Prior to the emergence of the grunge movement, The Beatles provided the perfect primer, laying the necessary groundwork for acts like Nirvana to thrive on a violent concoction of punk and rock ‘n’ roll. “I would say the biggest influence I’ve ever had would be The Beatles,” Cobain once shared in an interview with Mimmo…

Unsurprisingly, given his position as the songwriter and frontman behind the most notorious group of the grunge era, Kurt Cobain is afforded something of a legendary status. The prevailing image of the songwriter is one of a dark, tortured artist fuelled by rage and a desire to tear down notions of conformity and the musical…

It’s often said that the greatest art is fuelled by darkness and trauma, and that’s precisely what Kurt Cobain embodied. His songwriting delved into the darkest recesses of his mind, presenting a macabre yet beautiful exploration to those willing to listen to it. Within Nirvana, many of his songs were born from narratives steeped in…

The vocal power of Kurt Cobain is too often overlooked. While his lyricism and attitude are what put him on the bedroom walls of teenagers across the globe in the early nineties as the face of grunge, his vocal performance is still a powerhouse piece of the puzzle. No better is this seen than with…

Kurt Cobain wrote many classic tracks for Nirvana, and while he might not have liked it, his most culturally significant was ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The definitive grunge anthem, the song’s release signalled a new dawn for rock music and culture as a whole. When Nirvana released the song in 1991, it preceded their classic…

Nirvana’s meteoric rise to fame brought both opportunities and challenges for Kurt Cobain. While he appreciated reaching a wider audience, he grappled with the notion of selling out and maintaining his independence as a rock musician. Cobain’s introspective struggles were reflected in his music, including the song ‘I Hate Myself and I Want To Die’,…

Coming out of the 1980s, rock and roll desperately needed a shakeup. With the influx of hair metal bands becoming more disingenuous by the day, Nirvana set in motion the next significant movement in rock history, letting go of the makeup and spandex for the flannel and ironic charm of grunge music. Though Nevermind has…

Very little of Nirvana’s discography could be categorised as ‘happy’. Nirvana popularised alternative rock music in the 1990s, pushing into mainstream commercial success with their loud, grungy riffs, but were characterised by their harsh, raw lyrics surrounding themes of rape, isolation, and mental illness. The band’s final single release in 1993 was no different. The…

Unsurprisingly, given his position as the songwriter and frontman behind the most notorious group of the grunge era, Kurt Cobain is afforded something of a legendary status. The prevailing image of the songwriter is one of a dark, tortured artist fuelled by rage and a desire to tear down notions of conformity and the musical…