Has there ever been a lyric that codified the entire attitude of a generation better than, “Here we are now—entertain us”? That line, delivered amidst a cavalcade of free-associative imagery in the chorus of Nirvana’s breakout single “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” managed to vividly invoke the energy of the then-emergent wave of American humanity that was first dubbed Generation X. The result was a massive counterpunch that challenged a multitude of establishment systems—and at the center of that accidental revolution was Nirvana, a trio from Seattle led by a charismatic agent of chaos named Kurt Cobain. Their reign was brief: Three proper albums over five years, with a sudden ending punctuated by Cobain’s suicide in 1994. But even though Nirvana ended far too soon, their music remains the soundtrack of young people thirsty for something to call their own, and Cobain acted as a pied piper who opened eyes to new ideas, sounds, and possibilities. The significance of the band is still relevant to the listeners that responded all those years ago. Here we are now—still talking with reverence, about Nirvana.
RELUCTANT HEROES • Nirvana’s conflicted complexity reflected the feelings and emotions of Gen X
THE SOUND OF DISSATISFACTION • Grunge was never a proper genre—it was more a way to label a movement
AGE OF INNOCENCE • Kurt Cobain was a well-adjusted kid who became a troubled young man
QUIET AMBITION • With Nirvana, Cobain was always conflicted between wanting to remain obscure and wanting to hit it big
THE ALBUMS • Three for the ages, Nirvana’s catalog was short, loud and sweet
THE FAME MACHINE • Once Nirvana became massive, Cobain felt guilty and was intent on undoing it
“BETTER TO BURN OUT….” • The late stages of Kurt Cobain’s brief life were full of warnings about what was to come
THE MYTHOLOGY • Kurt Cobain’s tragic death brought him even greater fame and attention
COME AS YOU ARE • What happened to the key people in Nirvana’s universe after 1994?
The Story of Nirvana
PHOTO CREDITS
UNOFFICIAL THE STORY OF NIRVANA