The Nirvana Album That Doesn't Get Enough Attention Audio Ink Radio

The Nirvana Album That Doesn’t Get Enough Attention

2025-07-16

While the Nirvana release “Nevermind” often gets all of the attention, there’s one Nirvana record that deserves more attention. – Author: Cat Badra, Nirvana promo photo

Even though Nirvana is anything but a one-hit wonder band, they’re kind of a one-album wonder, because one of their albums usually gets way more praise and glory than the rest when people talk about the band’s discography. That album, of course, is 1991’s “Nevermind.”

It makes sense that most people would think of “Nevermind” when they think of Nirvana, because that album didn’t just change the lives of Nirvana’s band members, it changed music, in general. Before “Nevermind” came out, people were knee-deep into hair metal. Bands such as Motley Crue and Poison with eyeliner and wild guy personas ruled the musical landscape. But, that all came crashing down with 1991’s “Nevermind,” which hit so big that suddenly, all people wanted to listen to was lo-fi grunge out of Seattle.

But, even though “Nevermind” created a zeitgeist in the 1990s, there were other Nirvana albums that were also incredible. These albums weren’t the band’s “breakout” releases, but they’re just as important. One album, in particular, stands out above the rest. So, what’s the most underrated Nirvana album of all time?

Nirvana’s Most Underrated Album

Pretty much any album other than “Nevermind” could be dubbed Nirvana’s most underrated album, but one does stand out as never getting its due. That album is “Incesticide,” a compilation of B-sides, rarities and early recordings that dropped between “Nevermind” and “In Utero.”

After “Nevermind,” Nirvana was obviously pressured to put together another chart-topping album as soon as possible. That’s not how inspiration works, though. While “Nevermind” came out in 1991, their next studio album, “In Utero,” dropped in 1993, so there were two years between records.

To tie over listeners, and their record company, Nirvana released this compilation, out in December of 1992. It’s really a treasure trove of amazing Nirvana songs, including the band’s 1990 non-album single “Sliver,” plus the aforementioned B-sides, rarities, demos, outtakes and recordings from BBC Radio sessions. In the early 1990s, nobody thought “In Utero” would be the final Nirvana album, but following the death of frontman Kurt Cobain, that’s what happened. So, it makes their entire discography, which is short, even more important.

Cobain’s liner notes for the album are fascinating, too. In them, he stands up against hate and discrimination, and he even says to anyone who hates people who are different from them, “Don’t come to our shows and don’t buy our records.” It was a strong statement that still resonates loudly.

Another Overlooked Nirvana Album

A close second for the most underrated Nirvana album is the band’s debut album on Sub Pop Records, “Bleach.” The album was released in 1989, so it was right at the start of the grunge movement, although Seattle was quietly brimming with grunge sounds throughout the ’80s. This is another overlooked Nirvana record, but songs such as “About a Girl” and “About a Girl” proved to be some of the band’s most popular tracks. What’s fascinating is that Chad Channing was the drummer on “Bleach,” not Dave Grohl, but the album still sounds very Nirvana, and it just shows how central Cobain was to the band’s sound.

It’s a shame Nirvana left the world so early in the band’s career, but at least there are a handful of albums and songs that live on forever. Also, find Audio Ink Radio’s tally of the best Nirvana deep cuts in this feature.

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is trending news writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.

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