Nirvana is a widely recognized band rising to fame in the 1990s that was formed in the late 1980s in Aberdeen, Washington by high school friends Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic.
Only in their early twenties, Nirvana aimed to use their music to convey emotion and change the direction of music with their “grunge” sound. Nirvana labelled themselves a Seattle band, referencing the “Seattle Sound,” a grunge scene featuring heavy dark riffs, loud drumming, and mass-bass action.
According to thelineofbestfit.com, during the Bleach era, early on guitarist Jason Everman was kicked out of the band. Cobain claimed that he was ‘moody’ and had too much of a heavy metal style for the band’s taste at the time.
As stated on FHE health, Cobain faced a turbulent childhood; as a child of divorced parents, he developed feelings of grief and abandonment. School was just as hard for him; Cobain often joked that he had ‘suicide genes’ to others and also joked that most the deaths in his family were a result of suicide. Cobain had a hard time focusing in classes, frequently skipping school. As a result of all of this, Cobain began consuming alcohol as early as the seventh grade.
Nirvana’s first debut album was Bleach. Released on June 15, 1989, the album drew quick attention with their hit song Love Buzz. This was their album that really captured that “grunge bloom” background. Other albums also became massive hits like Nevermind, In Utero, and Incesticide. Some songs from these albums feature Sliver, Heart-Shaped Box, and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Major albums:
Bleach:
Bleach is a sub-pop album from Nirvana’s early years as a band. Released June 15th, 1989, Bleach features more of the band’s heavy music that gave them the titles, “grunge” and “sludge rock.” This album is also often described as “polished-hair metal” by fans.
Nevermind:
Released on September 24, 1991, Nevermind is the second studio album and major American label debut by Nirvana. This album includes “quiet-loud” rhythm, and more alternative-rock elements that have helped reach the band that global fame and influence.
In Utero:
Released on September 21, 1993, The In Utero album is the third and last album recorded by Nirvana. The band wanted a less clean-sounding album than Nevermind, which they thought was too much like pop-music. They wanted to return to more “punk” sounding music much more similar to Bleach.
Incesticide:
Released on December 14, 1992, Incesticide is a compilation album including tracks from albums like Nevermind, In Utero, and Bleach. The album also includes original tracks, covers of songs, and demos. This album consists of more punk and “B-side” music.
Sources for albums: Wikipedia, The Current
