Why do so many people swoon over Nirvana?

Question

They honestly weren't all that good, all they used was power cords. Any idiot can play power cords on a guitar.

I am honestly starting to believe the only reason they are SO big right now is because Kurt Cobain was a drug addicted who killed himself.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a fan of grunge music but from the 80's not so much the 90's

Answer 1

I've wondered the exact same question. I mean they're nothing special. Yeah, I don't dislike them or anything, but everybody thinks they're the best thing since sliced bread.

Answer 2

You have problems.

You may not be able to tell what he's saying half the time, but they still rock. So go crawl back into your hole.

Answer 3

STUDIES BY THE NATION'S LEADING SCIENTISTS HAVE SHOWN INTELLIGENT PEOPLE CAN MAKE SENSE OF NIRVANA LYRICS.

Are you one of them i wonder? But, obviously, Bob Dylan is, and his favorite song is Polly. Bob is a Nirvana fan.

They're so respected because of Kurt's lyrics. His lyrics were innovative; meaningful and often metaphorical. Every time he performed a song, the lyrics usually changed slightly. He was always refining his work.

He said his songs were lines that sounded good put together out of all the poetry he wrote, based on his experiences, feelings, & thoughts.

Just one example (there are many), is

'something in the way'.

It's about being homeless/ sleeping rough, inspired from when he spent weeks as a teenager sleeping under a bridge sometimes. He's a lyrical legend who will go down in history, like Lennon and Dylan.

As for his guitar playing, he was NO virtuoso. His technical skills were mediocre, he openly admitted this. But he had enough skill for the kind of band he was in. He used the skills he did have to make some very powerful sounding songs. He wasn't a great guitarist, he was a great lyricist. And he DIDN'T invent grunge, his band just made it popular. He NEVER claimed to have invented it.

He was already respected in his life, he didn't just become an icon after he died.

Every celebrity who dies gets more hype after death, Elvis, Hendrix, Lennon.... And, believe it or not, every legend's greatness gets questioned. (Just yesterday, there was a question by someone who thought Hendrix WASN'T the best guitarist. People have asked questions faulting the Beatles' talent this week.)

So, you don't have to like Nirvana's sound, but i think you should respect Kurt's talent. There are a lot of bands whose music i just don't like, but i respect they are gifted.

So go on, give me thumbs down because you don't like what i've said, if that's what you really want to do. =]

Answer 4

Because the killed off the glam hair metal bands in 1991 with their Nevermind album

Answer 5

Cause people are tools. People think of Cobain as some sort of "hero" when he really isn't. In fact if anything I think Cobain would be angry about the legacy he has created.

Answer 6

I swore I would never be like all the people who lived through the 60s but I think, in some respects, you had to be there.

Nirvana is beloved because, regardless of who you credit with "inventing" grunge, they took it mainstream and kept me from ever having to hear bands like Slaughter on the radio again.

Clearly, being a member of the 27 Club, bolsters his status as we never had to see him get old and start to suck.  But if you lived in the early 90s Nirvana was a force.  Kurt Cobain embodied the attitude of a generation of people.  He was larger than life when he was alive, it's not in death that he gained such huge status.

Answer 7

Yes there were other bands that were infinitely better musicians than Kurt, Chris and Dave. A big part of their appeal were Kurt's lyrics. They resonated (and still resonate) with the youth of a generation. People listened and looked at Kurt and saw that they weren't the only ones hurting or feeling alienated, etc.....

Adding into the mix his suicide, it amplifies the impact of the lyrics and to his tragic persona

Just like many, I am tired of their 'radio-friendly' material (and those individuals who claim to be uber-fans and can only tell you their hits when asked what they performed). Pull out Bleach (or any album besides Nevermind) and there's a great deal of amazing music. So what if they use power chords....... so doesn't Green Day and any number of bands.

Kurt was the poster boy for 90s grunge by some twist in fate, so many took notice when he died, many still do. Do they lavish this much attention on Lane Staley? Not so much.

*EDIT* - Nirvana post grunge? Are you kidding? They formed in 1987 in Seattle but didn't have commercial breathrough success until 1990. They are grunge. Post-grunge are bands like Bush, Collective Soul, Days of the New, and Silverchair.

Answer 8

you pretty much hit it on the head with killing himself and they had stage prescense that made fans go crazy

Answer 9

listen to smells like teen spirit and then tell me that nirvana sucks.

Answer 10

Nirvana was/is very popular because Kurt Cobain lived every bit of his music.  he truly felt what he sang and it came through in his lyrics.  they also came about during a time when a lot of people were feeling the same frustrations with society and being outcast.  they will go down as one of the best bands of all time, and people will appreciate their work for decades to come.

Answer 11

this question kinda pissed me off. its not like everywhere you go there are people blasting nirvana and talking about them. why does it matter if he used alot of power chords? he made the music work and it sounds great with his singing. plus they arent that big anymore what are you talking about?  sure people still wear nirvana shirts and stuf but thats about it. i dont think you know what the fu_k you are talking about. maybe kurt was on drugs but the other two werent major drug users. bad question. get over it nirvana is the **** and you dont have to listen to them if you dont want. obviously all their songs arent the same, thats just stupid to say. why would you make this a question just to put them down?

Answer 12

just because their songs werent complex, doesnt mean they werent good. plus their lyrics were... unique. their songs dont all sound the same.

and why would they be popular just because kurt was a herion addict who killed himself? that doesnt make sense...

listen to their mtv unplugged and tell me they werent great. and i said great, not the best grunge band ever.

Answer 13

Nirvana Is Great my fave band

he sings with soul!

Answer 14

JimmyJazz hit the nail on the head, you had to be there at the time (and man that makes me feel old to say that).  Prior to them becoming a musical force, the musical mainstream was focused on the hair metal bands of the 80's and the concept of the all-night party and having a good time.  When Nirvana broke in with their songs of alienation, they turned the music industry on their head, bringing with them a new sound in music that beforehand had only survived in the underground (and thank god for that).  True, his death has probably turned them into an iconic status but their impact on the music scene cannot be denied.

As for Nirvana being post-grunge, I have no clue where you're coming up with that one.  Yeah, they probably did not invent it but no one individual did.  Seattle was more of a community with different people sharing ideas.  Yeah, the Trees released their first album back in 1986 but the majority of bands that came through released their debut album around 1988 (Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden although Soundgarden's Screaming Life and Fop e.p.'s came out earlier).  Nirvana just happened to be the first band to bring the whole lot to commercial appeal.

And if you like Screaming Trees, check out some of Mark Lanegan's solo stuff.  Whiskey For The Holy Ghost is a great listen.  

Answer 15

no offence, but you my dear are seriously ignorant and shallow minded. they were famous because they created such masterpieces with "S***y repeated bar chords." and maybe nirvana was know worldwide because of kurt cobain, but it wasn't because he was some drugo, it was because kurt cobain and nirvana opened the gates to punk rock once more. they basicaly created grunge itself.

nirvana was an amazing band, and so was kurt cobain. he saved music in my opinion, and i believe any rock listener should respect him and other amazing bands

Answer 16

Well,everything that needs to be said on the matter has already been pretty much said,but I will agree through that they are grossly overrated in my opinion.

But yeah,post-grunge practically means post-Nirvana and from what I've noticed refers to nu-metal bands mostly.

Answer 17

"I am honestly starting to believe the only reason they are SO big right now is because Kurt Cobain was a drug addicted who killed himself."

BINGO!!!!

you are right on the money sister

Answer 18

Disagree.

It doesn't matter if they only played power chords, the music still sounded great, and the guitar playing is the only thing you're focusing on, not the music as a whole, composition, lyrics, etc. Try and come up with a better argument next time.

Edit: Ha - You obviously haven't listened to very much if you think all their music sounds the same. And yes I do listen to grunge besides Nirvana. Ooh, hmm, and I still like Nirvana - oops, bye-bye your crappy argument.

Answer 19

not all of their music was "power chords"...

i'm not a fan of Nirvana at all, but i must admit that their Mtv Unplugged performance was quite fantastic.

i also agree that that Kurt Kobain and Nirvana just happened to come along at the right time.  the world of music was looking for change and Nirvana was there.  they weren't brilliant, or even great, the were just on time.  

however, Dave Grohl IS a genius and IS fantastic...