Nirvana

                              
Nirvana was the most commercially successful Seattle Sound bands and is regarded today as one of the most important modern rock bands. Nirvana was formed in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington a small logging town south of Seattle, by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic. In 1990 drummer Dave Grohl joined the band. Many songs by Nirvana reflect on the depression, relationships, and life experiences of Kurt Cobain reflecting the typical musical identity of grunge. The band's most successful album "Nevermind" was #1 on the Billboard album charts in 1992. Cobain after dealing with heroin addiction and depression took his life April 8, 1994 and with his death became the unraveling of Seattle Sound.

Nirvana, Lithium. Nevermind. Sound City Studios, May 1991.

The title of the song, lithium, is used to treat depression. The lyrics of this song are about a suicidal man seeking religion for help. The video shows Nirvana performing and thrashing their instruments around while mixing between quiet verses and loud, screaming choruses which are a stylistic element of Seattle Sound. The music video and lyrics embody the musical identity of grunge.

Nirvana, Heart-Shaped Box. In Utero. Pachyderm Studio, February 1993.

This song was inspired by documentaries about children with cancer and how sad it made Kurt Cobain feel. The depressive vibe is felt through Cobain's vocals along with the defending riff played during the verses.

Nirvana, Breed. Nevermind. Sound City Studios. May 1991.

This song is about being trapped in middle class America. The song begins with guitar distortion and heavy, face paced drums which are another stylistic element of Seattle Sound,

Nirvana, Aneurysm. Incestide. The Music Source. January 1, 1991.

This song is about Kurt Cobain's heartache with ex-girlfriend Tobi Vail. Many of the lyrics allude to drug use as well. This older Nirvana song has "fuzz" and distortion of the guitar along with heavy paced drums. 

Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Nevermind. Sound City Studios. May 1991.

Arguably the most notorious song by Nirvana and of Seattle Sound, Smells Like Teen Spirit" is still popular today. The video shows Nirvana playing at a high school pep rally yet they are still giving their raw, destructive performance at the same time. This song used verse chorus form and the main four chord riff is used during the intro and the chorus of the song to have a quiet and loud alternating pattern in the song. This complex instrumentation is another element of grunge showed here.

Nirvana, Serve The Servants. In Utero. Pachyderm Studio. February 1993.

This song embodies the musical identity of grunge with its heavy percussion and guitar distortion. This song is commenting about how teenage angst is over and now they are bored and old. 

Nirvana, Rape Me. In Utero. Pachyderm Studio. 1993

Although the title of the song is misleading, it is actually about being resilient through difficult times. It also reflects how Cobain hated his personal life being apart of the media and felt he was being taken advantage of. The song starts quiet then evolves to the screaming and angst filled lyrics of typical grunge.