Nirvana | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine Prior to Nirvana , alternative music was consigned to specialty sections of record stores, and major labels considered it to be, at the very most, a tax write-off. After the band's second album, 1991's Nevermind , nothing was ever quite the same, for better and for worse. Nirvana popularized punk, post-punk, and indie rock, unintentionally bringing them into the American mainstream like no other band to date. While their sound was equal parts Black Sabbath (as learned by fellow Washington underground rockers the Melvins ) and Cheap Trick , Nirvana 's aesthetics were strictly indie rock. They covered Vaselines songs, they revived new wave cuts by Devo , and leader Kurt Cobain relentlessly pushed his favorite bands -- whether it was the art punk of the Raincoats or the country-fried hardcore of the Meat Puppets -- as if his favorite records were always more important than his own music. While Nirvana 's ideology was indie rock and their melodies were pop, the sonic rush of their records and live shows merged post-industrial white noise with heavy metal grind.

And that's what made the group an unprecedented multi-platinum sensation. Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden may have proven to the vast American heavy metal audience that alternative could rock, and the Pixies may have merged pop sensibilities with indie rock white noise, but Nirvana pulled it all together, creating a sound that was both fiery and melodic. Since Nirvana were rooted in the indie aesthetic but loved pop music, they fought their stardom while courting it, becoming some of the most notorious anti-rock stars in history. The result was a conscious attempt to shed their audience with the abrasive In Utero , which only partially fulfilled the band's goal. But by that point, the fate of the band and Kurt Cobain had been sealed. Suffering from drug addiction and manic depression, Cobain had become destructive and suicidal, though his management and label were able to hide the extent of his problems from the public until April 8, 1994, when he was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. Cobain may not have been able to weather Nirvana 's success, but the band's legacy stands as one of the most influential in rock & roll history.

Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar) met Chris Novoselic (born Krist Novoselic ) (bass) in 1985 in Aberdeen, Washington, a small logging town 100 miles away from Seattle. While Novoselic came from a relatively stable background, Cobain 's childhood had been thrown into turmoil when his parents divorced when he was eight. Following the divorce, he lived at the homes of various relatives, developing a love for the Beatles and then heavy metal in the process. Eventually, American hardcore punk worked its way into dominating his listening habits and he met the Melvins , an Olympia-based underground heavy punk band. Cobain began playing in punk bands like Fecal Matter, often with the Melvins ' bassist, Dale Crover . Through the Melvins ' leader, Buzz Osborne , Cobain met Novoselic , who also had an intense interest in punk, which meant that he, like Cobain , felt alienated from the macho, redneck population of Aberdeen. The duo decided to form a band called the Stiff Woodies, with Cobain on drums, Novoselic on bass, and a rotating cast of guitarists and vocalists.

The group went through name changes as quickly as guitarists, before deciding that Cobain would play guitar and sing. Renamed Skid Row , the new trio featured drummer Aaron Burkhart, who left the band by the end of 1986 and was replaced by Chad Channing . By 1987, the band was called Nirvana . Nirvana began playing parties in Olympia, gaining a cult following. During 1987, the band made ten demos with producer Jack Endino , who played the recordings to Jonathan Poneman , one of the founders of the Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop. Poneman signed Nirvana , and in December of 1988, the band released its first single, a cover of Shocking Blue 's "Love Buzz." Sub Pop orchestrated an effective marketing scheme, which painted the band as backwoods, logging-town hicks, which irritated Cobain and Novoselic . While "Love Buzz" was fairly well-received, the band's debut album, Bleach , was what got the ball rolling.

Recorded for just over $600 and released in the spring of 1989, Bleach slowly became a hit on college radio, due to the group's consistent touring. Though Jason Everman was credited as a second guitarist on the sleeve of Bleach , he didn't appear on the record; he only toured in support of the album before leaving the band at the end of the year to join Soundgarden and then Mindfunk . Bleach sold 35,000 copies and Nirvana became favorites of college radio, the British weekly music press, and Sonic Youth , Mudhoney , and Dinosaur Jr. , which was enough to attract the attention of major labels. During the summer of 1990, Nirvana released "Sliver"/"Dive," which was recorded with Mudhoney 's Dan Peters on drums and produced by Butch Vig . The band also made a six-song demo with Vig , which was shopped to major labels, who soon began competing to sign the group. In August, they hit the road with Sonic Youth 's Goo tour (including Crover on drums).

By the end of the summer, Dave Grohl , formerly of the D.C.-based hardcore band Scream , had become Nirvana 's drummer and the band signed with DGC for $287,000. Nirvana recorded their second album with Vig , completing the record in June of 1991. Nevermind was released in September, supported by a quick American tour. While DGC was expecting a moderately successful release, in the neighborhood of 100,000 copies, Nevermind immediately became a smash hit, quickly selling out its initial shipment of 50,000 copies and creating a shortage across America. What helped the record become a success was "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a blistering four-chord rocker that was accompanied by a video that shot into heavy MTV rotation. By the beginning of 1992, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had climbed into the American Top Ten and Nevermind bumped Michael Jackson 's much-touted comeback album Dangerous off the top of the album charts; it reached the British Top Ten shortly afterward. By February, the album had been certified triple platinum. Nirvana 's success took the music industry by surprise, Nirvana included.

It soon become apparent that the band wasn't quite sure how to handle its success. Around the time of Nevermind 's release, the band was into baiting its audience -- Cobain appeared on MTV's Headbangers Ball in drag, the group mocked the tradition of miming on the BBC's Top of the Pops by Novoselic constantly throwing his bass into the air and Cobain singing his live vocals in the style of Ian Curtis , and their traditional live destruction of instruments was immortalized on a Saturday Night Live performance that ended with Novoselic and Grohl sharing a kiss -- but by the spring, questions had begun to arise about the band's stability. Cobain married Courtney Love , the leader of the indie rock/foxcore band Hole , in February of 1992, announcing that the couple was expecting a child in the fall. Shortly after the marriage, rumors that Cobain and Love were heavy heroin users began to circulate and the strength of the rumors only increased when Nirvana canceled several summer concerts and refused to mount a full-scale American tour during the summer. Cobain complained that he was suffering from chronic stomach troubles, which seemed to be confirmed when he was admitted to a Belfast hospital after a June concert.

But heroin rumors continued to surface, especially in the form of a late-summer Vanity Fair article implying that Love was using during her pregnancy. Both Love and Cobain denied the article's allegations, and publicly harassed and threatened the article's author. Love delivered Frances Bean Cobain, a healthy baby girl, on August 18, 1992, but the couple soon battled with Los Angeles' children's services, who claimed they were unfit parents on the basis of the Vanity Fair article. The couple was granted custody of the child by the beginning of 1993. Since Cobain was going through such well-documented personal problems, Nirvana were unable to record a follow-up to Nevermind until the spring of 1993. In the meantime, DGC released the odds-and-ends compilation Incesticide late in 1992; the album reached number 39 in the U.S. and number 14 U.K. As Nirvana prepared to make their third album, they released "Oh, the Guilt" as a split single with the Jesus Lizard on Touch & Go Records.

Choosing Steve Albini ( Pixies , the Breeders , Big Black , the Jesus Lizard ) as their producer, they recorded their third album, In Utero , in two weeks during the spring of 1993. Following its completion, controversy began to surround Nirvana again. Cobain suffered a heroin overdose on May 2, but the event was hidden from the press. The following month, Love called police to their Seattle home after Cobain locked himself in the bathroom, threatening suicide. Prior to debuting In Utero material during the New Music Seminar at New York's Roseland Ballroom in July, Cobain had another covered-up overdose. By that time, reports began to circulate, including an article in Newsweek, that DGC was unhappy with the forthcoming album, and making accusations that the band deliberately made an uncommercial record. Both the band and the label denied such allegations. Deciding that Albini 's production was too flat, Nirvana decided to remaster the album with R.E.M. 's producer, Scott Litt . In Utero was released in September of 1993 to positive reviews and strong initial sales, debuting at the top of the U.S. and U.K. charts.

Nirvana supported it with a fall American tour, hiring former Germs member Pat Smear as an auxiliary guitarist. While the album and the tour were both successful, sales weren't quite as strong as expected, with several shows not selling out until the week of the concert. As a result, the group agreed to play MTV's acoustic Unplugged show at the end of the year, and sales of In Utero picked up after its December airing. After wrapping up the U.S. tour on January 8, 1994, with a show at Center Arena in Seattle, Nirvana embarked on a European tour in February. Following a concert in Munich on February 29, Cobain stayed in Rome to vacation with Love . On March 4, she awakened to find that Cobain had attempted suicide by overdosing on the tranquilizer Rohypnol and drinking champagne. While the attempt was initially reported as an accidental overdose, it was known within the Nirvana camp that the vocalist had left behind a suicide note. Cobain returned to Seattle within a week of his hospitalization and his mental illness began to grow.

On March 18, the police had to again talk the singer out of suicide after he locked himself in a room threatening to kill himself. Love and Nirvana 's management organized an intervention program that resulted in Cobain 's admission to the Exodus Recovery Center in L.A. on March 30, but he escaped from the clinic on April 1, returning to Seattle. His mother filed a missing persons report on April 4. The following day, Cobain shot himself in the head at his Seattle home. His body wasn't discovered until April 8, when an electrician contracted to install an alarm system at the Cobain house stumbled upon the body. After his death, Kurt Cobain was quickly anointed as a spokesman for Generation X, as well as a symbol of its tortured angst. Novoselic and Grohl planned to release a double-disc live album at the end of 1994, but sorting through the tapes proved to be too painful, so MTV Unplugged in New York appeared in its place. The album debuted at the top of the British and American charts, as a home video comprised of live performances and interviews from the band's Nevermind era, titled Live! Tonight! Sold Out!

, was issued at the same time (the project began prior to Cobain 's passing and was completed by surviving bandmembers). In 1996, MTV Unplugged in New York 's electric counterpart, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah , was released, debuting at the top of the U.S. charts. Following Cobain 's death, Grohl formed the Foo Fighters (early rumors that Novoselic would also be a member of the band ultimately proved to be false), releasing their self-titled debut album in 1995, followed by The Colour and the Shape in 1997 and There Is Nothing Left to Lose in 1999. Novoselic formed the trio Sweet 75 , releasing their debut in the spring of 1997, and also appeared along with former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra and former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil on the 2000 live set Live from the Battle in Seattle under the name the No W.T.O. Combo . By the late '90s, Novoselic began research for a proposed box set of previously unreleased songs from throughout Nirvana 's career.

The project was supposed to surface in the fall of 2001 (to coincide with the tenth anniversary release of Nevermind ), but legal issues delayed its release. Finally, the Nirvana LLC partnership -- which included Grohl and Novoselic plus Courtney Love , who manages Cobain 's estate -- came to an agreement and the album-length compilation Nirvana was released in October of 2002. Although that release included only one unreleased song, the long-awaited box set, titled With the Lights Out, appeared in late 2004, including three discs of rare and unreleased material plus a live DVD that featured material filmed as early as 1988. The band's 1992 set at the Reading Festival was released in 2009 as Live at Reading. The same year, Sub Pop began a Nirvana studio album reissue campaign with Bleach ; special 20th-anniversary editions of Nevermind and In Utero followed in 2011 and 2013, respectively. In 2014, Nirvana was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by R.E.M. 's Michael Stipe.

Cobain 's place in the induction performance was taken by several vocalists, including Joan Jett and Kim Gordon. Nirvana Biography and Music List - Mp3Koi.Com 10 Feb 2006, 11:54 206,121,927 4,069,020 There are several artists named 'Nirvana'; 1) Nirvana was an American grunge band. The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, and it was part of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 80s, alongside bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. As their popularity rose, alternative rock became a dominant genre on American and Canadian radio and music television during the early-to-mid '90s. In late 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard (1987–1988).The three practiced material from Cobain's Fecal Matter tape. After losing contact with Burckhard, the pair instead practised with Dale Crover of the Melvins, and Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988.

Their first single, a cover version of "Love Buzz", a song by Dutch group 'Shocking Blue', was released in November 1988 on the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. Their debut album, 'Bleach', was produced by Jack Endino and released in June 1989. Later that year, the band recorded the 'Blew EP' with producer Steve Fisk. At the start of the new decade, the band commenced their first recording sessions to the follow-up album with producer Butch Vig, substituted their drummer by Dave Grohl and signed to DGC Records. The result, 'Nevermind', would eventually sell over seven million copies in the United States, and over 30 million worldwide. In early 1993, Nirvana released "Puss"/"Oh, the Guilt", a split single with The Jesus Lizard, on the independent label Touch & Go. Meanwhile, the group chose Steve Albini as the producer to record its third album. 'In Utero' debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart in September the same year.

As Nirvana's frontman, Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a generation", with Nirvana the "flagship band" of "Generation X", their third studio album 'In Utero' was considered to be a conscious attempt to shed their audience. While Nirvana's mainstream popularity waned in the months following its release, their core audience cherished the band's dark interior, particularly after their 1993 performance on MTV Unplugged with the Meat Puppets, a band that Cobain had always idolised, performing with them the songs Oh, Me, Plateau and Lake of Fire. It was later released and topped the charts in 1994. Nirvana's brief run ended with the suicide of Cobain in 1994, but the band's popularity expanded in the years that followed. Eight years after Cobain's death, "You Know You're Right", an unfinished demo that the band recorded two months prior to Cobain's death, topped radio playlists around the world. Since their debut, the band has sold more than fifty million albums worldwide, including more than ten million copies of Nevermind in the US alone.

Nirvana remains a consistent presence on radio stations worldwide. In 2004, the box set "With the Lights Out", a collection of radio sessions, home demos, studio demos and outtakes, was released. A year later, "Sliver: The Best Of The Box" was released, a compilation of selected "WTLO" tracks, but with 3 new tracks including a track from the famous "Fecal Matter" demo.

Band members: Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar (1987–1994), Krist Novoselic - bass (1987–1994) Dave Grohl - drums, vocals (1990–1994) Prior members:Aaron Burckhard - drums (1987–1988), Dale Crover - drums (1988, 1990), Dave Foster - drums (1988), Chad Channing - drums (1988–1990), Jason Everman - guitar (1989), Dan Peters - drums (1990) Touring members: Pat Smear - guitar (1993–1994), Lori Goldston - cello (1993–1994), Melora Creager - cello (1994) --- 2) Nirvana is a UK-based progressive rock band formed in 1967, primarily active in the late 1960s and early 1970s - and still sporadically active to the present day.

The band was formed in the summer of 1967 in an era when melodic pop/rock music with baroque and chamber arrangements and instrumentation was highly-prized. The band, consisted of two songwriter/performers - Greek-born Alex Spyropoulos and Irish-born Patrick Campbell-Lyons who met in London. They produced a number of singles (notably "Rainbow Chaser", "Pentecost Hotel", and "Tiny Goddess") for the fledgling Island Records label. The band was signed by Island Records' founder Chris Blackwell in the era when he also signed the bands Traffic and Free. In October 1967 the band released its first album - a concept album produced by Blackwell titled The Story of Simon Simopath. The album was probably the first narrative concept album ever released - predating story-driven concept albums such as The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow (December 1968), The Who's Tommy (April 1969) and The Kinks' Arthur (September 1969).

Musically, the group blended myriad musical styles including rock, pop, folk, jazz, Latin rhythms and classical music - primarily augmented by baroque chamber-style arrangements to create a unique entity. The next year 1968 their follow-up album, All Of Us, featured a similar broad range of musical styles. Their third album To Markos III was released on the Pye label in 1969. In 1971 the duo amicably separated for a while, with Campbell-Lyons the primary contributor to the next two Nirvana albums, Local Anaesthetic 1971, and Songs Of Love And Praise 1972. Campbell-Lyons subsequently worked as a solo artist and issued further albums: Me And My Friend 1973, Electric Plough 1981, and The Hero I Might Have Been 1983 though these did not enjoy commercial success. The band reunited in 1985, successfully touring Europe and releasing a compilation album Black Flower 1987 containing some new material. (Black Flower had been the provisional title of their third album.) In the 1990s two further albums were released.

Secret Theatre 1994 compiled rare tracks and demos, while Orange And Blue 1996 contained previously unreleased material including a tongue-in-cheek cover of the song "Lithium" originally recorded by the American grunge band Nirvana who released its first album in 1989, and who the band had successfully sued over use of the name Nirvana. The undisclosed terms of the settlement has apparently allowed the original Nirvana to continue using its name and issuing new recordings. In 1999 the band released a three-disc CD anthology titled "Chemistry" including several previously-unreleased tracks and some new material. Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include: Lesley Duncan, Herbie Flowers, Billy Bremner (later of Rockpile/Dave Edmunds fame), Luther Grosvenor, Wynder K. Frogg, Clem Cattini and the full lineup of rock band Spooky Tooth.

The group was in the school of baroque-flavored, melodic pop-rock music typified by The Beatles of "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver", The Beach Boys of Pet Sounds and God Only Knows, the Zombies of Odessey and Oracle and Time Of The Season, the Procol Harum of A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the Moody Blues of Days of Future Passed and Nights In White Satin and The Kinks of Waterloo Sunset. The majority of the tracks on Nirvana's albums fall into that broad genre of contemporary popular music - not easily categorized - but perhaps best described as the baroque or chamber strand of "progressive rock, soft rock or "orchestral pop". Their first three albums were reissued on CD by Universal in 2003 and received critical acclaim. In 2005 Universal (Japan) reissued Local Anaesthetic and Songs Of Love And Praise. As of late 2005 the founding members Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons are still sporadically writing and recording.

--- 3) Nirvana was a short-lived Finnish punk band formed in 1980, whose sole release was a 7" vinyl with tracks "Kielletyt leikit" and "Kuljen kaupungilla" with 200 pressings. --- 4) Nirvana was a Dutch pop group, formed in 1985 by producers Bernard Oattes and Rob van Schaik. The group consisted of Anthony Moendir, Frits Broekrits and Annie Alberti and have released one single, "Say When", which became a big hit. The group split up in 1987. --- 5) Nirvana is a side project of The Skaters' James Ferraro. Primitive droning drum beats and swirling synthesizers. --- 6) Nirvana was a Slovenian hard-rock band in the early seventies. They appear on several collections (YU Record Collector Dream, Boom Festival 72). Territorial Pissings | Nirvana | Saturday Night Live | 1992 | Rock Peaks Saturday Night Live Sorry, we don’t have any statistical data for this video 2% © NBC Universal, Inc. What are you seeing?

If you are a copyright holder of this video and believe that this content infringes your intellectual property rights, please submit a Notice of Claimed Infringement . Tell us more: X Disclaimer This video is provided and hosted from a third-party server. RockPeaks is not responsible for any activities originating with such third-party server. If you believe this linked content infringes your intellectual property rights, please click the flag icon above and follow the instructions. Share clip: No additional information is available at this time. Order By: 5 days 10 hours ago Read the original article on Wikipedia Territorial Pissings on Wikipedia April 1990; May 2, 1991–June 1991[1] Studio Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin "In Bloom" Released: November 30, 1992 Nevermind is the second studio album by American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991 by DGC Records. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the band's first release on DGC. It was also their first album to feature drummer Dave Grohl.

Despite low commercial expectations by the band and its record label, Nevermind became a surprise success in late 1991, largely due to the popularity of its first single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". By January 1992, it had replaced Michael Jackson's album Dangerous at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album also produced three other successful singles: "Come as You Are", "Lithium", and "In Bloom". The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified the album diamond (at least over 10 million copies shipped), and the album has sold at least 30 million copies worldwide. Nevermind was in part responsible for bringing both alternative rock and grunge to a large, mainstream audience, and has been ranked highly on lists of the greatest albums of all time by publications such as Rolling Stone and Time. Contents 14 External links Background Nirvana was a rock band from Aberdeen, Washington, formed by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, that had signed to Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. The group released their debut album Bleach in 1989, with Chad Channing on drums.

However, Channing left Nirvana in 1990, and the band was in need of a permanent drummer. During a show by hardcore punk band Scream, the group's drummer, Dave Grohl, impressed Novoselic and Cobain. When Scream unexpectedly disbanded, Grohl contacted Novoselic, made his way to Seattle, and was soon invited to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that when Grohl joined the band, everything "fell into place".[2] Meanwhile, Cobain was writing a number of new songs. At the time Cobain was listening to bands like The Melvins, R.E.M., The Smithereens, and the Pixies. Feeling disillusioned by the heavy detuned rock popular in the Seattle grunge scene upon which Sub Pop had built its image, Cobain—inspired by his contemporary listening habits—began writing songs that were more melodic. A key development was the single "Sliver", released on Sub Pop in 1990 (before Grohl joined the band), which Cobain said "was like a statement in a way. I had to write a pop song and release it on a single to prepare people for the next record.

I wanted to write more songs like that."[3] Grohl said that the band at that point often made the analogy of likening their music to children's music, in that the band tried to make its songs as simple as possible.[2] By the start of the 1990s, Sub Pop was experiencing financial difficulties. With rumors that Sub Pop would sign up as a subsidiary of a major record label, the band decided to "cut out the middleman" and start to look for a major record label.[2] A number of labels courted the band, but Nirvana ultimately signed with Geffen Records imprint DGC Records based upon repeated recommendations from Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth (an influential alternative rock band who Nirvana idolized) and their management company Gold Mountain.[4] Recording and production In early 1990, Nirvana began planning its second album for Sub Pop, tentatively titled Sheep.

For the album, Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt suggested Butch Vig as a potential producer.[2] Nirvana particularly liked Vig's work with Killdozer and called Vig up to tell him, "We want to sound as heavy as that record."[5] In April 1990, the band traveled out to Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin to begin work on the album. Most of the basic song arrangements were completed by that time, but Cobain was still working on lyrics and the band was unsure of which songs to record.[6] Ultimately, eight songs were recorded: "Immodium" (later renamed "Breed"), "Dive" (later released as the B-side to "Sliver"), "In Bloom", "Pay to Play" (eventually renamed "Stay Away" and given a new set of lyrics), "Sappy", "Lithium", "Here She Comes Now" (released on Velvet Underground Tribute Album: Heaven and Hell Volume 1), and "Polly".[7] The band had planned to record more tracks, but Cobain severely strained his voice on "Lithium," forcing Nirvana to shut down recording.

Vig was told that the group would come back to record more songs, but the producer did not hear anything for a while.[2] Instead, Nirvana used the sessions as a demo tape to shop for a new label. Within a few months, the tape was circulating amongst major labels, creating a buzz around the group.[8] After signing to DGC, a number of producers for the album were suggested, including Scott Litt, David Briggs, and Don Dixon, but Nirvana still wanted Butch Vig.[9] Novoselic noted in 2001 that the band was already nervous about recording on a major label, and the producers suggested by DGC wanted percentage points for working on the album. Instead, the band held out for Vig, with whom they felt comfortable collaborating.[10] Afforded a budget of $65,000, Nirvana recorded Nevermind at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California in May and June 1991.[11] Nirvana was originally set to record the album during March and April 1991, but the date kept getting pushed back in spite of the band's eagerness to begin the sessions.

To earn gas money to get to Los Angeles, Nirvana played a show where they performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time.[2] The band sent Vig some rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured songs recorded previously at Smart Studios, along with some new ones including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come as You Are".[12] When the group arrived in California, Nirvana did a few days of pre-production where the band and Vig tightened up some of the song arrangements.[13] The only recording carried over from the Smart Studios sessions was the song "Polly", which included cymbal crashes performed by Chad Channing. Once recording commenced, the band worked eight to ten hours a day. The band members tended to take two or three tries at instrumental takes; if the takes were not satisfactory at that point, they would move on to something else.[14] The group had rehearsed the songs so much before recording started that often only a few takes were needed.[10] Cobain used a variety of guitars, from Stratocasters to jaguars, and Novoselic used a black 1979 and natural 1976 Gibson Ripper.

Novoselic and Grohl finished their bass and drum tracks in a matter of days, but Cobain had to work longer on guitar overdubs, singing, and particularly lyrics (which sometimes were finished mere minutes before recording).[15] Cobain's phrasing was so consistent on various takes that Vig would mix the takes together to create overdubs.[14] Vig says that he often had to trick Cobain into recording additional takes for overdubs since the singer was averse to performing multiple takes. In particular, Vig convinced Cobain to double-track his vocals on the song "In Bloom" by telling him "John Lennon did it."[2] While the sessions went well generally, Vig said Cobain would become moody and difficult at times: "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in a corner and say nothing for an hour."[5] After the recording sessions were completed, Vig and the band set out to mix the album. However, after a few days, both Vig and the band members realized that they were unhappy with how the mixes were turning out. As a result, they decided to call in someone else to oversee the mixing, with Geffen Records imprint DGC supplying a list of possible options.

The list contained several familiar names, including Scott Litt (known for his work with R.E.M.) and Ed Stasium (known for his work with The Ramones and The Smithereens). However, Cobain feared that bringing in known mixers would result in the album sounding like the work of those bands. Instead, Cobain chose Andy Wallace (who had co-produced Slayer's 1990 album Seasons in the Abyss) from the bottom of the list.[16] Novoselic recalled, "We said, 'right on,' because those Slayer records were so heavy."[17] Wallace ran the songs through various special effects boxes and tweaked the drum sounds, completing about one mix per day.[18] Both Wallace and Vig noted years later that upon hearing Wallace's work the band loved the mixes.[19] After the album's release, however, members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the polished sound the mixer had given Nevermind. Cobain said in Come as You Are, "Looking back on the production of Nevermind, I'm embarrassed by it now.

It's closer to a Mötley Crüe record than it is a punk rock record."[18] Nevermind was mastered on the afternoon of August 2 at The Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California. Howie Weinberg started working alone when no one else showed up at the appointed time in the studio; by the time Nirvana, Andy Wallace, and Gary Gersh arrived, Weinberg had mastered most of the album.[20] One of the songs mastered at the session, a hidden track called "Endless, Nameless" intended to appear at the end of "Something in the Way", was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. Weinberg recalled, "In the beginning, it was kind of a verbal thing to put that track at the end. Maybe I misconstrued their instructions, so you can call it my mistake if you want. Maybe I didn't write it down when Nirvana or the record company said to do it.

So, when they pressed the first twenty thousand or so CDs, albums, and cassettes, it wasn't on there." When the band discovered the song's omission after listening to its copy of the album, Cobain called Weinberg and demanded he rectify the mistake.[21] Weinberg complied and added about ten minutes of silence between the end of "Something in the Way" and the start of the hidden track on future pressings of the album.[22] Music Cobain, Nirvana's main songwriter, fashioned chord sequences using primarily power chords and wrote songs that combined pop hooks with dissonant guitar riffs. His aim for Nevermind's material was to sound like "The Knack and the Bay City Rollers getting molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath".[23] Many of the songs on Nevermind feature shifts in dynamics, where the band changes from quiet verses to loud choruses.

Dave Grohl said this approach originated during a four-month period prior to the recording of the album, where the band would experiment with extreme dynamics during regular jam sessions.[24] Guitar World wrote, "Kurt Cobain's guitar sound on Nirvana's Nevermind set the tone for Nineties rock music." On Nevermind, Cobain played a 1960s Fender Mustang, a Fender Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups, and a few Fender Stratocasters with humbucker bridge pickups. The guitarist used distortion and chorus pedals as his main effects, the latter used to generate a "watery" sound on "Come as You Are" and the pre-choruses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[25] Krist Novoselic tuned down his bass guitar one and a half steps to D flat "to get this fat-ass sound."[10] Lyrics Grohl has said that Cobain told him, "Music comes first and lyrics come second," and Grohl believes that above all Cobain focused on the melodies of his songs.[2] Cobain was still working on the album's lyrics well into the recording of Nevermind. Additionally, Cobain's phrasing on the album is often difficult to understand.

Vig asserted that clarity of Cobain's singing was not paramount. Vig said, "Even though you couldn't quite tell what he was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell."[2] Cobain would later complain when rock journalists attempted to decipher his singing and extract meaning from his lyrics, writing "Why in the hell do journalists insist on coming up with a second-rate Freudian evaluation of my lyrics, when 90 percent of the time they've transcribed them incorrectly?"[26] Charles R. Cross asserted in his 2001 biography of Kurt Cobain, Heavier Than Heaven, that many of the songs written for Nevermind were about Cobain's dysfunctional relationship with Tobi Vail. After their relationship ended, Cobain began writing and painting violent scenes, many of which revealed a hatred for himself and others. Songs written during this period were less violent, but still reflected anger absent from Cobain's earlier songs.

Cross wrote, "In the four months following their break-up, Kurt would write a half dozen of his most memorable songs, all of them about Tobi Vail." "Drain You" begins with the line, "One baby to another said 'I'm lucky to have met you,'" quoting what Vail had once told Cobain, and the line "It is now my duty to completely drain you" refers to the power Vail had over Kurt in their relationship. According to Novoselic, "'Lounge Act' is about Tobi," and the song contains the line "I'll arrest myself, I'll wear a shield," referring to Cobain having the K Records logo tattooed on his arm to impress Vail. Though "Lithium" had been written before Cobain knew Vail, the lyrics of the song were changed to reference her.[27] Cobain also said in an interview with Musician that "some of my very personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships, feeling that death void that the person in the song is feeling–very lonely, sick."[28] Packaging The album's tentative title Sheep was something Cobain created as an inside joke directed towards the people he expected to buy the record.

He wrote a fake advertisement for Sheep in his journal that read "Because you want to not; because everyone else is."[29] Novoselic said the inspiration for the title was the band's cynicism about the public's reaction to Operation Desert Storm.[10] As recording sessions for the album were completed, Cobain grew tired of the title and suggested to Novoselic that the new album be named Nevermind. Cobain liked the title because it was a metaphor for his attitude on life and because it was grammatically incorrect.[30] The Nevermind album cover shows a naked baby boy, alone underwater with a US dollar bill on a fishhook just out of his reach. According to Cobain, he conceived of the idea while watching a television program on water births with Grohl. Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director Robert Fisher. Fisher found some stock footage of underwater births but they were too graphic for the record company. Also, the stock house that controlled the photo of a swimming baby that they subsequently settled on wanted $7,500 a year for its use; so, instead Fisher sent a photographer to a pool for babies to take pictures.

Five shots resulted and the band settled on the image of a four-month-old infant named Spencer Elden, the son of the photographer's friend. However, there was some concern because Elden's circumcised penis was visible in the image. Geffen prepared an alternate cover without the penis, as they were afraid that it would offend people, but relented when Cobain made it clear that the only compromise he would accept was a sticker covering the penis that would say, "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile."[31] The back cover of the album features a photograph of a rubber monkey in front of a collage created by Cobain. The collage features photos of raw beef from a supermarket advertisement, images from Dante's Inferno, and pictures of diseased vaginas from Cobain's collection of medical photos.

Cobain noted, "If you look real close, there is a picture of Kiss in the back standing on a slab of beef."[32] The album's liner notes contain no complete song lyrics; instead, the liner contains random song lyrics and unused lyrical fragments that Cobain arranged into a poem.[33] However, the single for "Lithium" contains lyrics for each song in Nevermind. Release Nevermind was released on September 24, 1991. American record stores received an initial shipment of 46,251 copies,[34] while 35,000 copies were shipped in the United Kingdom, where Bleach had been successful.[35] The lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had been released on September 10 with the intention of being a base-building cut among alternative rock fans, while the next single "Come as You Are" would be the song that would possibly garner more attention.[36] The band set out on a short American tour four days before the release date to support the album.

Geffen Records hoped that Nevermind would sell around 250,000 copies, which was the same level the record company had achieved with Sonic Youth's Geffen debut Goo.[37] The best estimate was that if all involved worked hard, the record could possibly be certified Gold by September 1992.[38] The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 144.[39] Geffen shipped about half of the initial US pressing to the American Northwest, where it sold out quickly and was unavailable for days. Geffen reputedly put production of all other albums on hold in order to fulfill demand in the region.[40] Nevermind was already selling well but, over the next few months, the momentum increased significantly as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" unexpectedly became more and more popular. The song's video had received a world premiere on MTV's late night alternative show 120 Minutes but it soon proved so popular that the channel began playing it during the day.[41] The record was soon certified gold, but the band was relatively uninterested in the achievement. Novoselic recalled, "Yeah I was happy about it. It was pretty cool.

It was kind of neat. But I don't give a shit about some kind of achievement like that. It's cool—I guess."[42] As the band set out for their European tour at the start of November 1991, Nevermind entered the Billboard Top 40 for the first time at number 35. By this point, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had become a genuine hit and the album was selling so fast none of Geffen's marketing strategies aimed at different sales levels could be enacted. Geffen president Ed Rosenblatt told The New York Times, "We didn't do anything. It was just one of those 'Get out of the way and duck' records."[43] Nirvana found as they toured Europe during the end of 1991 that the shows were dangerously oversold, television crews became a constant presence onstage, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was almost omnipresent on radio and music television.[44] Nevermind became Nirvana's first number one album on January 11, 1992, replacing Michael Jackson at the top of the Billboard charts.

By this time, Nevermind was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week.[45] "Come as You Are" was finally released as the second single in March 1992, also becoming a hit; it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[46] Two more singles, "Lithium" and "In Bloom", were released from the album, which peaked at number 11 and 28 on the UK Singles Chart respectively.[47] Nevermind was certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 1991 and was certified Diamond in March 1999.[48] It was also certified Diamond in Canada (1,000,000 units sold) by the Canadian Recording Industry Association in March 2001[49] and five times Platinum in the United Kingdom.[50] In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released Nevermind on vinyl as part of its ANADISQ 200 series, and as a 24-carat gold Compact Disc.

The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless". The LP version quickly sold out its limited pressing but the CD edition stayed in print for years.[51] In 2009 Original Recordings Group released Nevermind on limited edition 180g blue vinyl and regular 180g black vinyl mastered and cut by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes. It has been praised in reviews for sound quality.[52] 2011 Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions In September 2011, in honor of the album's 20th anniversary, Universal Music Enterprises released a 2-CD Deluxe Edition and a 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition of Nevermind.[53] The first disc on both editions features the original album with studio and live b-sides. The second disc on both editions features early recordings of sessions that featured songs that would later appear on the album, including the Smart Studio sessions and some band rehearsals recorded with a boombox. The second disc is rounded out by two BBC session recordings.

The third disc, exclusive to the Super Deluxe Edition, features alternate mixes made by Butch Vig, dubbed the 'Devonshire Mixes', of all the songs on the album except "Polly" and "Endless, Nameless". The fourth and fifth discs on the Super Deluxe Editions are CD and DVD versions of Live at the Paramount. Critical reception Geffen's press promotion for Nevermind was lower than that typical of a major record label. The label's publicist primarily targeted music publications with long lead times for publication as well as magazines in the Seattle area. The unexpectedly positive feedback from critics who had received the album convinced the label to consider increasing the album's original print run.[35] At first, Nevermind did not receive many reviews, and many publications ignored the album. Months after its release and after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" garnered airplay, print media organizations were "scrambling" to cover the phenomenon the album had become. However, by that point, much of the attention fell on Cobain rather than the album itself. The reviews that did initially appear were largely positive.[64] Karen Schoemer of The New York Times wrote, "With 'Nevermind,' Nirvana has certainly succeeded.

There are enough intriguing textures, mood shifts, instrumental snippets and inventive word plays to provide for hours of entertainment." Schoemer concluded, "'Nevermind' is more sophisticated and carefully produced than anything peer bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney have yet offered."[65] Entertainment Weekly gave Nevermind an A– rating, and reviewer David Browne argued that on Nevermind, Nirvana "never entertain the notion" of wanting to sound "normal," compared to other contemporary alternative bands.[58] Concluding his very enthusiastic review for the British Melody Maker, Everett True wrote that "When Nirvana released Bleach all those years ago, the more sussed among us figured they had the potential to make an album that would blow every other contender away. My God have they proved us right."[66] Spin gave Nevermind a favorable review stating that "you'll be humming all the songs for the rest of your life—or at least until your CD-tape-album wears out."[67] Select compared the band to Jane's Addiction, Sonic Youth, and the Pixies, stating that the album "proves that Nirvana truly belong in such high company."[63] Some of the reviews were not entirely positive.

Rolling Stone originally gave the album three out of five stars.[68] Reviewer Ira Robbins wrote, "If Nirvana isn't onto anything altogether new, Nevermind does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio's high-octane hits."[61] The Boston Globe was less enthusiastic about the album; reviewer Steve Morse wrote, "Most of Nevermind is packed with generic punk-pop that had been done by countless acts from Iggy Pop to the Red Hot Chili Peppers," and added "the band has little or nothing to say, settling for moronic ramblings by singer-lyricist Cobain."[68] Nevermind was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll; "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped the single of the year and video of the year polls.[69] Nevermind topped the poll by a large majority, and Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote in his companion piece to the poll, "As a modest pop surprise they might have scored a modest victory, like De La Soul in 1990.

Instead, their multi-platinum takeover constituted the first full-scale public validation of the Amerindie values—the noise, the toons, the 'tude—the radder half of the [Pazz & Jop poll] electorate came up on."[70] Legacy Nevermind not only popularized the Seattle grunge movement but also brought alternative rock as a whole into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability.[71] Nevermind's success surprised Nirvana's contemporaries, who felt dwarfed by its impact. Fugazi's Guy Picciotto later commented: "It was like our record could have been a hobo pissing in the forest for the amount of impact it had. [...] It felt like we were playing ukuleles all of a sudden because of the disparity of the impact of what they did".[72] Karen Schoemer of the New York Times added that "What's unusual about Nirvana's "Nevermind" is that it caters to neither a mainstream audience nor the indie rock fans who supported the group's debut album." [73] In 1992, Jon Pareles of The New York Times described that in the aftermath of the album's breakthrough, "Suddenly, all bets are off.

No one has the inside track on which of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ornery, obstreperous, unkempt bands might next appeal to the mall-walking millions". Record company executives offered large advances and record deals to bands, and previous strategies of building audiences for alternative rock bands had been replaced by the opportunity to achieve mainstream popularity quickly.[74] Michael Azerrad argued in his Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana (1993) that Nevermind marked an epochal generational shift in music similar to the rock-and-roll explosion in the 1950s and the end of the baby boomer generation's dominance of the musical landscape. Azerrad wrote, "Nevermind came along at exactly the right time.

This was music by, for, and about a whole new group of young people who had been overlooked, ignored, or condescended to."[75] In its citation placing it at number 17 in its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, Rolling Stone said, "No album in recent history had such an overpowering impact on a generation—a nation of teens suddenly turned punk—and such a catastrophic effect on its main creator."[76] Gary Gersh, who signed Nirvana to Geffen Records, added that "There is a pre-Nirvana and post-Nirvana record business...'Nevermind' showed that this wasn't some alternative thing happening off in a corner, and then back to reality. This is reality."[77] Nevermind has continued to garner critical praise since its release.

The album was listed at number 17 on Rolling Stone's list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[76] Rolling Stone also rated Nevermind as the number one best album of the 1990s, calling it the "album that guaranteed the nineties would not suck."[78] Time placed Nevermind, which writer Josh Tyrangiel called "the finest album of the 90s", on its 2006 list of "The All-TIME 100 Albums".[79] Pitchfork named the album the sixth best of the decade, noting that "anyone who hates this record today is just trying to be cool, and needs to be trying harder."[80] In 2006, readers of Guitar World ranked Nevermind 8th on a list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Recordings.[81] Entertainment Weekly named it the 10th best album of all time on their 2013 list.[82] In 2005, the Library of Congress added Nevermind to the National Recording Registry, which collects "culturally, historically or aesthetically important" sound recordings from the 20th century

.[83] Track listing All songs were written by Kurt Cobain, except where noted.

Notes Later pressings include "Endless, Nameless", a hidden track which begins after 10 minutes of silence following "Something In The Way", making track 12's total length 20:30.

20th-anniversary edition bonus tracks "Even in His Youth" ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" b-side) – 3:03 "Aneurysm" (Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl) ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" b-side) – 4:46 "Curmudgeon" (Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl) ("Lithium" b-side) – 2:59 "D-7" (Greg Sage) ("Lithium" b-side) – 3:45 "Been a Son" (Live, "Lithium" b-side) – 2:31 "School" (Live, "Come as You Are" b-side) – 2:33 "Drain You" (Live, "Come as You Are" b-side) – 3:53 "Sliver" (Live, "In Bloom" b-side) – 2:04 "Polly" (Live, "In Bloom" b-side) – 2:47 Disc two – Smart Sessions, Boombox Rehearsals, BBC Sessions "In Bloom" (April 1990, Smart Studios

) – 4:32 "Immodium (Breed)" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 3:15 "Lithium" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 4:31 "Polly" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 2:59 "Pay to Play" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 3:29 (Originally released on the DGC Rarities Vol.

1 compilation album in 1994, this song was recorded in 1990 and eventually evolved into "Stay Away" on Nevermind in 1991 with new lyrics). "Here She Comes Now" (John Cale, Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison) (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 5:01 (Originally released on the Heaven & Hell: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground compilation album in 1990).

"Dive" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 3:54 "Sappy" (April 1990, Smart Studios) – 3:57 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 5:40 "Verse Chorus Verse" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 3:14 "Territorial Pissings" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 2:12 "Lounge Act" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 2:38 "Come as You Are" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 4:12 "Old Age" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 4:32 "Something in the Way" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 5:31 "On a Plain" (March 1991, Tacoma rehearsal space) – 3:21 "Drain You" (September 1991, BBC Studios) – 4:04 "Something

 in the Way" (November 1991, BBC Studios) – 3:23 Super Deluxe Edition bonuses Disc three – Nevermind: The Devonshire Mixes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – 5:02 "In Bloom" – 4:16 "Come as You Are" – 3:40 "Breed" – 3:04 "Something in the Way" – 3:55 Disc four and DVD – Live at the Paramount "Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee) – 3:29 "Aneurysm" – 4:49 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – 4:45 "About a Girl" – 3:13 "Love Buzz" (Robbie van Leeuwen) – 3:34 "Lithium" – 4:38 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" – 4:38 "Come as You Are" – 3:46 "Lithium" – 4:15 "In Bloom" – 4:59 NOTE: The first disc of the deluxe edition was issued individually as a Target

 exclusive.

The deluxe edition was later issued as a special limited 4-LP set. Personnel Nirvana Kurt Cobain (credited for the "Monkey Photo" as Kurdt Kobain) – lead and backing vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar on "Polly" and "Something in the Way", photography Krist Novoselic (credited as Chris Novoselic) – bass, voice on intro of "Territorial Pissings" Dave Grohl – drums, backing vocals Additional musicians Chad Channing – cymbals on "Polly" (uncredited), drums on the "Smart Studio Sessions" (Deluxe Edition) Kirk Canning – cello on "Something in the Way" Technical staff and artwork For all: "Nirvana UK Singles Chart Positions". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2014-12-10. ^ a b "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2009-11-12. ^ "The ARIA Chart – Best of 1992". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved September 23, 2016.

^ Nirvana Smells Like teen Spirit - Denmark IFPI Certification - Track ^ Nirvana - Italian 2014 Certifications fimi.it. retrieved July 11, 2016 ^ The Official New Zealand Music Chart Top 40 - 24 May 1992 nztop40.co.nz. Retrieved 11 July, 2016. ^ "Swedish single certifications – Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit" (in Swedish). Swedish Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on November 11, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2016. ^ a b "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2013-09-04. Note: User needs to enter "Nirvana" in the "Search" field, "Artist" in the "Search by" field and click the "Search" button. Select "More info" next to the relevant entry to see full certification history. ^ Nirvana - Italian 2016 Certifications fimi.it. Retrieved July 11, 2016.

^ Nirvana - Alternative Songs (Previously Modern Rock) chart history (2nd page) billboard.com. Retrieved August 8, 2016. References Classic Albums—Nirvana: Nevermind [DVD]. Isis Productions, 2004. Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8 Berkenstadt, Jim; Cross, Charles. Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0-02-864775-0 Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9 Sandford, Christopher. Kurt Cobain. Carroll & Graff, 1995.

ISBN 0-7867-1369-0 External links Nirvana Biography, Tracks and Songs Nirvana Biography: There are several artists named 'Nirvana'; 1) Nirvana was an American grunge band The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, and it was part of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 80s, alongside bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. As their popularity rose, alternative rock became a dominant genre on American and Canadian radio and music television during the early-to-mid '90s. In late 1987, Cobain and Novoselic recruited drummer Aaron Burckhard (1987–1988).The three practiced material from Cobain's Fecal Matter tape. After losing contact with Burckhard, the pair instead practised with Dale Crover of the Melvins, and Nirvana recorded its first demos in January 1988. Their first single, a cover version of "Love Buzz", a song by Dutch group 'Shocking Blue', was released in November 1988 on the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop.

Their debut album, 'Bleach', was produced by Jack Endino and released in June 1989. Later that year, the band recorded the 'Blew EP' with producer Steve Fisk. At the start of the new decade, the band commenced their first recording sessions to the follow-up album with producer Butch Vig, substituted their drummer by Dave Grohl and signed to DGC Records. The result, 'Nevermind', would eventually sell over seven million copies in the United States, and over 30 million worldwide. In early 1993, Nirvana released "Puss"/"Oh, the Guilt", a split single with The Jesus Lizard, on the independent label Touch & Go. Meanwhile, the group chose Steve Albini as the producer to record its third album. 'In Utero' debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart in September the same year. As Nirvana's frontman, Cobain found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a generation", with Nirvana the "flagship band" of "Generation X", their third studio album 'In Utero' was considered to be a conscious attempt to shed their audience.

While Nirvana's mainstream popularity waned in the months following its release, their core audience cherished the band's dark interior, particularly after their 1993 performance on MTV Unplugged with the Meat Puppets, a band that Cobain had always idolised, performing with them the songs Oh, Me, Plateau and Lake of Fire. It was later released and topped the charts in 1994. Nirvana's brief run ended with the suicide of Cobain in 1994, but the band's popularity expanded in the years that followed. Eight years after Cobain's death, "You Know You're Right", an unfinished demo that the band recorded two months prior to Cobain's death, topped radio playlists around the world. Since their debut, the band has sold more than fifty million albums worldwide, including more than ten million copies of Nevermind in the US alone. Nirvana remains a consistent presence on radio stations worldwide. In 2004, the box set "With the Lights Out", a collection of radio sessions, home demos, studio demos and outtakes, was released.

A year later, "Sliver: The Best Of The Box" was released, a compilation of selected "WTLO" tracks, but with 3 new tracks including a track from the famous "Fecal Matter" demo.

Band members: Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar (1987–1994), Krist Novoselic - bass (1987–1994) Dave Grohl - drums, vocals (1990–1994) Prior members:Aaron Burckhard - drums (1987–1988), Dale Crover - drums (1988, 1990), Dave Foster - drums (1988), Chad Channing - drums (1988–1990), Jason Everman - guitar (1989), Dan Peters - drums (1990) Touring members: Pat Smear - guitar (1993–1994), Lori Goldston - cello (1993–1994), Melora Creager - cello (1994) --- 2) Nirvana is a UK-based progressive rock band formed in 1967, primarily active in the late 1960s and early 1970s - and still sporadically active to the present day.

The band was formed in the summer of 1967 in an era when melodic pop/rock music with baroque and chamber arrangements and instrumentation was highly-prized. The band, consisted of two songwriter/performers - Greek-born Alex Spyropoulos and Irish-born Patrick Campbell-Lyons who met in London. They produced a number of singles (notably "Rainbow Chaser", "Pentecost Hotel", and "Tiny Goddess") for the fledgling Island Records label. The band was signed by Island Records' founder Chris Blackwell in the era when he also signed the bands Traffic and Free. In October 1967 the band released its first album - a concept album produced by Blackwell titled The Story of Simon Simopath. The album was probably the first narrative concept album ever released - predating story-driven concept albums such as The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow (December 1968), The Who's Tommy (April 1969) and The Kinks' Arthur (September 1969).

Musically, the group blended myriad musical styles including rock, pop, folk, jazz, Latin rhythms and classical music - primarily augmented by baroque chamber-style arrangements to create a unique entity. The next year 1968 their follow-up album, All Of Us, featured a similar broad range of musical styles. Their third album To Markos III was released on the Pye label in 1969. In 1971 the duo amicably separated for a while, with Campbell-Lyons the primary contributor to the next two Nirvana albums, Local Anaesthetic 1971, and Songs Of Love And Praise 1972. Campbell-Lyons subsequently worked as a solo artist and issued further albums: Me And My Friend 1973, Electric Plough 1981, and The Hero I Might Have Been 1983 though these did not enjoy commercial success. The band reunited in 1985, successfully touring Europe and releasing a compilation album Black Flower 1987 containing some new material. (Black Flower had been the provisional title of their third album.) In the 1990s two further albums were released.

Secret Theatre 1994 compiled rare tracks and demos, while Orange And Blue 1996 contained previously unreleased material including a tongue-in-cheek cover of the song "Lithium" originally recorded by the American grunge band Nirvana who released its first album in 1989, and who the band had successfully sued over use of the name Nirvana. The undisclosed terms of the settlement has apparently allowed the original Nirvana to continue using its name and issuing new recordings. In 1999 the band released a three-disc CD anthology titled "Chemistry" including several previously-unreleased tracks and some new material. Top musicians who played on Nirvana sessions include: Lesley Duncan, Herbie Flowers, Billy Bremner (later of Rockpile/Dave Edmunds fame), Luther Grosvenor, Wynder K. Frogg, Clem Cattini and the full lineup of rock band Spooky Tooth.

The group was in the school of baroque-flavored, melodic pop-rock music typified by The Beatles of "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver", The Beach Boys of Pet Sounds and God Only Knows, the Zombies of Odessey and Oracle and Time Of The Season, the Procol Harum of A Whiter Shade Of Pale, the Moody Blues of Days of Future Passed and Nights In White Satin and The Kinks of Waterloo Sunset. The majority of the tracks on Nirvana's albums fall into that broad genre of contemporary popular music - not easily categorized - but perhaps best described as the baroque or chamber strand of "progressive rock, soft rock or "orchestral pop". Their first three albums were reissued on CD by Universal in 2003 and received critical acclaim. In 2005 Universal (Japan) reissued Local Anaesthetic and Songs Of Love And Praise. As of late 2005 the founding members Alex Spyropoulos and Patrick Campbell-Lyons are still sporadically writing and recording.

--- 3) Nirvana was a short-lived Finnish punk band formed in 1980, whose sole release was a 7" vinyl with tracks "Kielletyt leikit" and "Kuljen kaupungilla" with 200 pressings. --- 4) Nirvana was a Dutch pop group, formed in 1985 by producers Bernard Oattes and Rob van Schaik. The group consisted of Anthony Moendir, Frits Broekrits and Annie Alberti and have released one single, "Say When", which became a big hit. The group split up in 1987. --- 5) Nirvana is a side project of The Skaters' James Ferraro. Primitive droning drum beats and swirling synthesizers. --- 6) Nirvana was a Slovenian hard-rock band in the early seventies. They appear on several collections (YU Record Collector Dream, Boom Festival 72). Read more...

Question: Which group, prominent in the 1990’s, featured Chris Novoselic on bass and Dave Grohl on drums/
Answer: Nirvana