Kurt Cobain's Musical Influence

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Few people have the ability to remain a driving musical influence years after death like Nirvana’s frontman and cult icon, Kurt Cobain has. Nirvana’s influence on the music world is undeniable, having sold over 75 million records worldwide. Like most great rock-stars before him, Cobain fit the “tortured artist” persona and was far from perfect. He struggled with drug addiction, depression, and was arrested for domestic violence. His tragic death at the peak of his career left the entire world wondering what could have been and immortalized him as one of the greatest musicians of all time. Kurt Cobain’s musical influence and advocacy of social issues is admirable, however, he should be deemed a negative influence due to his history of drug abuse and domestic violence.
Kurt Cobain’s music has endured the test of time by continuing to inspire …show more content…

He used his far-reaching public platform to bring social injustices to the limelight and advocate for acceptance and equality. The liner notes of Nirvana’s compilation album, Incesticide, read “If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us — leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records,” (Spanos). Cobain was unapologetic and unafraid of who his message might upset. In addition, Cobain openly talked about his own femininity, dismissing the masculinity that is often associated with rock stars. He is described as, “One of the first rockers to appear on the cover of the LGBT magazine The Advocate, Cobain often wore dresses while performing,” (DeRouchie). In a way, he normalized taboo questions on gender and pushed for acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Although this is one example of how Cobain was a positive role model who encouraged fans to be themselves, some of his other examples were not as

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