Fame and How it Affected the Band

Nirvana is often credited with bringing the grunge sound into the mainstream. However, this mass success wasn't necessarily intentional, and with it came bitterness from other fellow Seattle rockers, as well as the band itself. Kurt Cobain in particular, was in no way looking for fame or fortune in his craft, and so when it did hit them, it hit them hard. So hard that the success that brought the band into the spotlight and sold at least 30,000,000 copies of their record, led to the bands demise with Cobain's suicide. Nevermind, the album that shot them into the mainstream, was the band's second. Surrounding that record are the band's debut album, Bleach, and their last, In Utero. It's well understood that Nevermind is the record that really took off for them, as well as the first that drummer Dave Grohl played on. It's also believed that the fame that this album brought with it, and the "Rock Stardom" is what brought Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994. Though Cobain had been known to struggle greatly with drug abuse, and physical and mental health, the attention that the band received certainly didn't help. In an interview, Grohl admits that the band was nearing its end already, closely preceding Kurt Cobain's death. Cobain can also be heard speaking about this in songs like "Rape Me"off of In Utero. This song can be interpreted as a piece speaking out against violence on women, as well as his feelings of being "raped" by the media.

Kurt Cobain, 1993.