Nirvana

Nirvana made underground noise into the sound of a generation. With one album the band pulled grunge out of the Pacific Northwest and into the mainstream, ending the reign of glossy 1980s rock almost overnight. Formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987 by singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, they found their final shape when drummer Dave Grohl joined in 1990.

From Bleach to Nevermind

The band’s debut, Bleach (1989), came out on the Seattle indie label Sub Pop and built a cult following. Then came Nevermind (1991) and its lead single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which crossed over to a mass audience no one expected. The album knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the chart and made Cobain, reluctantly, the voice of Generation X.

In Utero

Uncomfortable with fame, the band made In Utero (1993) a rawer, more abrasive record with producer Steve Albini. It still topped the chart, carried by “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies”. Their stripped-down MTV Unplugged in New York, released in 1994, won a Grammy and is regarded as one of the great live albums.

An abrupt end

Cobain struggled with addiction and depression, and in April 1994 he died by suicide at the age of 27. Nirvana disbanded immediately. Grohl went on to form Foo Fighters, while the band’s catalogue kept selling, with more than 75 million records sold worldwide.

The legacy

Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, their first year of eligibility, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The surviving members still reunite on occasion, performing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with Post Malone at the 2025 Saturday Night Live anniversary. Their influence on rock has never faded.

Most loved songs

A spread across the catalogue. Each title opens through the in-site player.

From a scream-along chorus to a hushed Unplugged moment, the odds are good a Nirvana song has caught you. Type the line you remember into the search box above and you may find it leads back to them.