Music History

Nirvana played their first concert with Dave Grohl on drums. The performance took place at the North Shore Surf Club in Olympia, Washington.

Nirvana filmed the music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at GMT Studios in Culver City, California. The video was conceived as a chaotic school rally at “Anarchy High School” and featured real Nirvana fans recruited at a concert two days earlier. The filming cost less than $50,000, and the video became a major MTV hit that helped Nirvana break into the mainstream.

Nirvana thrilled the audience at the Reading Festival in England. Their performance culminated with Kurt Cobain diving headfirst into Dave Grohl's drum kit. A year later, Nirvana became the festival's headliners.

Boston rock radio station WFNX gave Nirvana's album "Nevermind" its worldwide radio premiere at 7:00 p.m., playing the album in its entirety from beginning to end. DJ Kurt St. Thomas hosted the broadcast, which included the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

During their European tour, Nirvana recorded “Dumb”, “Drain You” and “Endless Nameless” at the BBC Maida Vale studios in London for John Peel’s program.

Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, one of the defining songs of the grunge era.

Nirvana’s album Nevermind receives gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Nirvana’s album Nevermind reaches No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart.

Nirvana won the Best New Artist and Best Alternative Video awards at the MTV Video Music Awards for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Nirvana reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 with "In Utero," their third and final studio album. Kurt Cobain had originally wanted to name the album "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die." The album also topped the charts in the UK, Australia and Sweden.

Nirvana released the live album “From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah”, featuring concert recordings from 1989–1994. The album reached No. 1 in six countries, including the United States.

A US court dismissed a man's lawsuit against Nirvana over the iconic cover of the 1991 album Nevermind, which depicts him as a naked baby. Spencer Elden claimed that his photograph constituted child sexual abuse, but the judge ruled that he had brought the claim too late.