CW50 - The Bands Edition - No. 6

[GIMH]

6. Nirvana



Points: 224
Nominations: 16
3rd Place: 0
2nd Place: 0
1st Place: 2

Nirvana were a grunge band from Seattle, Washington during the 1990's. In this time, they brought alternative rock to the mainstream, unleashed a new group of fans, and introduced the grunge scene into the world. But don't get me wrong - they're good.

Nirvana's first album followed the formula set out by bands such as the Pixies and the Melvins, but failed to breakthrough. Nevermind, however, did. Instead of being a solid indie album like most expected, it changed the way people thought about rock. It gave the scene life. One guy said that people who try to hate Nirvana are trying too hard. This reader thinks he's right.

In Utero, a more rawer album, was released, and while it wasn't as received as Nevermind, people still liked it. But then Kurt Cobain, their lead singer and guitarist, fell to heroin addiction and depression, and unfortunately committed suicide in 1994, when the band was still in their prime.

What would've happened to Nirvana had Cobain stayed sober? No one knows. People speculate that they may have gone down a similar route to their live album MTV Unplugged In New York. Others may feel that In Utero paved their path. Yet no-one denies their influence, even if some people felt that Cobain's death glorified the band.

Nirvana Lithium MTV Awards 1992 - YouTube

Line-up

Kurt Cobain – Vocals, Guitars – 1987-94
Krist Novoselic – Bass Guitar – 1987-94
Dale Crover – Drums – 1988, 1990
Chad Channing – Drums – 1988-90
Jason Everman – Guitar – 1989
Dave Grohl – Drums – 1990-94

NB – Additional drummers featured in the line-up prior to the release of debut album “Bleach” but were never credited on any official release

Discography

Bleach (1989)
Nevermind (1991)
In Utero (1993)

Also

Incesticide (1992) Collection of early singles, b-sides and rarities
MTV Unplugged In New York (1994) Live release of band’s unplugged performance from November 1993
From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (1996) Collection of various live performances
Nirvana (2002) Compilation of singles, album tracks and one new song
With The Lights Out (2004) Box-set of unreleased tracks, outtakes and demos
Sliver: Best Of The Box (2005) Highlights of With The Lights Out
Live at Reading (2009) Performance from the Reading Festival in 1992
Icon (2010) Greatest hits album

Write-up by morgieb

[BoyBrumby]

224 points, no firsts, seconds or thirds & only six nominations? Shome Mishtake shurely?

Anyway, pedentry aside, again mildly surprised they aren't a place or two higher. Had them down at #21 in my list, which looks a tad tight in retrospect. Looking at who I have ahead tho, maybe not so much tho.

They were an amazing shot in the arm to a moribund 90s music scene & Cobain was, as Noel Gallagher observed, our generation's Lennon. With similarly dire taste in women too.

[Spark]

Sure you meant 6 and not 16?

[GIMH]

Jesus, need to fix that up. Sorry.

I will have to check the 2nds and 3rds but the kids are on the comp now so will do it later

[Riggins]

Love nirvana. Kinda wish the write up went the controversial route and cheekily mentioned cobains mirder. Haha

[grecian]

Dave Grohl, the only guy with two entries in the top list then?

Alan Partridge would be disgusted that Wings didn't make it though

[GIMH]

Nirvana were great. Love Bleach and In Utero, and Nevermind is a great album even if I can't listen to it anymore. Incesticide has about 8 or 9 great tracks, and there are some great moments on Unplugged. My love for them has lessened over the years but there is no denying that they made ****ing great tunes.

Think I actually ranked them 6th myself.

Thanks to morgie for the write-up btw, at short notice as well I might add.

[social]

Shouldnt rate in the top 100 really - couple of decent albums held up by a few great songs followed by a suicide

You only have tolook at the bands that have finished just behind them to realise this is nonsense - better than Pink Floyd, Led Zep?

No way on this planet or any other

[Daemon]

Originally Posted by social

Shouldnt rate in the top 100 really - couple of decent albums held up by a few great songs followed by a suicide

You only have tolook at the bands that have finished just behind them to realise this is nonsense - better than Pink Floyd, Led Zep?

No way on this planet or any other

One guy said that people who try to hate Nirvana are trying too hard.

[social]

Originally Posted by Daemon

I dont hate Nirvana by any stretch but Savage Garden has sold a **** load of records too and I dont see them in the top 10

[GIMH]

Still 5 to go social, don't count your chickens

[cpr]

Originally Posted by social

I dont hate Nirvana by any stretch but Savage Garden has sold a **** load of records too and I dont see them in the top 10

Possibly because Savage Garden have sold a load of **** records.


Could've at least picked someone decent for your comparison



I used to think Nirvana were very much overrated, however listening to Nevermind and In Utero again many years later, its hard to find faults with either album, certainly the latter. I don't put the Unplugged album as high as others, but it certainly has some gems on it, and shows Cobains ear for taking an idea (in these cases, other peoples songs) and tweaking them to nigh on perfection.

What Nirvana did was (with others of course) basically brought rock back down from the platform it'd put itself on in the 80's and made it connect with young listeners feelings. They are possibly one of the few bands who can actually claim to be the voice of a generation.

Sad as it is, Cobains death protected their legacy, as theres no way they would've been able to keep up the quality over a sustained career, few bands can constantly produce such quality over more than 5-6 years - even the Beatles struggled to 8 or so

[GIMH]

Numbers at the top are correct FTR, just checked

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by GIMH

Numbers at the top are correct FTR, just checked

Sure, now they are.

Originally Posted by cpr

Sad as it is, Cobains death protected their legacy, as theres no way they would've been able to keep up the quality over a sustained career, few bands can constantly produce such quality over more than 5-6 years - even the Beatles struggled to 8 or so

It's all supposition, obvz, but I've always been of the opinion that Unplugged in New York was a pointer for the way Cobain (whether solo or as part of Nirvana) would've gone. I think he'd have toned down the sonic fripperies and become an alt elder statesman like Neil Young or Michael Stipe are now.

Kurt obviously had a huge mancrush on the latter (using REM's long-time producer Scott Litt to polish off the raw edges of Albini's recordings for the In Utero singles), so it's really very frustrating the dickhead topped himself when (really) he'd barely scratched the surface of his talent.

[GIMH]

The later clips on With The Lights Out point at more In Utero style stuff for the short term though. Reckon you'd be right long term.