Nirvana | Artist
Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died in 1994 at the age of 27, tragically joining that illustrious group of brilliant yet ill-fated artists known as the "27 Club"
Nirvana was an American indie rock band formed 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington, by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic. The band went through several drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before Dave Grohl became a permanent fixture. Nirvana is one of the best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records, despite their short lifespan. Characterized by a punk aesthetic, Nirvana's fusion of pop melodies with noise, combined with their themes of abjection and social alienation, brought them global popularity. Starting out, Cobain and Novoselic met while attending Aberdeen High School, where the pair became friends while frequenting the practice space of the Melvins. Cobain gave his friend a demo tape of his project Fecal Matter, and later they started a short-lived group the Sellouts, which was a Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band. In 1988, after several failed projects, they recruited drummer Chad Channing and settled on the group name Nirvana. Their first single, a cover of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz", was released in November 1988 on Seattle independent label Sub Pop. The following month they began recording a debut album, Bleach, which was influenced by the heavy dirge-rock of the Melvins, the 1980s punk rock of Mudhoney, and the 1970s heavy metal of Black Sabbath. The budget for the recording sessions is listed as $606.17. Bleach was released in June 1989, becoming a favorite on college radio, and Nirvana embarked on its first national tour. In April 1990, they began working on their next album with producer Butch Vig. Cobain and Novoselic became disenchanted with Channing's drumming and he was eventually replaced by Dave Grohl, whose hardcore band Scream had just broken up. By now frustrated with Sub Pop, the band signed with major label DGC Records and returned to the studio, again with Butch Vig as producer. Initially, DGC was hoping to sell 250,000 copies of Nevermind the same they had achieved with Sonic Youth's Goo. However the single "Like Teen Spirit" quickly took off boosted by major airplay on MTV, and by Christmas 1991, Nevermind was selling 400,000 copies a week in the US. In January 1992 it displaced Michael Jackson at number one on the US charts, and topped the charts in numerous other countries. Billboard proclaimed "Nirvana is that rare band that has everything: critical acclaim, industry respect, pop radio appeal, and a rock-solid college/alternative base." The album eventually sold over seven million copies in the US and over 30 million worldwide. For their third album, they chose producer Steve Albini, who favoured a natural recording style, without layers of studio trickery. Albini and Nirvana recorded the album in two weeks in Pachyderm Studio, Minnesota, for $25,000. Despite misgivings by DGC that the album was "unreleasable" In Utero topped the American and British album charts. Time critic Christopher John Farley wrote in his review, "Despite the fears of some alternative-music fans, Nirvana hasn't gone mainstream, though this potent new album may once again force the mainstream to go Nirvana." In Utero went on to sell more than five million copies in the US. In November, Nirvana recorded a performance for MTV Unplugged, augmented by Germs guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston. In early 1994, the band embarked on a European tour where their final concert took place in Munich, on March 1. In Rome, on the morning of March 4, Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, found him unconscious in their hotel room and he was rushed to the hospital. Cobain had reacted to a combination of prescribed rohypnol and alcohol. The rest of the tour was canceled. In the weeks following his hospitalization in Rome, Cobain's long-term heroin addiction resurfaced. Following an intervention, he was persuaded to enter drug rehab. After less than a week, he left the facility without informing anyone, then returned to Seattle. One week later, on April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his home. Cobain is remembered as one of the most influential rock musicians in the history of alternative music.
Artist Website: nirvana.com
Featured Albums: Nirvana
Related Artists: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters
Collections: 27 Forever
