Nirvana Chords

Looking for Nirvana chords? We’ve got you covered. Here you can find the chords for all their hits, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Lithium,” “All Apologies,” and more. When did it all start? In 1987, Kurt Cobain (Feb. 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) and Krist Novoselic (May 16, 1965) established Nirvana in Aberdeen, Washington. They soon became known in the grunge scene for their quiet verses and heavy choruses.

From beginning to the end, Cobain and Novoselic were the only consistent members of Nirvana, with Cobain on lead vocals and guitar, and Novoselic on bass. During the 1990s, Dave Grohl (Jan. 14, 1969) joined on drums and backing vocals. Does the name Dave Grohl sound familiar? That’s probably because he’s one of the founders of the Foo Fighters.

**Shaping a generation of music **

It all started when Nirvana released their first album, Bleach, in 1989, with Sub Pop in Seattle, Washington. The band was later picked up by record label DGC Records in 1991. With the release of their second album Nevermind, Nirvana would change the alternative rock scene for good. Many say that Nirvana is the band that shaped the musical taste of Generation X. At only 23 years old, Cobain became one of the most influential musicians of this generation. A fact he would struggle with his entire life.

The use of chords in Nirvana songs

The album Nevermind was an enormous success with songs that are still popular today, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” and “Lithium.” Nirvana was inspired by big acts like Led Zeppelin and the Pixies. The album Surfer Rosa by the latter had a great influence on the way Cobain created his songs. The style he used relied heavily on power chords. A technique that is one of the key components in Nirvana’s sound.

To create a more powerful sound for “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana played some of their songs initially in a clean tone and then doubled it with distorted guitars. In 1992, they started touring intensively. The same year, Cobain married Courtney Love (July 9, 1964), singer of the rock band Hole. Cobain became known for destroying his guitars on stage; a ritual that supposedly started out of frustration with their previous drummer, who kept missing the beat. Cobain accidentally damaged his guitar and out of frustration, he destroyed it. The crowd loved it and thought it was part of the show. From that point onward, it became kind of a tradition to destroy guitars to get off stage sooner. One of the reasons that they wanted to get off sooner, is that Kurt Cobain suffered from back injuries.

The last tour

Kurt Cobain thought his work got misinterpreted and wanted to challenge the audience with their third album In Utero. The album was still a success and Nirvana started touring again. They played their last concert on March 1, 1994, in Munich, Germany. Later that year, with the sudden death of Kurt Cobain, the story of Nirvana came to an end. His fans were shocked to hear that Kurt Cobain had taken his own life. Although he was immensely successful, he lived a troubled life. At the time of his death, he suffered from a drug addiction that caused media outrage; putting even more stress on his physical and mental wellbeing. Since a young age, he also suffered from chronic bronchitis and recurring pains resulting from a stomach condition.

All this and more led to the death of Kurt Cobain. He died at the age of 27 and as a result joined the infamous 27 Club (of musicians that died at 27 years of age) that also included pop stars like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison (The Doors) and Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones).

Despite their relatively short existence, Nirvana left a legacy that would never be forgotten. The band sold more than 75 million records worldwide, with more than 25 million in the United States alone. And they’re still popular today. During their years of fame as a mainstream act, Nirvana acquired many awards, such as seven MTV Video Music Awards, and an American Music Award. They were also added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Find all the Nirvana chords below. Choose your favorite song and practice the unique Nirvana sound. Happy jamming!