“We’re just musically and rhythmically retarded. We play so hard that we can’t tune our guitars fast enough. People can relate to that.” Kurt Cobain’s thoughts on why his band, Nirvana was such a massive success in an unexpected way. A heroin shooting, guitar strumming musician who sang the barely audible lyrics which spoke so loudly for the angst ridden youth of America had such an important influence on our culture that over twenty years later, the details around his suicide are still heatedly debated. The impact that Cobain had on the world was intense at the time and can still be found today; the music he wrote for Nirvana had influence on the music industry, his unintended voice to angst-ridden society and even the fashion industry cashed in on his style.
Cobain, the lead guitarist, writer and singer for a band called Nirvana shook the groggy music world with the release of Smells Like Teen Spirit from the album Nevermind over twenty years ago on September 10, 1991. Nobody ever imagined that the simple four-chord progression would ever grab so much attention that it would hit number 6, let alone the Nevermind album knocking Michael Jackson’s Dangerous out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboards. (Shmoop) The fact that a grungy, distortion filled song became such a radio hit proved that Nirvana’s shy singer was now the much needed voice for the youth. New found fame hurdled the little known Cobain into the limelight almost instantly; hungry fans gobbled up and imitated everything they could about him. No longer were kids interested in listening the pop music that saturated the 80’s; they now had music that voiced how aloof they felt about their existence. Kids who were misunderstood by their parents and elders, finally...
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...obain resonated with fans so much so that there were a few mock suicides in the days after his death.
Works Cited
Davidson, Helen. “Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit: How an era-defining moment was sold short.” News Com AU. N.p., 26 Aug. 2011. Web 15 Apr. 2014.
Di Perna, Alan. "Cast a Giant Shadow." Guitar World. March 2014: 1-106. Print.
"Kurt Donald Cobain." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 27 2014http://www.biography.com/people/kurt-cobain-9542179.
Nnadi, Chioma. “Kirt Cobain and the Legacy of Grunge in Fashion – Vogue.” Kurt Cobain and the Legacy of Grunge in Fashion – Vogue. N.p. Web 24 Apr. 2014.
Rolling Stone Editorial Team. “Here We Are Now”. Rolling Stones Magazine Special Edition. March 2014: 14-25. Print.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
“Why The Grateful Dead Were the Greatest American Rock Band:, BlogCritics, BlogCritics, 2014, web, 16 April 2014
Sheff references Kurt Cobain’s suicide note saying “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” This seems to comes to represent what seems to be Nic’s ending unless he gets the help he needs. Nic was on a path that was seeming to lead to death by overdose, in which he would “burn out” instead of being able to “fade away like an old soldier”. Kurt Cobain is referenced again when Sheff states that he “wants to scream like Kurt Cobain. I want to scream at him.” This gives insight as to how the musical stylings of Kurt Cobain seem to be a trigger for David Sheff’s memories of his addict of a son. These references illustrate the emotion that is being felt by the author while making connections to the life of a famous man who was a great influence on Sheff’s
Kurt was an extremely happy child. He would wake up everyday so happy. He was
Suicide is the most accepted theory to Kurt Cobain’s death, gaining support from not only the Seattle Police Department but Cobain’s own family at the time of death. Cobain was reported to have been clinically depressed for the majority of his life and was crippled with severe drug addiction. In photographs taken of the body viewers can plainly see the medical bracelet for the drug rehab center he had broken out of. He was completely dependent on heroin and was quoted saying “This is the only thing saving me from blowing my head off”. Band members also reported that Cobain was disconnected from his friends and family during his final days. Photos of Kurt Cobain’s body have been stated to show Cobain splayed out on the floor with a shotgun firmly gripped in his hand and a box of
Although the style of ‘Rock music’ is easily adaptable to many different sounds, it is still thoroughly identified by its definingly amplified rhythm. The sudden worldwide popularity of rock and roll resulted in an unparalleled social impact. Rock ‘n’ Roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, and language in a way few other social developments have equaled. The social impact is so large that rock stars are worshipped worldwide. In its early years, many adults condemned the style of music, placing a stigma on its name, and forbid their children from listening and following its ways.
The biggest influential song on Nirvana’s Nevermind album was the first song, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” It reached number 6 on the Top 40 Charts. This song was groundbreaking for Nirvana and the alternative music scene as a whole. After the release of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” white, middle-class youth of the United States finally had a style of music to call their own and express their “teenage anthems” (Stuessy, Joe). This was the first song to emerge from alternative rock and to be known in the mainstream of rock and roll, expressing their generation’s expectations, “...here we are now, entertain us”(Stuessy, Joe). “Smells like Teen Spirit” was Curt Cobain’s “attempt to write the ultimate pop song”(Nevermind, Nirvana). He used the soft-loud dynamics of his favorite band, the Pixies. The insidious hooks also showed his admiration for the Beatle’s John Lennon(Nevermind, Nirvana). The style used in this song is simple, plain, loud, and straight-forward. Musically, there is nothing very “innovative” or difficult. However, the reason it is important to rock history is because it brought America’s attention to the once before underground style of grunge. “A driving drum beat, powered by Novelsek’s rhythmic bass, and a memorable guitar riff and solo, mix perfectly with Kurt Cobain’s depressing yet humorous lyrics” (Kastner, Patrick). While it has certainly been overplayed in the past years, it is still an essential part of Rock history.
By the end of Nick Broomfield's controversy-plagued documentary Kurt & Courtney, I think I knew as much about Broomfield himself as I knew about Kurt Cobain or Courtney Love. The film might have begun as a biographical study, exploring the tempestuous tives of Nirvana lead singer Cobain and Courtney Love both before and after their 1992 marriage, but that's not the story it ends up telling. Instead, it becomes the tale of Broomfield's ongoing battle with Love over the making of the film -- her successful efforts to persuade MTV to withdraw funding, her objection to the use of
That happened a few times. We’d be stuck with a dead battery because I’d listen to Freddie Mercury too much,” (Cobain). I feel guilty beyond words about these things. For example, when we're back on stage and the lights go out and the manic roar of the crowds begins, it doesn't affect me the way it did for Freddie Mercury, who seemed to love, relish in the love and adoration from the crowd, which is something I totally admire and envy,” (Cobain “Letter”). Along with Kurt Cobain, Freddie inspired his own stand to become a musician.
In closing, the undoubtable influence of music, more specifically of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation and racial desegregation all culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the desperate attempts of older generations to smother these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, molding the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes as well as individual involvement in them has also eased the lives of many through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite a lull and renewal Rock ‘n’ Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today’s youth culture and continues to burn in the heart of past generations of loyal fans.
DeRogatis, Jim. (2002). A piece of Kurt Cobain. In JimDero.com. Retrieved July 21, 2010, from
Kurt Cobain and Nirvana affected many people and still do today. With their album, Nevermind Nirvana shaped and created grunge music. Before Nirvana had come along, alternative had been classified as a “tax write-off” for most major labels. According to a quote from Matt Habeger from diffuser.fm, “At the time they were all into bands like Mötley Crue, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Poison and the rest. I felt that I was supposed to like this music because the older kids did, but I didn’t really understand or relate to it. Then ‘Nevermind’ came out and completely obliterated that whole era of music.” While reading through the article, it made me realize how many people's lives changed when listening to Nirvana’s music.
Along with the peak of several movements music began to reach a point of climax. Rock specifically began to flourish in the 1960’s, while expressing the voice of the liberated generation. It is the power of such trends that overall lead to what is known as the greatest music festival of all time: Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The festival started on August 15, 1969 on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York. Appealing to the time period, Woodstock was designed to be Three Days of Peace and Music. However, many argue that it was more than just a musical art fair of peace, but a historically significant event that shifted American culture. While some regard Woodstock as the beginning of a cultural advancement and the end of a naïve era, others view it as ridiculous hippy festival infested with illegal drug usage. Woodstock cost over $2.4 million and attracted over 450,000 people (Tiber, 1). Despite the debate of whether Woodstock produced a positive or negative effect, it is clear that a note worthy impact was made. When discussing the overall impact of Woodstock it is important to look at the influences and creative plan and the positive and negative effects produced from the festival.
This article demonstatres how important Kurt Cobain was both as a rock and roll icon and a philosopher. His songs which he recorded himself are still popular today, over 20 years after his death. The author argues how Cobain influences other young artists and his effect on the direction of the music industry.
Skaters. They are the typical representation of the grunge culture of the ‘90s. Extremely wide pants, pockets that go to the back of their knees, extravagant piercings, intricate tattoos, and twenty-fourth century hair dos are just part of the looks that these so called “grungy people” are made of. Or at least they were when the grunge phenomenon started. With the death of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, the grunge movement seems to have slowed down and even—as some say—disappeared from the main stream pop culture. As we all know, those commercial creations often come and go without us even noticing them. But grunge, I think, has moved to a different direction, one that can trick us into thinking it is gone. Grunge is still among our youngsters, and that is for sure; it is just not as noticeable as is used to be. But, what is exactly grunge and what direction is it taking?