Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist
Kurt Cobain and bassist
Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting being
Dave Grohl, who joined the band in 1990.
In the late 1980s Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle
grunge scene,
releasing its first album Bleach for the independent record label Sub
Pop in 1989. The band eventually came to develop a sound that relied on
dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses.
After signing to major label DGC Records, Nirvana found unexpected
success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", the first single from the band's
second album Nevermind (1991). Nirvana's sudden success widely
popularized alternative rock as a whole, and the band's frontman Cobain
found himself referred to in the media as the "spokesman of a
generation", with Nirvana being considered the "flagship band" of
Generation X. Nirvana's third studio album, In Utero (1993), featured an
abrasive, less-mainstream sound and challenged the group's audience.
The album did not match the sales figures of Nevermind but was still a
critical and commercial success.
Nirvana's brief run ended following the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994,
but various posthumous releases have been issued since, overseen by
Novoselic, Grohl, and Cobain's widow Courtney Love. Since its debut, the
band has sold over 25 million records in the United States alone, and
over 75 million records worldwide.