 
Nirvana has been called the quintessential
alternative band of the 90s. The trio, Kurt Cobain,
Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic formed in Washington
and grew into one of the most influential bands of
the decade. The formation of Nirvana started in 1985
when Cobain and Novoselic starting playing together
in various bands. Before Nirvana, Cobain could be
found in numerous bands including The Melvins, Fecal
Matter, Stiff Woodies, Brown Cow, The Sellouts, and
Skid Row (several with Novoselic). By the end of
1987, Nirvana was born when drummer Aaron Burckhard
was added and then replaced with Chad Channing -
followed by Dave Grohl.
Nirvana's first recording effort together resulted in
a demo named 'Godfather Of Grunge' and the single
"Love Buzz/Big Cheese."
 Bleach was released (available for
download at Amazon-mp3) and Nirvana started to tour
the U.S. Bleach gained Nirvana a
following on college-radio and the gradual attention
of various record labels. The LP featured the popular
Nirvana track "About A Girl." Bleach later sold well after the
success of the band.
 September 25: Grohl joined the band as
drummer and toured in England for a short time with L7.
Nirvana signed with Geffen Record and Nevermind was released
(available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). Rolling Stone
described the LP as "...a dynamic mix of
sizzling power chords, manic energy and sonic
restraint..." The first single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," instantly hit with
alternative radio fans and video viewers. Nevermind went on to top the LP charts
in Sweden, Canada, and Finland and hit the Top 10 in
the UK, Australia, Germany, Norway, Switzerland,
Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, and New Zealand -
selling over 26 million copies worldwide.
 Nevermind was certified platinum.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart
for a week with "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Nirvana hit the Top 40 with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (available for download
at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). Cobain later said of the
song "...I was trying to write the ultimate pop
song. I was basically trying to rip of the Pixies...
We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet
and then loud and hard."
Nirvana ended the year on a European tour and some
U.S. appearances with Pearl Jam and Red
Hot Chili Peppers.
 # 36
Singles Artist of the Year
Nirvana topped the Billboard LP chart for 2 weeks
with Nevermind and went on to sell over 10
million copies in the US.
Nirvana hit the Top 10 with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The songs also hit the
Top 10 in the UK, Sweden, Australia, Norway,
Switzerland, Austria, and hit #1 in France.
Nirvana were nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite
New Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Top Singles Sales chart
for 2 weeks with "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Nevermind was certified 2x platinum.
Nirvana performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Territorial
Pissing" on Saturday Night Live.
Nirvana could be heard on the Hard
To Believe: Kiss Covers compilation on the track "Do You
Love Me."
Nirvana were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance (Nevermind).
Cobain married Courtney Love of Hole and welcomed a daughter into
their family in August.
Nevermind was certified 3x platinum.
Nirvana hit the Top 40 with "Come As You Are" (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The single went Top 10 in
the UK.
Nevermind was certified 4x platinum.
The single "Lithium" went Top 10 in Ireland
and Finland and "In Bloom" hit the Top 10
in Ireland.
The video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" won 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Alternative Video and Best New Artist, and was also nominated for Video of the Year and Viewer's Choice.
Nirvana released a collection of b-sides, demos, and
rare tracks with Incesticide. The LP hit the Top 10 in
Austria.
Even with a new marriage and baby, Cobain didn't have
much to celebrate in 1993. During the year, a few
accusations of heroin use and overdoses were reported
and problems persisted with the new LP not being
satisfactory to their record label.
Nirvana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song (songwriter) ("Smells Like Teen Spirit").
Incesticide was certified gold.
After some retouches requested by their label,
Nirvana released In
Utero
(available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3) and began touring North
America. Nirvana had success with the tracks
"Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies." In
Utero
would be Nirvana's last studio LP released. Rolling
Stone described the LP as "...brilliant,
corrosive, enraged and thoughtful, most of them all
at once. But more than anything, it's a triumph of
the will."
Nirvana topped the Billboard 200 LP chart for a week
with In
Utero.
The video for "In Bloom" won a MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video.
Nirvana performed "Heart-Shaped Box" and
"Rape Me" on Saturday Night Live.
Rolling
Stone: "The 100 Top Music Videos" includes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 2
and "In Bloom" at # 39.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart
for 3 weeks with "Heart-Shaped Box." The
single also went Top 10 in Ireland, Finland, New
Zealand, and the UK.
In
Utero
topped the Billboard 200 Pop Albums chart for a week.
The LP also topped the charts in the UK and Sweden,
and hit the Top 10 in Australia, Norway, Austria,
Canada, and the Netherlands.
Nirvana could be heard on the No
Alternative compilation on the uncredited
track "Sappy."
Nevermind was certified 5x platinum and In
Utero was
certified platinum.
Nirvana could be heard on The
Beavis And Butt-Head Experience soundtrack on the track
"I Hate Myself And Want To Die."
Nirvana recorded MTV
Unplugged In New York in New York.
 # 78 Singles
Artist of the Year
In Seattle, on January 7th, Nirvana played what would
be their last show U.S. together, and then began
touring Europe in February.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Modern
Rock Tracks chart for 2 weeks with "All Apologies."
Nirvana could be heard on the Fifteen
Minutes: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground compilation with the track
"Here She Comes Now."
Nirvana was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance (In
Utero).
Nirvana played their final performance together on
March 1st in Munich. While on vacation in Rome,
Cobain attempted suicide by mixing tranquilizers and
alcohol and was in a coma for a day. After being
hospitalized, Cobain and Love returned to Seattle
where more suicide threats continued.
Nirvana hit the Top 40 with "All Apologies"
March 4: Cobain overdosed on drugs and
alcohol in Rome and was rushed to the hospital.
Cobain was admitted into Exodus Recovery Center and
later escaped on April 1st and was reported missing
by his mother.
On April 8th, Cobain was found dead in Seattle from a
self-inflicted gunshot wound (that occurred on April
5th).
In
Utero was
certified 2x platinum.
In
Utero was
certified 3x platinum.
The video for "Heart-Shaped Box"
won 2 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Alternative Video and Best
Art Direction
(Bernadette Disanto) and was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Cinematography, and Viewer's Choice.
Nirvana hit the Top 40 with the live version of
"About A Girl" (available for download
at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The single hit the Top 10 in
Australia, Poland, France, Canada, and Finland.
Nevermind was certified 6x platinum.
 MTV
Unplugged In New York was released (available for download at
iTunes and Amazon-mp3) - the unplugged performance
had been recorded a year earlier in November, 1993.
MTV
Unplugged In New York topped the Billboard Pop Albums chart
for a week. The LP also topped the charts in the UK,
Austria, New Zealand, Holland, Australia, and Spain,
and hit the Top 10 in Sweden, Switzerland, Finland,
Germany, Norway, and Hungary.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart
for a week with "About A Girl."
With Nirvana no more, Grohl went on to find success
with the Foo Fighters and Novoselic formed Sweet
75.
Nirvana won an American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard
Rock Artist.
MTV
Unplugged In New York was certified 3x platinum.
Nevermind was certified 7x platinum, In
Utero was
certified 4x platinum, and Bleach was certified platinum.
Nirvana were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or
Group and
Cobain was nominated for Best Rock Song ("All Apologies").
Incesticide was certified platinum.
Nirvana won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Performance (MTV
Unplugged In New York).
MTV
Unplugged In New York was certified 4x platinum.
The live LP, From
The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah, was released (available for
download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3) containing concert
performances from 1989 to 1994.
From
The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah topped the Billboard
200 LP chart for a week. The LP also topped the
charts in Australia, and hit the Top 10 in New
Zealand, Finland, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, France,
Spain, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK.
Nevermind was certified 9x platinum and In
Utero was
certified 5x platinum.
From
The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah was certified platinum.
 Rock 'N
Roll Hall Of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock
And Roll
includes "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
MTV
Unplugged In New York was certified 5x platinum.
Ranked # 42 on VH1: Greatest Artists of Rock
& Roll (and # 6
on Rock On The Net's Poll).
Novoselic, talked to a Senate committee in defense of
controversial music lyrics. He stated, "We have
to move beyond the grainy, black and white approach
of blaming lyrics. We need to move forward and apply
full-spectrum, high-definition solutions to the
challenges facing our nation and especially youth. On
Marilyn
Manson,
who was one of the musicians being scrutinized at the
hearings, Novoselic said the he doesn't
"...misrepresent himself... he's saying 'I'm
gross, I'm icky, I'm nasty'... and he is... if young
people are looking for truth, maybe they're finding
it in Marilyn
Manson."
 Nevermind was certified 10x platinum.
When Spin magazine named "The 90
Greatest Albums of the 90s" Nirvana's Nevermind topped the list.
MTV: 100 Greatest Videos includes
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 3.
 VH1: 100 Greatest Rock
Songs
includes: # 41: "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Nirvana came in at # 6 on VH1: 100 Greatest Artists of
Hard Rock.
Rolling Stone & MTV: 100
Greatest Pop Songs includes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 3.
VH1: 100 Greatest Albums includes Nevermind at # 2.
VH1: 100 Greatest Videos includes # 4
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
A court fight developed between the remaining members
of Nirvana and Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, over the rights of Cobain's
final recordings before his death.
Cobain ranked # 49 on VH1: 100 Sexiest Artists.
The collection Nirvana was released (available for
download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3) after a long court battle
over the material with Cobain's widow Courtney Love.
Nirvana returned to the top of the Billboard Modern
Rock Tracks chart for 4 weeks with "You Know You're Right."
Nirvana hit the Top 10 in the US, UK,
Germany, Norway, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Japan,
Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, New
Zealand, and Canada, and topped the LP charts in
Australia and Austria.
Nirvana hit the Top 40 with "You Know You're Right" (available for download
at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The track was recorded in
early 1994.
Nirvana topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart for 4 weeks with "You Know You're Right."
Nirvana was certified platinum.
VH1: 100 Best Songs of the Past
25 Years includes "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 1.
Novoselic announced he was no longer pursuing a
career in music after his last band Eyes
Adrift failed to hit it big.
Rolling Stone: The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time: # 17: Nevermind, # 311: MTV
Unplugged In New York, # 439: In
Utero.
 Rolling Stone: The Immortals -
The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time included Nirvana at # 27.
The box set With
The Lights Out was released (available for download at
iTunes). The 3-CD set included over 60
previously unreleased tracks. The box set hit the Top
10 in Canada.
With
The Lights Out was certified platinum.
Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest
Songs of All Time included "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 9.
The box set compilation Sliver:
The Best Of The Box was released (available for download at
iTunes and Amazon-mp3).
VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the
90's
included "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at # 1.
 Entertainment Weekly: 100 Best
Albums of the Last 25 Years included MTV
Unplugged In New York at # 11.
Rolling Stone: 'The Greatest
Singers' includes Cobain at # 45.
Novoselic and Grohl publically stated their
disappointment over the video game Guitar Hero
for allowing the use of Cobain' appearance in the
game for any of the songs being played by other
artists.
 Bleach
(20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) was released. The expanded CD
includes a live Nirvana performance from 1990 at the
Pink Street Theatre in Oregon.
The 2 CD set Nevermind
Deluxe Edition was released.
The 4 CD/1DVD box set - Nevermind
(Super Deluxe) - was released.
The 3CD/1DVD set In
Utero (Super Deluxed Edition) was released.
Nirvana made the nomination ballot for induction into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Bleach
Released: June 15, 1989
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 89
Rolling Stone: 
Tracks: "Blew" -
"Floyd The Barber" - "About A Girl" -
"School" - "Love Buzz" -
"Paper Cuts" - "Negative
Creep" - "Scoff" - "Swap
Meet" - "Mr. Moustache" -
"Sifting" - "Big Cheese"
- "Downer"
Deluxe Edition also includes live
versions of: "School" - "Floyd
The Barber" - "Dive" -
"Love Buzz" - "Spank
Thru" - "Molly's Lips" -
"Sappy" - "Scoff" -
"About A Girl" - "Been A
Son" - "Blew"
Bleach
(20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
Released: November, 2009
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Blew" -
"Floyd The Barber" - "About A Girl" -
"School" - "Love Buzz" -
"Paper Cuts" - "Negative
Creep" - "Scoff" - "Swap
Meet" - "Mr. Moustache" -
"Sifting" - "Big Cheese"
- "Downer" - Live
Tracks:
"Intro" - "School" -
"Floyd The Barber" -
"Dive" - "Love Buzz" -
"Spank Thru" - "Molly's
Lips" - "Sappy" -
"Scoff" - "About A Girl" - "Been A
Son" - "Blew"
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iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Nevermind
Nevermind
30th
Released: September, 1991
US: 10x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 2 weeks)
Grammy Nominee: Best Alternative Music
Performance
VH1: '100 Greatest
Albums'': # 2
Rolling Stone: 'The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time': # 17
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly:
A-
Tracks: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - "In
Bloom" - "Come As Your Are" -
"Breed" - "Lithium" -
"Polly" - "Territorial
Pissings" - "Drain You" -
"Lounge Act" - "Stay
Away" - "On A Plain" -
"Something In The Way"
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Incesticide
Released: December, 1992
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 39
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Dive" -
"Sliver" - "Stain" -
"Been A Son" -
"Turnaround" - "Molly's
Lips" - "Son Of A Gun" -
"(New Wave) Polly" -
"Beeswax" - "Downer" -
"Mexican Seafood" - "Hairspray
Queen" - "Aero Zeppelin" -
"Big Long Now" -
"Aneurysm"
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In
Utero
Released: September, 1993
US: 5x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Grammy Nominee: Best Alternative Music
Performance
Rolling Stone: 'The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time': # 439
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly:
B+
Tracks: "Serve The
Servants" - "Scentless
Apprentice" - "Heart-Shaped
Box" - "Rape Me" -
"Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On
Seattle" - "Dumb" - "Very
Ape" - "Milk It" -
"Pennyroyal Tea" - "Radio
Friendly Unit Shifter" -
"Tourette's" - "All Apologies"
Import Edition also includes:
"Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through
The Strip"
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MTV
Unplugged In New York
Released: November, 1994
US: 8x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Grammy Winner: Best Alternative Music
Performance
Rolling Stone: 'The 500
Greatest Albums of All Time': # 311
Entertainment Weekly: '100 Best
Albums of the Last 25 Years': # 11
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly:
A
Live Tracks: "About A Girl" - "Come As You Are" - "Jesus
Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam" -
"The Man Who Sold The World" -
"Pennyroyal Tea" - "Dumb"
- "Polly" - "On A Plain"
- "Something In The Way" -
"Plateau" - "Oh, Me" -
"Lake Of Fire" - "All Apologies" - "Where
Did You Sleep Last Night (In The Pines)"
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From
The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah
Released: October, 1996
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone:
Live Tracks: "School" -
"Drain You" - "Aneurysm"
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - "Been A
Son" - "Lithium" -
"Sliver" - "Spank Thru" -
"Scentless Apprentice" -
"Heart-Shaped Box" - "Milk
It" - "Negative Creep" -
"Polly" - "Breed" -
"Tourette's" - "Blew"
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iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Nirvana
Released: October, 2002
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 3
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "You Know You're Right" - "About A Girl" - "Been A
Son" - "Sliver" - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - "Come As You Are" -
"Lithium" - "In Bloom" -
"Heart-Shaped Box" -
"Pennyroyal Tea" - "Rape
Me" - "Dumb" - "All Apologies" - "The Man
Who Sold The World"
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With
The Lights Out (box set)
Released: November, 2004
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 19
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly:
A-
Tracks:
"Heartbreaker" - "Rape
Me" (Electric) - "Been A Son"
- "Help Me I'm Hungry" -
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" -
"Pay To Play" - "Pen Cap
Chew" - "Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol
Flow Through The Strip" - "Floyd
The Barber" - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - "Very
Ape" - "Don't Want It All" -
"Old Age" - "Polly" -
"Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A
Sunbeam" - "Do Re Mi" - "You Know You're Right" - "All Apologies" - "Return
Of The Rat" - "Ain't That A
Shame" - "Token Eastern Song"
- "Even In His Youth" -
"Polly" - "Rape Me"
(Acoustic) - "Anorexorcist" -
"Scentless Apprentice" -
"Sliver" - "I Hate Myself And
I Want To Die" - "If You Must"
- "Moist Vagina" -
"Downer" - "The Other
Improv" - "Rauncholda / Moby
Dick" - "Beans" -
"Pennyroyal Tea" - "Clean Up
Before She Comes" - "Sappy" -
"Dumb" - "Blandest" -
"Dive" - "They Hung Him On A
Cross" - "Grey Goose" -
"Opinion" - " Lithium" -
"White Lace And Strange" -
"Heart-Shaped Box" - "Mrs.
Butterworth" - "Milk It" -
"Here She Comes Now" - "Drain
You" - "Aneurysm" -
"Serve The Servants" -
"Breed" - "Verse Chorus
Verse" - "Marigold" -
"Endless, Nameless" - "About A Girl" -
"D-7" - "Oh, The Guilt" -
"Curmudgeon"
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Sliver:
The Best Of The Box
Released: November, 2005
Billboard peak: # 21
Entertainment Weekly: C+
Tracks: "Spank
Thru" (demo) - "Heartbreaker"
(live) - "Mrs. Butterworth" (demo)
- "Floyd The Barber" (live) -
"Clean Up Before She Comes" (demo)
- "About A Girl" (demo)
"Blandest" (demo) - "Ain't It
A Shame" (demo) - "Sappy"
(demo) - "Opinion" (solo acoustic
radio appearance) - "Lithium" (solo
acoustic radio appearance) -
"Sliver" (demo) - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Boom Box
Version) - "Come As You Are" (Boom Box
Version) - "Old Age" (outtake) -
"Oh, The Guilt" - "Rape
Me" (demo) - "Rape Me" (band
demo) - "Heart Shaped Box" (demo) -
"Do Re Mi" (demo) - "You Know You're Right" (demo) - "All Apologies" (demo)
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Nevermind
Deluxe Edition
Released: September, 2011
Tracks: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - "In
Bloom" - "Come As Your Are" -
"Breed" - "Lithium" -
"Polly" - "Territorial
Pissings" - "Drain You" -
"Lounge Act" - "Stay
Away" - "On A Plain" -
"Something In The Way" - "Even
In His Youth" - "Aneurysm" -
"Curmudgeon" - "D-7"
(live) - "Been A Son" (live) -
"School" (live) - "Drain
You" (live) - "Silver" (live)
- "Polly" (live) - "In
Bloom" - "Immodium" -
"Polly" (Unreleased Mix) -
"Pay To Play" - "Here She
Comes Now" - "Dive" -
"Sappy" - "Smells Like Teen
Spirit" (Boombox Rehersals) -
"Verse Chorus Verse" -
"Territorial Pissings" -
"Loung Act" - "Come As You
Are" (Boombox Rehearsals) - "Old
Age" - "Something IN The Way"
- "On A Plain" - "Drain
You" (BBC Sessions) - "Something In
The Way" (BBC Sessions)
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| Note: Song title and position
links lead you to the song's Top 40 chart run
(from the ARC Weekly Top 40) and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound samples). |
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