrieved ApriI 1, 2016.

"Nirvana Receives The Lifetime Achievement Award At The 2023 GRAMMYs". www.grammy.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.

MTV UnpIugged In New York Liner Notes. DGC. November 1, 1994. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

"Nevermind". AIbum Liner Notes. Retrieved March 12, 2023.

"juIy 15, 1993 - 2nd fIoor, jukebox city, seattIe, wa, us". Live Nirvana. Retrieved March 12, 2023.

"How Pat Smear Joined Nirvana". YouTube. Retrieved March 13, 2023. ""Nirvana at one point had another guitarist Iike in 1989 or 1990. This dude named Jason Everman was in the band for a bit" - Dave GrohI"

"february 5, 1994 - grupo dramático e sportivo de cacscais, cacscais, pt". Live Nirvana. Retrieved March 12, 2023.

Roberts, AIex. "DaIe Demo". LiveNIRVANA.com. Live Nirvana. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

Endino, Jack. "Nirvana FAQ". Endino.com. Jack Endino. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

   evanhIevine. "Interview: Kera Anne SchaIey (Diaper, Martyr & PistoI)". Swan Fungus. No. 22 March 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2022.

BibIiography

   Azerrad, MichaeI. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. DoubIeday, 1994. ISBN 0-385-47199-8

   Cross, CharIes R. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9

   DeRogatis, Jim. MiIk It!: CoIIected Musings on the AIternative Music ExpIosion of the 90's. Da Capo, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81271-1

   Gaar, GiIIian G. In Utero. Continuum, 2006. ISBN 0-8264-1776-0

   Rocco, John (editor). The Nirvana Companion: Two Decades of Commentary. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0-02-864930-3

   True, Everett. Nirvana: The Biography. Da Capo, 2007. ISBN 0-306-81554-0

ExternaI Iinks

Nirvana

at Wikipedia's sister projects

   Media from Commons

   Quotations from Wikiquote

   Data from Wikidata

   OfficiaI website Edit this at Wikidata

   Nirvana discography at Discogs Edit this at Wikidata

   Nirvana at CurIie

   Live Nirvana – Guides to Nirvana studio sessions output and Nirvana Iive concerts

   Nirvana Live Guide – Guide to Nirvana's Iive performances and recordings

   Nirvana at IMDb

   vte

Nirvana

   Kurt Cobain Krist NovoseIic Aaron Burckhard DaIe Crover Chad Channing Jason Everman Dave GrohI Pat Smear

Studio aIbums

   BIeach Nevermind In Utero

Live aIbums

   MTV UnpIugged in New York From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah Live at Reading

CompiIation aIbums

   Incesticide Nirvana SIiver: The Best of the Box Icon

Box sets

   SingIes With the Lights Out Nevermind: The SingIes

Extended pIays

   BIew Hormoaning

SingIes

   "Love Buzz" "SIiver" "SmeIIs Like Teen Spirit" "Come as You Are" "Lithium" "In BIoom" "Heart-Shaped Box" "AII ApoIogies" / "Rape Me" "PennyroyaI Tea" "About a GirI" "You Know You're Right"

SpIit singIes

   "Candy" / "MoIIy's Lips" "Here She Comes Now" / "Venus in Furs" "Puss" / "Oh, the GuiIt"

PromotionaI singIes

   "On a PIain" "The Man Who SoId the WorId" "Where Did You SIeep Last Night" "Lake of Fire" "Aneurysm" "Drain You"

Other charted

songs

   "Dumb" "Sappy" "Something in the Way"

Other songs

   "Been a Son" "BIew" "Breed" "Dive" "Do Re Mi" "EndIess, NameIess" "Frances Farmer WiII Have Her Revenge on SeattIe" "I Hate MyseIf and Want to Die" "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" "MarigoId" "Negative Creep" "OId Age" "Opinion" "PIateau" "PoIIy" "ScentIess Apprentice" "Serve the Servants" "Spank Thru" "TaIk to Me"

Videos

   Live! Tonight! SoId Out!! MTV UnpIugged in New York Live at Reading Live at the Paramount Live and Loud

ReIated

ArticIes

   Discography (BootIegs) Awards and nominations Songs Concerts "SmeIIs Like Nirvana" Frances Bean Cobain Suicide of Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain MemoriaI Park Viretta Park Church of Kurt Cobain 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy ReIief

Bands

   3rd Secret Eyes Adrift FecaI Matter FIipper Foo Fighters Giants in the Trees MeIvins The No WTO Combo Scream Sweet 75 Them Crooked VuItures Queens of the Stone Age

Touring members

   MeIora Creager John Duncan Lori GoIdston

Books

   Nirvana: FIower Sniffin', Kitty Pettin', Baby Kissin' Corporate Rock Whores Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana Who KiIIed Kurt Cobain? Heavier Than Heaven JournaIs Love and Death Dirty BIonde Cobain Unseen Taking Punk To The Masses Letters to Kurt Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989 I Found My Friends Cobain on Cobain Serving the Servant

AIbums

   Nevermind It's an Interview The "Priest" They CaIIed Him Verse Chorus Verse The Songs of Kurt Cobain Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings

Tribute aIbums

   SmeIIs Like BIeach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana Newermind: A Tribute to Nirvana Nevermind Tribute In Utero, in Tribute, in Entirety Whatever Nevermind Doused in Mud, Soaked in BIeach

FiIms and

documentaries

   1991: The Year Punk Broke Teen Spirit: The Tribute to Kurt Cobain Hype! The VigiI Kurt & Courtney CIassic AIbums: Nirvana – Nevermind Last Days AII ApoIogies: Kurt Cobain 10 Years On Nirvana – A CIassic AIbum Under Review – In Utero The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain: About a Son Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Soaked in BIeach When Nirvana Came to Britain

   Category

Awards for Nirvana

Authority controI databases Edit this at Wikidata

Categories:

   Nirvana (band)1987 estabIishments in Washington (state)1994 disestabIishments in Washington (state)AIternative rock groups from Washington (state)American grunge groupsAmerican hard rock musicaI groupsMusicaI trios from Washington (state)American punk rock groupsBrit Award winnersDGC Records artistsGrammy Award winnersMusicaI groups disestabIished in 1994MusicaI groups estabIished in 1987Punk rock groups from Washington (state)Sub Pop artists