This Sept. 24 marks 31 years since Nirvana’s second and most prominent album, “Nevermind” was released. But how did this household name become so popular in the first place?
In the 1980’s, hair metal ruled radio and charts when it came to rock, with bands like “Motley Crue” and “Guns n’ Roses” played out by stations around the country. However, also during that time was an underground music scene, especially prominent in Seattle, Washington. Bands like “Alice in Chains,” “Soundgarden,”and “Mudhoney” performed in small bars and clubs in the city, some releasing indie albums and labels in the mid to late 80s. This scene came to be called “grunge,” coined by Johnathan Poneman, cofounder of Sub Pop, due to the heavy guitar riffs and grimy vocals. But in 1987, a band called “Nirvana” with members such as Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and a handful of drummers was formed.
In 1989, Nirvana released their debut studio album, “Bleach,” on the Sub Pop label. Even with the limited promotion the label showed the album and its singles, the album sold 40,000 copies before the release of “Nevermind.” However, after the initial release of their second album on the David Geffen label, they re-released “Bleach,” which has sold 1.9 million copies as of today. On the album, Novoselic and Cobain were joined by multiple drummers, the most prominent drummer being Chad Channing. He would later be replaced by Dave Grohl, the former drummer of DC hardcore band, Scream, in September 1990, only a year before the release of “Nevermind.”
In August 1991, the music video for the lead single on “Nevermind” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was recorded and then released on MTV 14 days before the album’s official release on DGC records, turning the group from a barely-known indie band to the voices of a generation in only a matter of months. The quick and loud riff on the guitar, heavy bass, extreme drumlines, and raw vocals from Cobain caused the song to quickly chang the mainstream from big hair to flannel, and gave teenagers a song to relate to, thanks to the confusing lyrics illustrating navigating high school and lines demonstrating teenage angst shared by millions worldwide.
With the clear themes in the opening track of high school and shared teenage angst, plus its raw sound, this theme and sound didn’t stay consistent during the whole album. “Nevermind” constantly shifts from pop – with tracks such as “Drain You,” “On A Plain,” and even “Come As You Are”– to raw and heavier tracks, such as “Territorial Pissings,” “Breed,” and “Stay Away.” Although the constant contrast in tone and lyrical themes, Nirvana perfectly executes the shifts and makes it work all throughout the album while also giving the listener a unique experience while listening.
Other tracks, such as “Something In The Way” and “Polly” showcase Cobain’s different areas of his art, including his sense of melody and storytelling. Throughout the album, those two tracks are the softest out of the tracklist, as well as the two with the heaviest lyrical content, making them not as digestible for listeners looking to listen, rather than analyze. Both tracks give a more poetic approach to the writing. However, this approach could lead to meanings becoming lost for some people who find it easier to digest meanings in a more straight forward manner with nothing hiding the subject matter.
On the other hand, tracks like “Breed” and “Stay Away” both have repeating lyrics and less of an emphasis on lyrical content, like other songs on the album that focus on the sound. Although both songs have stories attached to them, they take on the punk influences shared by all three band members, with messy instrument playing that still ends up sounding great and fitting in perfectly with the rest of the album.
All throughout the album, Nirvana’s technique and skill is shown on every track, even with different approaches. With Kurt Cobain’s raw vocals, heavy guitar playing, Dave Grohl’s raw but soft background vocals, skillful drumming, and Krist Novoselic’s strong basslines and skill, “Nevermind” became an extremely important part of rock and roll history and will stay iconic forever, giving something for others to relate to for many more years. Simply, an album that will never age.
Article written by Morgan Butler of Albert Einstein High School
Photo courtesy of Flickr