Nirvana Nevermind

The Band

• Kurt Cobain - vocals
• Dave Grohl - drums
• Krist Novoselic – guitar

Nirvana was formed in the late 80s, although it wasn't until 1990 that Dave Grohl joined the group. The band's music was labeled "alternative rock", more specifically grunge, a genre that presented a mix of punk, metal, and indie rock ideals, sounds, and lyrical choices. The grunge movement was centered around Seattle, Washington, beginning in the early 80s and rising in popularity throughout the 90s. It was labeled grunge because of the music's "dirty" sound. However, the word grunge also represented the overall aesthetic of the bands, from their appearance to concert venues.

Nirvana's first album, Bleach was released in 1989. It made little impression outside of a small group of hardcore fans. It wasn't until the release of Nevermind in 1991 that the music world discovered Nirvana. They enjoyed unheard of success as they introduced mainstream music listeners to grunge and alternative rock.

Nirvana Nevermind Track Listing

The Nevermind album included the following songs:

• "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
• "In Bloom"
• "Come As You Are"
• "Breed"
• "Lithium"
• "Polly"
• "Territorial Pissings"
• "Drain You"
• "Lounge Act"
• "Stay Away"
• "On A Plain"
• "Something In The Way"

"Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come as You Are", "Lithium", and "In Bloom" were all released as singles.

As the first track on the album, the first single released from Nevermind and the first Nirvana music video most listeners experienced, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became the iconic song of the album. The music video featured the band playing the song to bleachers packed with teenagers who become increasingly rowdy as the song progresses. The entire scene has a dark and dingy look and cheerleaders with anarchy symbols on their shirts add to the punk pep rally feel.

Critical Reception and Popularity

Nirvana Nevermind gained positive reviews from the moment of its release, and only continues to gather accolades as time passes. Entertainment Weekly gave Nevermind an A- and included it as number one in its list of the best and worst music of 1991. In a 2004 Rolling Stone list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Nevermind was ranked number seventeen, placing higher than titles like Thriller and The Dark Side of the Moon. Oddly enough, the original Rolling Stone review of the album only gave it three out of five stars.

What about popular opinion, the feelings of the average listener? With over 1,700 reviews on Amazon.com, the album holds steady at four out of five stars. Even the band's detractors can't fight the Nirvana love. Of course, one of the biggest indicators of the album's steady popularity is sales. By the end of its release year, Nevermind had reached Platinum level sales of over one million. In 1999, the album was certified as Diamond, meaning it had sold over ten million copies.

The album and its songs look to enjoy continued popularity in the future. Over a decade later, songs from Nirvana Nevermind continue to be played in regular rotation on rock stations. Listeners who were too young to appreciate Nevermind when it was first released or who weren't even born yet continue to discover "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the album's other landmark songs each year.

Post-Nevermind Nirvana

Nirvana released their next album, In Utero, in 1993. Despite being generally well received, it couldn't come close to approaching the popularity of Nevermind. They performed on MTV Unplugged later that year, giving fans a new perspective on the band after hearing their songs in this stripped-down format. Shortly after this performance, Kurt Cobain committed suicide, and Nirvana was no more. However, the band's albums enjoy continued sales, and from time to time, compilations like the greatest-hits release Nirvana give the world new Nirvana material to enjoy.