Nevermind

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Professional reviews
Nevermind

Studio album by Nirvana
Released	September 24, 1991
Recorded	May – June 1991 at Sound City, Van Nuys and Devonshire, North Hollywood "Polly" recorded in April 1990 at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Genre	Grunge
Length	59:20
Label	DGC Records Sub Pop
Producer(s)	Butch Vig
All Music Guide Image:5 stars.svg link Q Image:5 stars.svg link Robert Christgau A link Rolling Stone Image:3 stars.svg link
Nirvana chronology
Bleach (1989)	Nevermind (1991)	Hormoaning (1992)

Nevermind is the highly influential second studio album from the American grunge band, Nirvana. It was released on September 24, 1991.

1 Overview
2 Singles
3 Album cover
4 Influences
5 Miscellanea
6 Track listing
7 Pressings
8 Recording Sessions
- 8.1 Recording in Madison
- 8.2 Recording in Sound City
9 Samples
10 Accolades
11 Personnel
12 Charting singles
13 Album charts
14 Sales
15 Re-releases
16 See also
17 External links

[edit] Overview

Nevermind catapulted Nirvana from relative obscurity to the heights of commercial and critical success virtually overnight. It radically altered the musical landscape, shifting the focus away from the hair metal of the 1980s, and giving rise to the Seattle, Washington-based grunge movement which dominated the first few years of the 1990s. In the wake of its success, other Seattle bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains would go on to have hit albums as well, and other alternative rock artists were suddenly being played on the radio and courted by record labels.

Nevermind was produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Andy Wallace, who crafted the band's distorted guitars, pounding drums, rumbling bass and cathartic vocals into an album which appealed to a wide audience, and set the standard for rock music throughout the 1990s. Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain would later express dissatisfaction with the album's "slick", radio-friendly production, but also admitted in Michael Azerrad's 1993 Nirvana biography, Come as You Are, that listening to the album sometimes moved him to tears.

Nevermind reached #1 on Billboard Music Chart's Top 200 albums and the Heatseekers chart. It was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Nevermind was listed #17 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, despite only getting three stars out of five when this magazine reviewed it originally in 1991.

Nevermind was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1991.

[edit] Singles

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released as Nevermind's first single in September 1991. The single features "Drain You," "Even in His Youth" and "Aneurysm" as b-sides. The song, and its accompanying music video depicting a high school pep rally gone awry, played a significant role in the album's surprising success.

The second single was for "Come as You Are," and features "Endless, Nameless" and live versions of "Drain You" and "School" as b-sides. It was released in March 1992. The third single was for "Lithium," and was released in July 1992. It features a live version of "Been a Son," as well as "Curmudgeon" and "D-7," as b-sides. Nevermind's fourth and final single was for "In Bloom," released in November 1992 and featuring live versions of "Sliver" and "Polly" as b-sides.

[edit] Album cover

The now-legendary Nevermind cover shows a baby swimming toward a bill on a fishhook. According to Cobain, he conceived the idea while watching a television program on water births with drummer Dave Grohl. The fishhook and bill were also Cobain's idea, and were superimposed later. The infant is then-three-month-old Spencer Elden. The Serial Number on the dollar bill is "L 94998746 B."

Geffen prepared an alternate cover without the penis, as they were afraid that it would offend people, but relented when Cobain made it clear that the only compromise he would accept was a sticker covering the penis, accusing anyone who was offended of being a "closet pedophile." The alternate cover image is featured in Come as You Are'.'

In 1992, Weird Al Yankovic mimicked the cover for his album Off the Deep End. That version does not feature a penis, and Yankovic is swimming toward a donut instead of a dollar.

[edit] Influences

The album draws a lot of influence from punk rock and alternative rock, as well as other genres. Kurt Cobain has stated before that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was essentially his attempt at writing a Pixies song. Other songs like "Territorial Pissings" and "Stay Away" have obvious punk influences, while the noise jam in the middle of "Drain You" and the entire hidden track "Endless, Nameless" have similarities to experimental rock and noise rock bands.

[edit] Miscellanea

Some CD versions of Nevermind feature a hidden track called "Endless, Nameless," which begins at the 13:51 mark on track 12 (about 10 minutes after the end of "Something In The Way"). The semi-improvised "noise" song was recorded after a particularly stressful take of "Lithium". The song was omitted from the album's first CD pressing, because the mastering engineer thought he had reached the end of the album. For unknown reasons, the song was removed from American pressings of the disc in 1994 (year of Cobain's death), and all subsequent CD pressings have lacked the song. Cobain's death may have inspired the removal of the song

At least three songs were recorded during the Nevermind sessions which didn't make the album's final cut: "Sappy", "Old Age", and "Verse Chorus Verse". The former two were released on Nirvana's 2004 box set With the Lights Out. A fourth song, "Song in D", may also have been attempted. However, there is a possibility that "Song in D" was simply an early version of "All Apologies", which was released on In Utero two years later.

Dave Grohl is the only member of Nirvana who likes Nevermind better than In Utero (the follow up to Nevermind)^{[citation needed]}.

In the Aquaman (TV series) pilot, there is a scene with a baby A.C. floating in the water, strongly resembling the Nevermind cover.

The naked baby on the cover of the Nevermind album is named Spencer Eldon.

[edit] Track listing

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic) – 5:01
"In Bloom" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 4:14
"Come As You Are" (Cobain) – 3:38
"Breed" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:03
"Lithium" (Cobain) – 4:16
"Polly" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:57
"Territorial Pissings" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:22
"Drain You" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:43
"Lounge Act" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:36
"Stay Away" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:32
"On a Plain" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:16
"Something In The Way" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:50

"Endless, Nameless" (6:45) is a hidden track on some copies of the record. This brings the length of Track 12 to 10:34.

[edit] Pressings

In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released Nevermind on vinyl as part of their "ANADISQ 200" series, and as a 24-carat gold CD. The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless."

[edit] Recording Sessions

The first recording session was for a planned second album for Sub Pop entitled Sheep. Some songs from Sheep were never released, "Polly" made it on to Nevermind and several other songs made it onto Incesticide in 1992. Note: Not all of the songs that were to be on Sheep are from these sessions.

[edit] Recording in Madison

In 1990 Nirvana teamed up with Butch Vig to record their follow up to Bleach. Many events following the sessions gave the band reason not to release the Madison demos.

"Immodium" (later retitled to "Breed" and re-recorded and released on Nevermind)
"Dive" (Released as the b-side for the "Sliver" single)
"In Bloom" (released on Sub Pop Rarities Volume 1)
"Pay to Play" (this version was released DGC Rarites Volume 1. also re-recorded and retitled for Nevermind)
"Sappy"
"Lithium" (this version is widely known as "Lithium Mix 6")
"Here She Comes Now" (released on "Velvet Underground Tribute Album: Heaven and Hell Volume 1.")
"Polly" (released with overdubs on Nevermind)

It is said that the band was supposed to record more tracks but Kurt Cobain blew his voice out on "Lithium" and they had to shut down recording.

[edit] Recording in Sound City

In 1991 Nirvana signed to DGC Records and got to work on Nevermind, which was all was recorded in these sessions except for "Polly." Butch Vig is the producer. Kirk Canning plays cello.

All tracks above released on Nevermind

"Old Age" (later released on With the Lights Out)
"Verse Chorus Verse" (later released on With the Lights Out)
"Sappy"

[edit] Samples

"Come as You Are" (file info) — play in browser (beta)

"Come as You Are" by Nirvana

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[edit] Accolades

Ranked #1 in Spin's "90 Greatest Albums of the 90s" (1999)
Ranked #1 in Entertainment Weekly's "Top 10 Albums of the 90s" (2000)
Ranked #1 in MuchMoreMusic's "40 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years" (2004)
Ranked #2 in IMDB's "Users Top 100 Albums" (2006)
Ranked #2 in VH1's Top 100 Albums (2001)
Album cover ranked #3 in VH1's Greatest Album Covers (2003)
Ranked #3 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005" (2005)
Ranked #3 in Q's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" (2006)
Ranked #3 in Q's "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" (2001)
Ranked #17 in Colin Larkin's "All-time Top 1000 Albums" (2000)
Ranked #17 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2003)
Ranked #6 in Pitchfork's "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (Redux)" (2004) [1]
Ranked #3 in Channel 4's 100 Greatest albums

[edit] Personnel

Kurt Cobain (appears on the credits for the "Monkey Photo" as Kurdt Kobain) - Vocals, Guitar, Photography
Krist Novoselic (credited as "Chris" Novoselic) - Bass guitar, Vocals
Dave Grohl - Drums, Vocals
Nirvana - co-producers, engineers

with

Butch Vig - Co-Producer, Engineer
Kirk Canning - Cello on "Something in the Way"
Chad Channing - Cymbals on "Polly" (uncredited; song recorded when he was still in the band)
Jeff Sheehan - Assistant Engineer
Andy Wallace - Mixing
Howie Weinberg - Mastering
Michael Lavine - Photography
Robert Fisher - Artwork, Art Direction, Design, Cover Design
Craig Doubet - Assistant Engineer, Mixing
Kirk Weddle - Cover Photo
Spencer Elden - Baby on cover

[edit] Charting singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 7
1992	Lithium	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 5
1992	In Bloom	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 7
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 7
1992	Come as You Are	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 9
1992	Lithium	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 11
1992	In Bloom	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 6
1992	Come as You Are	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 32
1992	Lithium	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 64
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Mainstream Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 7
1992	Come as You Are	Mainstream Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 3
1992	Lithium	Mainstream Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 16
1992	In Bloom	Mainstream Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 5
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Modern Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Modern Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 3
1992	Lithium	Modern Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 25
1992	On a Plain	Modern Rock Tracks (U.S.)	No. 25
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Hot Dance Music/Club Play (U.S.)	No. 14
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (U.S.)	No. 27
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No .3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No .24
1992	In Bloom	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No. 30
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Switzerland Singles Chart	No. 6
1992	Come as You Are	Official Switzerland Singles Chart	No. 21
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Austrian Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Come as You are	Official Austrian Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Italian singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Italian Singles Chart	No. 8
1992	Lithium	Official Italian Singles Chart	No. 16
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 5
1992	Come as you Are	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 25
1992	Lithium	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 53
1992	In Bloom	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 75
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official German Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Come as You Are	Official German Singles Chart	No. 22
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 14
1992	Lithium	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 16
1992	In Bloom	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 87
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Norway Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 15
1992	Lithium	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official French Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official French Singles Chart	No. 12
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 16
1992	Lithium	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 13
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 9
1992	Come as You Are	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 12
1992	Lithium	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Lithium	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	In Bloom	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 20

[edit] Album charts

Year	Album	Chart	Position
1992	Nevermind	The Billboard 200	No. 1
1991	Nevermind	Heatseekers	No. 1
1991	Nevermind	Official Finland Album Charts	No. 1
1992	Nevermind	Official Portugal Album Charts	No. 1
1992	Nevermind	Official Holland Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Australian Albums Charts	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Switzerland Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Austrian Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Norwegian Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official New Zealand Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Spanish Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official German Albums Chart	No. 3
1991	Nevermind	Official UK Albums Chart	No. 7
1992	Nevermind	Official Hungarian Albums Chart	No. 12
1992	Nevermind	Official Sweden Albums Chart	No. 13
1992	Nevermind	Official Japanese Albums Chart	No. 24