Kurt Cobain’s Birthday Remembered with Classic Nirvana Video

2012-02-20

Story by Anne Erickson

The memory and story of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain lives on today

Today is Feb. 20, and it’s Kurt Cobain’s birthday. He would have been 45 today. Although the Nirvana frontman never made it past the age of 27, in that brief time, he changed the sound and style of popular music in the early ‘90s and subsequently changed the course of music history.

The memory and story of Cobain and Nirvana lives on today, and generation after generation will remember his legacy long after grunge, post-grunge and all of its descendents pass on. Just think of the countless band who claim Nirvana as a major influence– Seether, Kings of Leon, Bush, Franz Ferdinand. Even today, when Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” whips out on the radio, kids crank it up and chant along.

The truth is, Cobain never set out to change the world. But one can never predict when a new movement will take hold and change a generation, and Cobain — willingly or unwillingly — spearheaded such an effort. When Nirvana’s “Nevermind” hit the world, it quickly became the catalyst for alternative rock to take hold of the mainstream. Buoyed by Cobain’s pop songwriting genius, “Nevermind” took down-and-dirty grunge rock, spiffed it up and shot it out in a shiny, slick package, maintaining enough heart and edge to keep it real and sincere.

Cobain and Nirvana got their proper introduction to the masses with 1991’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and the song is still the reigning anthem for angst-ridden grunge rockers. Watch the groundbreaking MTV video for the track below. Need proof this video stands the test of time? The clip has scored over 66 million views since being uploaded in June of 2009.

Watch Nirvana’s Classic Video for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’:

 




Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Alternative, Grunge, Music, Rock News

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