5 April 1994: Kurt Cobain dies.
On this day in 1994, the musician and grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain took his own life. Husband to Courtney Love and father to their daughter Frances Bean, Cobain’s death aged just 27 rocked the music world. It spelled the end of Nirvana, the band that put alternative rock into an unprecedented era of popularity.
Inspired by the alternative sounds of R.E.M. Pixies, and Sonic Youth, Cobain’s band Nirvana burst onto the Seattle scene with their first demos and album ‘Bleach’.
But it was with the band’s sophomore attempt that Nirvana would set the world alight. 1991’s ‘Nevermind’ was released to immediate acclaim. Despite Cobain not toning down his anti-establishment attitude, the more popular approach to songwriting made many of the songs instant hits, none more so than album opener ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The album went to number one in the US charts.
Today, ‘Nevermind’ is the definitive grunge album, moulding the sound of popular music in the early 90s and serving as an inspiration to many bands, concurrent and future, from Pearl Jam to Radiohead.
The commercial success of the band was always a point of consternation for Cobain, who shied away from the spotlight and preferred not to engage with the publicity aspects of his fame.
Another studio album would follow, 1993’s ‘In Utero’, a rawer (and better) album representing Cobain’s preferred musical style, as well as a formidably brilliant live album ‘MTV Unplugged in New York’ in 1994.
By the time ‘MTV Unplugged’ was released, Cobain was dead. Drug addiction, depression and the difficulties of his life as a public figure led to his suicide. Nevertheless, he left behind a treasure trove of brilliant songwriting with insightful lyrics, poignant to
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