Nirvana - Nevermind :: essays research papers fc

History of Rock and Roll There possibly isn't an album in history that is as genre defining as Nirvana's Nevermind. Released in 1991, it single handedly was responsible for the birth of what became to be known as grunge and has gone on to sell over 10 million copies in the United States alone (Stuessy, Joe). It reached number 1 in 1991 and was the first album to bring Seattle grunge to the mainstream audience (Stuessy, Joe). Nevermind is a mix of slow, dark songs and fast paced grunge rock songs. With its grinding guitars, pounding drums, and lead singer, Kurt Cobain's distinctive voice, Nevermind found a distinctive way to fuse alternative punk with 70's rock (Nirvana, Nevermind). The biggest influential song on Nirvana’s Nevermind album was the first song, â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit.† It reached number 6 on the Top 40 Charts. This song was groundbreaking for Nirvana and the alternative music scene as a whole. After the release of â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit,† white, middle-class youth of the United States finally had a style of music to call their own and express their â€Å"teenage anthems† (Stuessy, Joe). This was the first song to emerge from alternative rock and to be known in the mainstream of rock and roll, expressing their generation’s expectations, â€Å"...here we are now, entertain us†(Stuessy, Joe). â€Å"Smells like Teen Spirit† was Curt Cobain’s â€Å"attempt to write the ultimate pop song†(Nevermind, Nirvana). He used the soft-loud dynamics of his favorite band, the Pixies. The insidious hooks also showed his admiration for the Beatle’s John Lennon(Nevermind, Nirvana). Th e style used in this song is simple, plain, loud, and straight-forward. Musically, there is nothing very â€Å"innovative† or difficult. However, the reason it is important to rock history is because it brought America’s attention to the once before underground style of grunge. â€Å"A driving drum beat, powered by Novelsek’s rhythmic bass, and a memorable guitar riff and solo, mix perfectly with Kurt Cobain’s depressing yet humorous lyrics† (Kastner, Patrick). While it has certainly been overplayed in the past years, it is still an essential part of Rock history. â€Å"Come As You Are† and â€Å"Polly† showcase that Nirvana were not only a band interested in seeing people jump up and down and scream at shows. Many people, fans and celebrities alike consider â€Å"Polly† to be Kurt Cobain’s most well written song. â€Å"Polly†, number six, is a story of a girl who got molested and tortured and sexually abused. Nirvana - Nevermind :: essays research papers fc History of Rock and Roll There possibly isn't an album in history that is as genre defining as Nirvana's Nevermind. Released in 1991, it single handedly was responsible for the birth of what became to be known as grunge and has gone on to sell over 10 million copies in the United States alone (Stuessy, Joe). It reached number 1 in 1991 and was the first album to bring Seattle grunge to the mainstream audience (Stuessy, Joe). Nevermind is a mix of slow, dark songs and fast paced grunge rock songs. With its grinding guitars, pounding drums, and lead singer, Kurt Cobain's distinctive voice, Nevermind found a distinctive way to fuse alternative punk with 70's rock (Nirvana, Nevermind). The biggest influential song on Nirvana’s Nevermind album was the first song, â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit.† It reached number 6 on the Top 40 Charts. This song was groundbreaking for Nirvana and the alternative music scene as a whole. After the release of â€Å"Smells Like Teen Spirit,† white, middle-class youth of the United States finally had a style of music to call their own and express their â€Å"teenage anthems† (Stuessy, Joe). This was the first song to emerge from alternative rock and to be known in the mainstream of rock and roll, expressing their generation’s expectations, â€Å"...here we are now, entertain us†(Stuessy, Joe). â€Å"Smells like Teen Spirit† was Curt Cobain’s â€Å"attempt to write the ultimate pop song†(Nevermind, Nirvana). He used the soft-loud dynamics of his favorite band, the Pixies. The insidious hooks also showed his admiration for the Beatle’s John Lennon(Nevermind, Nirvana). Th e style used in this song is simple, plain, loud, and straight-forward. Musically, there is nothing very â€Å"innovative† or difficult. However, the reason it is important to rock history is because it brought America’s attention to the once before underground style of grunge. â€Å"A driving drum beat, powered by Novelsek’s rhythmic bass, and a memorable guitar riff and solo, mix perfectly with Kurt Cobain’s depressing yet humorous lyrics† (Kastner, Patrick). While it has certainly been overplayed in the past years, it is still an essential part of Rock history. â€Å"Come As You Are† and â€Å"Polly† showcase that Nirvana were not only a band interested in seeing people jump up and down and scream at shows. Many people, fans and celebrities alike consider â€Å"Polly† to be Kurt Cobain’s most well written song. â€Å"Polly†, number six, is a story of a girl who got molested and tortured and sexually abused.