The vinyl edition of Nirvanas hit album, NEVERMIND, which helped usher in the Grunge era of the 1990s. Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records. Frontman Kurt Cobain sought to make music outside the restrictive confines of the Seattle grunge scene, drawing influence from groups such as the Pixies and their use of "loud/quiet" dynamics. It is their first album to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Despite low commercial expectations by the band and its record label, Nevermind became a surprise success in late 1991, largely due to the popularity of its first single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". By January 1992, it had replaced Michael Jackson's album Dangerous at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also produced three other successful singles: "Come as You Are", "Lithium", and "In Bloom". The Recording Industry Association of America has certified the album Diamond (over 10 million copies shipped), and the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Nevermind was in part responsible for bringing alternative rock to a large mainstream audience, and has been ranked highly on lists of the greatest albums of all time by publications such as Rolling Stone and Time.
Nevermind was never meant to change the world, but you can never predict when the zeitgeist will hit, and Nirvana's second album turned out to be the place where alternative rock crashed into the mainstream. This wasn't entirely an accident, since Nirvana did release a record with a shiny surface, no matter how humongous the guitars sounded. For all the anguish on Nevermind, it's bracing because Kurt Cobain exorcizes his demons through evocative wordplay and mangled screams, and because the band has a tremendous, unbridled power that turns pain into pure catharsis. In retrospect, Nevermind may seem too unassuming for its mythic status -- it's simply a great modern punk record -- but though it may no longer seem life-changing, it is certainly life-affirming, which may just be better. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Nirvana: Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar); Chris Novoselic (vocals, bass); David Grohl (vocals, drums).
Additional personnel: Kirk Canning (cello).
Recorded at Sound City, Van Nuys, California.
- Format: Vinyl
- Genre: Rock
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