ARTIST

Nirvana

Forming in Aberdeen, Washington in the mid-'80s with Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, Nirvana played slightly above-average riff-rock that bonded a select group of misfits in the great Northwest. By the time of their first album Bleach, Cobain sounded torn between the angry teenage angst of his upbringing and the pretty pop melodies of his even earlier childhood of listening to The Beatles.

Their timing was impeccable. Picking up drummer Dave Grohl from Washington, D.C.'s Scream, the band went in the studio with producer Butch Vig to record Nevermind. Vig disciplined the band and gave them what became the industry standard for alternative releases. After the meteoric success of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the album's first single, Cobain began having second thoughts about pop stardom. He had grown up in a world of Sonic Youth and The Melvins, bands that accrued respect, not massive royalty statements. He rejected the adulation as the album's four videos received endless rotation on MTV.

In Utero came as expected. A rougher production, courtesy of Chicago knob-twiddler Steve Albini, the album's singles were remixed by Scott Litt to slightly prettify what was essentially a basement production. The album's pledge to punk ethos gained the band considerable credibility even as it hurt the songs. Cobain grew frustrated with his role and alluded to an undissolvable case of writer's block. They taped an episode of MTV's MTV Unplugged in New York, which has since become a much heralded acoustic performance.

Written by Rob O'Connor