Summary

Nirvana was a popular and highly influential American grunge band. The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, and was part of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 80s. Other Seattle grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden also gained in popularity, and, as a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on American and Canadian radio and music television during the early-to-mid '90s.

Nirvana's initial incarnation consisted of Kurt Cobain on guitar and vocals, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Chad Channing. After a brief stint as a four-piece in 1989 with the addition of second guitarist Jason Everman, followed soon after by the replacement of Channing on drums in 1990, the band found the lineup that would form the core of the group when they added former Scream drummer Dave Grohl.

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". Cobain was uncomfortable with the attention, and placed his focus on the band's music, challenging the band's audience with their much more abrasive third studio album In Utero, 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)

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The story

In Aberdeen, 100 miles from Seattle, Kurt Cobain and Krist met up. They were both sick of the metal music that was ruling the waves and the charts. Their love for groups like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin got them closer together. Cobain dropped out of high school with the bassist Krist. After the addition of drummer Chad Channing and Cobain’s move from drums to vocals and guitar, Nirvana was born.

In 1989 "Bleach" was released and sold around 35.000 copies. After the success of their debut drummer, Dave Grohl replaced Channing. The final piece fell into place when Nirvana linked up. Alternative, for the first time, was literally ‘gonna kick the pants off metal’.

In 1991 "Nevermind" was released and went triple platinum (3 million sold). The song was called ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and rocked the metal-saturated audience right down to their roots. The writing was on the wall... ‘alternative’ was in and ‘metal’ out. Overnight, bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains thundered the charts and the 80s glam gods (Poison, Winger, Warrant, Motley Crue) bit the dust.
The very targets that Kurt sang against in ‘In Bloom’ were now buying ‘Nirvana’ albums. Kurt found this confusing, as would any good musician whose message is completely misunderstood.

‘In Utero’ was released in 1993. It was a UK and US #1 hit. A performance of the David Bowie original ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ was the high point of their ‘Unplugged’ album. After the end of the tour in 1994, the band had all but split. Cobain’s mental health deteriorated and he made several more threats to commit suicide.

On April 8, 1994, he used the weapon… on himself. A visiting electrician found his body after three days. The next day thousands of moaning fans gathered at a candlelit vigil in the centre of Seattle. A tape of Love’s recorded voice played, reading Kurt’s suicide note. It included a line from Neil Young’s ‘Hey Hey My My!’ that went “it’s better to burn out than fade away”.

Nirvana albums hit the charts once more. In 1996, despite Grunge slipping into cliché, ‘From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah’ topped the US charts. Nirvana had burned out like a streaking star…. lighting everything in it’s wake. But the price had to be paid. Even today, the response that ‘Smell Like …’ evokes at Rock Shows is an indication to the magic ‘Nirvana’ had.
Rock will always remember ‘Nirvana’.

For more info , see http://www.nirvana-music.com/

Few songs

Smells like teen spirit - Come as you are - Heart shaped box - The man who sold the world - About a girl

Buy From Amazon

Nevermind Geffen Records – Audio CD $13.98  Buy	Nevermind [2 CD Deluxe Edition] Geffen Records – Audio CD $29.98  Buy	In Utero Geffen Records – Audio CD $11.98  Buy
Incesticide Geffen Records – Audio CD $11.98  Buy	Nirvana: Live at the Paramount [Blu-ray] Geffen Records – Blu-ray $29.98  Buy