Nirvana! Ten Reasons why Nirvana is my Favorite Band

*Okay everyone, so I have selected several different bands already that I feel embody the great stuff of Alt. rock from the 80s, 90s, and kinda early 2000s.  Now, I'll close up this jam session with my remaining band/artist choice:

Nirvana!

Being that Nirvana is not only one of the best Alternative Rock bands of all time and is simultaneously my favorite band, I decided to do this post a bit differently. Instead of the usual format, I think the following list will do this band a little more justice:

Ten Reasons why Nirvana is my Favorite Band:

Cobain at Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged recording, i.e. his natural habitat. ;)

1.) They have great personality

If you've ever listened to Nirvana's music, you probably already know that their music is not generic, being that it packs a lot of personality.  How does it pack so much personality? Well, just from the lyrics and tone of the music, you can tell that the band (namely the chief songwriter, Kurt Cobain) does not care at all what people think.  In my opinion, that is a major trademark for an artist that is able to make something of themselves.  Also, you'll find the occasional Nirvana lyric that will make you laugh for its dark humor.  Love it!

2.) Their songs mean something

Ever heard the song "Polly" or "Rape me?" Well, these are just two examples of Nirvana songs that mean something.  "Polly" is about a girl Cobain read about in a Washington newspaper. She was kidnapped and held against her will (hence all of the talk about being trapped in the song).  He was clearly not for this, so he created a song that would speak out against it--"Polly." With that, "Rape Me" is often considered a disgusting, loathsome creature of a song.  However, this is because people often don't know what it is really saying. Cobain himself said the song was "anti-rape," which leads me to believe that there has been no song to date that has been so powerful in this attempt to convey the fact that rape is bad.  I mean, how much stronger can you get than directly yelling the title of that song into a mic? Now that's how you make a statement. Perhaps some don't understand it, but usually when I tell people what the song means, they say "Oh..." and totally loosen up about it.  

Basically, Cobain was one of the best lyricists of our time (at least in my opinion). So most, if not all, of Nirvana's songs are pretty on point when it comes to really saying something.

3.) Kurt Cobain is just a BAWSS (song writer, singer, guitar player, etc.)

'Nuff said. ;) JK, if you watch any interviews by Cobain, you'll quickly find that he: was a dedicated artist, had a brain, was pretty hilarious, was personable (even if he did not think so), respects fans who love his music, and did not tolerate nonsense from anybody.  I recommend watching some of his interviews on youtube--you won't regret it.  Especially if you're a Nirvana fan.

                

4.) They Rock like punks, but also do some killer chill-rocking.

Nirvana was influenced by both punk and classic rock music.  This gives them a really great sound that combines two great styles of rock to really create the genre they helped pioneer--grunge/alt. rock. And if you listen to their songs really closely, you will see just how much they tapped into the work of previous artists in the genres of classic rock and punk rock. Pretty cool, if you ask me!

5.) Their music videos are works of freaking art!

Have you ever seen the music video for "Heart-Shaped Box?"  What about "In Bloom?"  Or, like, any other music video they've ever produced?  They're wicked cool to say the least.  I'll let the videos speak for themselves here.

6.) They introduced the anthem of a generation

Not many people will deny the fact the Nirvana introduced the music that would describe the rising generation(s).  Don't agree?  Well, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" would beg to differ. This song is perhaps the most popular song Nirvana came out with.  I don't think that means it was their best track because it really wasn't.  However, it did succeed in helping bring us into a new era of music.  There are some additional fun facts about the song in the "107 Facts About Nirvana" Youtube video that I included at the bottom of the list. ;)

Above: a snippet from the music video for "Teen Spirit."

7.) Their music and its applicability have incredible longevity.

Believe it or not, Nirvana tackled some pretty important social issues in their music that still need to be addressed today.  As a result, we can still listen to Nirvana and be like, "Yeah, I totally agree with this!" At the same time, they had a tone that was uniquely 90s that cannot be utilized today due to political correctness.  I think we can all learn one lesson from Nirvana's tone though: if we are straight forward with what we think, we will get much farther than if we beat around the bush with political correctness.  It just stifles creativity and meaningful dialogue! So my hat's off to Nirvana for not caring about what people think.

8.) They are from the West coast and were forerunners in the building of a new genre of rock: Alt./Grunge

I LOVE the West coast grunge sound that is characteristic of the 90s--especially for places like Seattle, Washington.  Nirvana originated in Washington, and so had an opportunity to influence the burgeoning musical genre. And many Nirvana and music historians will tell you that Nirvana's version of grunge was different than that which was out at the time when Nirvana began.  After Nirvana gained fame and influence, people saw that their version of alternative or "grunge" rock was worth pursuing.

9.) They have influenced numerous other artists

There are countless artists that make covers of Nirvana songs, even today.  With that, Nirvana's style has ultimately encouraged rock bands to look for that grungy sound in their music, and have influenced what is the new genre of Alt. Rock (see "The New Americana," for example).  Also, there are countless references to Nirvana, their songs, and Kurt Cobain in songs produced since Cobain's death in 1994.  50 Cent even talks about Cobain in one of his hit songs.

10.) Power Chords become more than just power chords

Sure, a lot of people complain that Nirvana uses primarily power chords, but that is actually part of the reason why their music is so good...  You see, music that gets really popular is all about the catchiness and the repeating patterns.  When people hear simplicity to a good rhythm that works, they will go nuts!  Though, writing songs like this still requires a bunch of work because it calls for creativity.  And not many people possess enough creativity to make the right combo of chords.  However, this just goes to show that you don't have to get complicated to have a good song if you're creative.  If you want complex music, listen to post-modern dissonant stuff.

Well, now you know some reasons why I appreciate Nirvana so much. I hope you can enjoy some of their music too!  Thanks for reading, and keep rockin' our socks, Pragmus fans.

Corey Cherrington

(Pragmus Sigma)

Blog and Social Media Administrator