Nirvana

USA, 1987–1994

Band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987 by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, with Dave Grohl from 1990. Nevermind (1991) brought the Seattle scene and its labels to a mass audience.

MusicRoots documents 7 artists who influenced Nirvana and 13 artists Nirvana influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Nirvana?

• Pixies — Cobain admitted that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was an attempt to write a Pixies song.
• The Stooges — Cobain named the Stooges' 'Raw Power' his favourite album.
• Black Flag — Black Flag's hardcore is part of Nirvana's punk foundation.
• Black Sabbath — Nirvana's heavy riffs inherit from Black Sabbath.
• Lead Belly — The 'Unplugged' finale was a cover of Lead Belly's 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night'.
• Neil Young — Cobain's note quoted Young's 'better to burn out than to fade away'; Young — 'the godfather of grunge' — answered with Sleeps with Angels. The influence was documented on both sides.
• Sonic Youth — Sonic Youth mentored Nirvana directly — brought them to Geffen, took them on the 1991 tour filmed as The Year Punk Broke; Cobain called them his favourite band.

Which artists did Nirvana influence?

• Lana Del Rey — Del Rey has named Nirvana an inspiration — the raw melancholy under the glamour of her sound.
• The Vines — Craig Nicholls names Nirvana a key early inspiration — the Vines played several Nirvana songs early on, and Kurt Cobain's raw delivery and quiet-loud dynamics run through their sound.
• Three Days Grace — Nirvana's loud-quiet grunge is part of the '90s foundation behind Three Days Grace's radio rock.
• Breaking Benjamin — Ben Burnley's songwriting is rooted in Nirvana — the melodic, dark grunge template underpins Breaking Benjamin.
• Seether — Shaun Morgan's songwriting is steeped in Nirvana — their melodic, angst-driven grunge is Seether's foundation.
• Flyleaf — Lacey Sturm names Nirvana a big inspiration — their loud-quiet dynamics and raw emotion underpin Flyleaf's alt-metal.
• Bush — Bush's loud-quiet dynamics and raw, melodic grunge drew such heavy comparison to Nirvana that they were often called a British echo of the Seattle sound.
• Silverchair — Silverchair's teenage debut was steeped in Nirvana — the loud-quiet grunge template drives 'Tomorrow' and Frogstomp.
• Ash — Nirvana's loud-quiet grunge shaped the heavier, distorted side of Ash's teenage rock.
• Veruca Salt — Nirvana's melodic grunge shaped the heavier, distorted side of Veruca Salt's harmony-pop.
• Wolf Alice — Nirvana's loud-quiet grunge dynamics feed the grungier, explosive side of Wolf Alice.
• Epik High — Tablo's other half — the alternative rock he was listening to alongside the rap, and where the group's louder, unpolished records come from.
• Muse — Bellamy names Nevermind and The Bends as the two most important albums of the decade.