Is Nirvana Overrated?
 

So, I was talking with this friend of mine and he said essentially, that 'yeah, Nirvana was good, but if Kurt hadn't been such a fuckwad and shot himself, they would just be remembered as another early Grunge band.' I am thinking that he has a point. How about you guys?

no not at all, i loved nirvana before kurt "shot himself" which i kinda dont believe mainly cuz courtney love is coniving cunt rag that could easily of done it and made it look like suicide.

Nirvana was huge before kurt died and they always will be(at least i hope). Nirvana is my favorite band.

i don't think anyone has ever made them one of the top 10 bands of all time so in that case: no, i don't think they're overrated.

they're a very good band with some excellent songs.

well they were on the top 10 most influencial bands of all time on some tv show.

not overrated, just overplayed.

Overplayed, yes. But if you listen to some of thier songs they have/had a certain element. Maybe you could call it angst (sp). They were very good at what they did.

Some would argue that they reflected the feelings of a generation.

Overplayed but not overrated...

It was the band that brought the punk sound into the mainstream.

The fact that Kurt is gone only underlines the fact that we will never know if he could have sustained the level of talent he displayed. Would he have continued to crank out top notch music or would he have faded in time... ask the same of Janis and Jimi...

You just can't answer it.

At the time when "Nevermind" came out music was such shit that anything could have broken through. Nirvana just happen to be in the right place at the right time and where willing to be played on MTV. There was a lot of other bands that kicked far more ass... like The Pixies, they never were played on MTV or even the radio.

The Pixies totally rock... no question. My absolute favourite band.

I still think Nirvana was a better band than most of the drek that got called grunge.

they were so overrated...i'll take the foo fighters over nirvana!!!!

I hold Nirvana as one of my top bands ever. I was a big listener before and after the shot heard 'round the world. Angst and sarcasm are powerful tools of expression and Nirvana used them without exception.

You stole my thunder...

Not Overrated at all if you ask me. But would they be big like there are today if Kurt was still alive? That's the what if question.

Definitely Overrated.

Fact is, no one heard of the album "Bleach" before "Nevermind" and frankly it was awful.

Nevermind was a huge success.

Then Incesticide was a flop...a huge flop. Then they started to redeem themselves with In Utero, but it never was the success of Nevermind.

So 2 out of the 4 CD's they released were failures. Hardly a decent track record. All these people telling me they were the greatest band ever or such influences make me laugh. A career of 50% does not make them a top 10 band of all time, no matter what the braindead MTV generation has to say.

Yes yes yes.

Completely overrated.

they wouldn't have the name is Cobain hadn't died. he was a martyr. He died while they were at their biggest stage.

Do I like them? Yes

But come on, Soundgarden is better.

I dont really know why but i loved Kurt's vocals...he had a voice to fit his music.

The rest however, was average at best.

Nirvana clearly had the benefit of a James Dean-type exit. Explode onto the scene like a meteor and get out before people grow tired of you.

They were tremendously talented and I still enjoy listening to them more than 10 years later, but too many people claimed that they were "the voice of a generation". They were a great band that put out 2 great albums.

I think they were one of the greatest bands of this generation at least.

Who knows if that was the peak of their success...or whether Kurt Cobain was cut down in his prime and would grow even further as a musician.

Nevermind was (and still is) one of the all-time great albums. The other albums were (and still are) poo.

Well, look at it this way: if you can manage it, (I'm not being a dick, this is very hard to do) put yourself in a mindset where you'd never heard Nirvana and they were just hitting radio today. To me, that's the test... if the music can stand up at any given time, they're good. Also, paart of why everyone considers Nirvana so great is because they influenced soooooo many artists and helped gicve rocka kick in the ass. Mind you, this is coming from someone who hates most grunge. But jsut because I hate the music doens't mean I don;t recognize the importance and influence it had. Some of my favorite bands, disparite as thier styles may be, probably wouldn't be around today if not for early grungers liek Nirvana.

/2 cents

Nirvana has to be one of the greatest bands of all time, and IMO they are THE greatest of all time, I loved all of their albums, Basically all of thier songs, I read Heavier than Heaven a while back and yeah he was kinda a fuckwad, but Kurt was cool, maybe even a genius.....But if he hadn't of died would of Nirvana still have had a big name or would they have died off?

To add to that a little...

If we could actually do your experiment today, Nirvana would be extrememly popular because the shit they play on the radio these days is unbelievable. Nirvana (although not one of my favorite bands) broke thru at a time where alt-rock music was at it's peak (IMO). You better believe that they would still be popular. Teens these days can't express their angst and sarcasm with Britney Spears or Nsync.

Better yet. Put it backwards. If the bands of today were starting out in the 90's, do you think 10% of them would still make it big? I highly doubt it. There has been a major brain-drain in the music industry and unfortunately, it all went into Britney's breasts.

For their time they helped invent a new sound, and left a mighty big mark on the musical landscape for quite sometime. The influenced a large chunk of musicans and will be remembered probably more for Kurt than for their music, but overall their discography stands on it's own. They forged a nice blend of punk rock angst with raw rock n' roll with out the glizt and glamor of either. They were the anti-pop without the hate.

Overrated? Nope.

I'm not a huge fan, but I would definatly say that they are not overated. Not caring for grunge too much, I found their Live in New York CD amazing. Definatly a huge influence on many later bands.

NOT overrated. I was a fan of nirvana before they hit it big and I always found kurt's lyrics to be amazing. It did reflect how I felt at the time. I was going through my teens and had alot of pent up aggression. I lived my pain/life through his words. While I think he was brilliant I also think that they wouldn't have lasted long. Kurt didn't really want to be popular IMO. He would rather sulk in the shadows. In light of this I think he would've made maybe one more great album then said fuck off and went on his merry way.

Nirvana
 

Nirvana would just fade away quietly into the background like say...Silverchair. sure they'd make albums but no one would care after a while like say...Pearl Jam. OOORRRR they'd break up and Dave grohl would do FOO as he is now and they'd all do other stuff like say...Soundgarden.

I dont tihnk they are overrated, i like to listen to their music every now and then

I used to not like Nirvana, but I have been listening to them a bit lately and they are actually very talented. There is just this way about their songs that is great. Can't explain it I guess, it's just good.

@Kaos: IMO Insecticide and Bleach were awesome albums and their two live albums were great. MTV Unplugged showed Kurt at his end, more mellow and seemingly beaten down, and From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah showed Kurts crazy angst-filled side.

I totally agree with slunk on the crap thats being put out these days and i believe Nirvana would be real popular with people if they were just coming out now and nothing now would be popular if it was put out in the early 90's.

I also agree that Nirvana would have broken up probably after one more cd if not maybe 2 more and they would of each gone their own ways. I like Dave Grohl singing and playing the guitar but not as much as i liked him playing the drums.

They were a good band that had some OK songs. but i just can't listen to them anymore. Whenever they are on the radio, i just change stations.

Hell Yes they are overrated.

I feel the need to defend In Utero and the Unplugged albums... Simply put they rocked.

I hadn't listened to any Nirvana for a couple of years and during a recent trip to my cottage (4 hour drive) I had In Utero and Nevermind cranked to the max... both albums still worked for me the way they worked when I first heard them.

overrated, yes....overplayed, definately........misunderstood, certainly......missed, not really. Especially since Foo Fighters is so awsome! RIP Kurt, the rest of the world keeps spinning without you................

Nirvana is not overrated. They are a great band who have made great songs. So, not all of their albums have been big successes, but tons of other artists have made work that's unpopular/not good and gone on to make masterpieces. Nirvana is good, very very good. But, not the alpha and omega of rock.

I think Nirvana is a bit overrated, if only because everyone goes around saying how truly awesome they are. I don't like them a lot, but I can appreciate their musical talent...all the same, I think everyone is taking the nirvana love too far.

Now yes -- back in the day -- no way.

Not overrated. There was some true creative sparks flying around in there, and they expressed themselves well. Too bad the pubic "commercialized" them, and practically glorified them after Cobain's death. That's when you knew it was too much...

Well said thumper - that pretty much sums it up completely. They were very creative and true to their emotions, two great elements of a great band. Then they were victimized by the super-media-hype-machine and that pretty much ruined it for me. After Cobain was elevated to Jesus status (after suicide), I just wanted to puke and forget about them. Again, R.I.P. Kurt and hello Foo Fighters !:D

LOL.. bleach was a great disc.. and I had it long before I had nevermind.. and in some ways.. i prefer it..

oh well.. ..

and the obsure songs on Insecticide... are some of his best work..

I think those that listen to boy bands should really be carefull when making such comments.. heh.


this thread is a tough one to answer... ... would JOHN LENNON .. have gone on to continue to make substantial music... .. ummm.. we will never know.. same with Kurt.. .. or Kurdt.. or Curt.. .. .heh.

Yeah the Pixies and David Bowie were Cobain's main influences, I think. He didn't really do anything original, just used his knack for pop and melody with the tricks of his favorites, and KAPOW we've got a quiet sensation.

Nevermind is a total classic. I can't say I am a huge fan of the rest of their stuff but they do have an important place in music. They came up at a time when mainstream music was floundering. The 80's techno based music (which I loved and still love) had begun to wear thin and we all needed a kick in the ass. There were a number of bands that were out there doing the same kind of music, if not better (Pixies have been mentioned ), but for whatever reason, Nirvana made it big. Cobain's lyrics are powerful and often moving and the music just rocks. All this being said, I still say they are overrated. If Cobain had not killed himself and been forced to try to live up to his past it is questionable whether or not they would have continued to thrive. We will never know.

One way I like to judge a band is if they influence other bands. As someone said earlier Cobain was influenced by Bowie(pure genius) and the Pixies(one of the most underappreciated bands of the 80's and 90's) so he had good taste. Bands like Velvet Underground(stunningly amazing) and R.E.M.(still my favorite despite the many highs and lows) are so commonly mentioned as major influences that they must be considered "greats" just as the more obvious Beatles, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Doors etc... are. Is Nirvana in that catagory. Time will tell, but I am not so sure.

Nirvana is VERY overrated. Bleach sucked, Nevermind was great, Incesticide was decent, In Utero was brilliant. I'm a fan of their music but they way kurt cobain is thought of as a god is sickening.

I like them and all, but I voted overrated cause I just believe there were other bands who just had more skill and a better sound. When I look back Nirvana seemed kinda lucky to me...

i look at this in two viewpoints...one is the impact they had at the time. they helped bring grunge into the mainstream, and i'm sure they have influenced countless bands since. in this sense, i would say definitely not overrated. however, musically...kurt's songwriting...very overrated. while catchy, there really isn't much to the songs themselves. they are some of easiest ones to play, behind green day of course. they certainly have their place in history, but are far from a greatest band.

and yes, soundgarden was better =)

They're overrated, but they had that certain je ne sais quoi. Heart Shaped Box is a great song and I love the unplugged album for wallowing in heartbreak on rainy days, preferrebly in the bathtub. Cobain had a reverence and fascination with women and their bodies/reproductive systems that I find interesting and refreshing.

No there not over rated. They were good for their time, and will remain so.

I guess we got the best of them so they will never be bettered for their era.

I think that they were a diamond in the rough when Cobain had to make a prophecy of "Brains in my cornflakes". It's too bad, mental illness is a reality! So much energy, too many drugs!

no nirvana r and will always will be on of the best bands ever

I also believe they are not/were not over-rated. That said, it'd be very easy to argue otherwise; they were quite simply a band that was greater than the sum of its parts. Just something about their music...it isn't pretentious, it's sincere and genuine, what you see (or hear) is what you get, and somehow that equates to something so much more...take for example the recently released song You Know You're Right; every time I hear it I get chills, Kurt's voice is just so powerful, I dunno...

The Foo Fighters are shit in comparison; Grohl, while talented, sickens me. He just seems to try way to hard to be a frontman. Although their music is enjoyable, it's pretty one dimensional, it's the musical equivalent to a "popcorn action flick".

Waaaaayyyy overated

guccilvr, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Kurt was just a pussy who wanted attention. Nevermind was a POP record, he made it to get POP stardom. Then when all his hard-core fans abandoned him , he wrote In Utero to get them back. It had nothing to do with music, he just wanted people to like him.

Nirvana's only influance was on other shitty pop-grunge bands like Creed and Nickelback.

In regards to OMFUG's comments, I have to dissagree. I think you have to listen to something a few times to see if you know really like it. I wasn't really into Led Zepplin at first listen, but I'm really starting to get into them now.
-Alot of people didn't like Abbey Road at first listen
-Alot of people loved Milli Vanilli when they came out

I don't think Nirvana is overrated. I think they are held on a pedistal because of Kurt Cobain's death. Everytime I think to myself that maybe just maybe they are overrated I listen to a song and it gives me goosebumps. I don't think yu could overrate that.

Could you please stop trying to pass off your opinion as a fact? Because unless you can provide proof that Nevermind was written just to "get pop stardom", or that the only bands Nirvana influenced were "shitty pop-grunge bands like Creed and Nickelback", keep your poorly thought out opinions to yourself.

Whoa, chill Hollow.

I'm not trying to pass off my opinion as anything other than my opinion. Whether you like it or not, I could honestly care less, but from what I can tell, this is a forum about expression and opinion, and I think "keep your poorly thought out opinions to yourself" is a bit of a sore and close-minded approach on your part.

See, the difference between you and me is that I've got no beef with guccilvr, hell I don't even know know the guy (he's probably a very nice guy, you know?) My comments were not directed towards guccilvr, they were simply a counterpoint to his opinion.

At least I'm actually responding with opinion and reason (despite what you may think of they're quality) instead of just plain out bashing people for theirs.

Okay, fair enough, but your opinion is pretty narrow. Nevermind was not a contrived record; in hindsight it can be viewed as fairly mainstream but come on, Nirvana were not masterminds who could guage what the mainstream wanted, they just made a record which proved to be incredibly popular. They didn't plan it, and they didn't expect pop stardom. Actually, do you know anything about Nirvana or Kurt at all?

If you want an example of a wanky band that wants attention, look at Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. He thrives on it...unlike Kurt did.

Okay then. Explain to me the reasoning behind your opinions, because to me it seemed like a baseless attack on Nirvana...Kurt was a pussy? Yeah, how do you justify that with reason? Sorry, but it just seems like an incredibly ignorant and jaded opinion to me.

And to prevent this from becoming heated, don't think I have some kind of grudge towards you because you dissed Nirvana; I'd argue the same points were you making baseless assumptions about shit like Creed. It's nothing personal, it just irks me when people make statements like "he just wanted people to like him". The only way you could possibly know that is if you knew him personally. Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh.

i would say that most musicians/artists want people to like them. if they didn't they would just perform in their garage and be at one with their art form.

most bands have at least one or two attention whores why do you think some people want to sing and some want to play drums. (although phil collins begs to differ)

i still don't think they are over-rated because no one of any musical merit have nirvana anywhere near there top ten.

they were a very good band worth listening to. that's about it.

Kurt didn't have a garage. Kurt was homeless.

No way. Not at all. IMHO if he hadn't shot himself they would have ended up 10x bigger. I fully believe they would be the artistic equivalent of a radiohead but with significantly more pop appeal.

I do think his death and the subsequent SUPER hyping and then demise of the seattle seen opened up a lot more subgenres, but they seem a little stupid.

Man, I'm starting to wonder if you know anything about Nirvana. I have all of there major releases (excluding Muddy Banks and greatest hits), a read a few of his biographies and I've seen more interviews than I can count. One thing that comes up pretty damn often is how he was whipped by Courtney. It's been stated pretty often that Courtney was often the deciding factor in the in In Utero sessions. And that whole thing about stutering his way out of a fight with Axl Rose?

Truth be told, I've never known Nirvana or anyone close to them, but neither have anyone else here. I don't know for a bottom line fact that he made Nevermind just to obtain pop success. I do however know that he made Nevermind after having signed with Geffen and that between that and Bleach his music changed quite a bit. They went from grunge to little melodies played with sloppy distorted instruments. It was music the hard-core guys and the 12 years old teeny-bopper girls could enjoy together.

It was also made quite clear that Kurt wanted to regain his real hardcore fans after Nevermind, which is why he made In Utero the way he did.

I'm not claiming to know everything about Nirvana, but what I do know isn't just guessing. Besides, am I really so wrong about all of this? I really don't care if I am, but if that is the case, why not prove it by countering me with your facts and knowledge instead of just comment about how much you dislike my opinion.

I don't mind being wrong, I'd just like to know why.