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Happy Birthday Kurt Cobain: Nirvana's 6 Best Songs

In honor of the late Kurt Cobain's 53rd birthday, here are a few of Nirvana's best tracks.

Nirvana - All Apologies (MTV Unplugged)

Grunge rock icon Kurt Cobain would have been 53 today.

When the iconic musician died at the age of 27, Nirvana was labeled as the "flagship band" of Generation X. Cobain himself was hailed as the voice of a generation. The now Diamond-certified album Nevermind sent the previously relatively-obscure group into the stratosphere, and made them an international sensation. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and kickstarted a massive Grunge movement across the country. At its height, Nevermind was selling over 300,000 copies a week, and it's now one of the highest-selling albums of all time. "If there was a Rock Star 101 course, I would have liked to take it," Cobain told Rolling Stone at the height of his career. "It might have helped me." While Nevermind spawned one of the greatest rock songs of all time, it's important to remember on Cobain's birthday that he and his bandmates penned other amazing songs, songs that true Nirvana fans might even argue are better than the legendary "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Here are a few of Nirvana's other amazing songs in honor of Kurt Cobain's birthday.

All Apologies (MTV Unplugged Version)

Every true Nirvana fan knows that the band's MTV Unplugged session was one of the greatest moments in rock history. Every performance from that session showed that even with the electrics stripped away, Cobain and his band had natural raw energy that cut through the noise. "All Apologies" was already a standout on 1993's In Utero, but here, the raw emotion is palpable in Cobain's voice. "I wish I was like you," he calls out to his audience. "Easily amused." In hindsight, it's hard to hear "All Apologies" as anything other than a desperate cry for help.

In Bloom

"In Bloom" remains one of those songs that perfectly conveyed the core values of Nirvana. Originally penned as a hardcore punk rock track, Cobain softened up the single significantly before release. Cobain, despite his reputation among Boomers, was all about love and mutual respect, and strongly resented fans who used his music to justify ignorance. "He's the one, who likes all our pretty songs, and he likes to sing along, and he likes to shoot his gun," he says condescendingly of Nirvana fans. It's undisputed that Cobain had a complicated relationship with mainstream recognition, and he resented the way fans used his music to justify bad behavior. But it's equally as ironic, in hindsight, how many fans were spawned by this track, regardless of its message.

Drain You

One of Cobain's personal favorites, "Drain You" was written on the spot at Sound City Studios during the early moments of recording Nevermind, and is allegedly about Courtney Love. "I love the lyrics, and I never get tired of playing it," Cobain told Rolling Stone. The lyrics are...romantic...I guess, but only in a way a rocker like Courtney Love would find endearing. "Chew my meat for you, pass it back and forth in a passionate kiss," he sings. "From my mouth to yours, I like you."

Come As You Are

Chances are, you can't even read the song title without singing along in your head. "Come As You Are" was a monumental song for Nirvana. Nevrmind's second single, the song dominated radio stations and secured their spot as one of the biggest bands on the planet. Once again, the MTV Unplugged is the superior version of the song.

Something In The Way

For a late-90's emo kid, "Something In The Way" was a very special song. It served as a call to action for many and offered empathy to those who felt like outsiders or loners. "'Something in the Way' tugged at a troubled psyche that was all too real," wrote NPR. With its minimalist song-writing and haunting chord progression, the Nevermind closer has since become a timeless anthem, reminding misunderstood teens everywhere that it's okay–actually, that it's super-duper cool–to be different and to rebel against the mainstream.

Lithium

The chilling narration of this song follows a man who desperately turns to religion after the death of his girlfriend, and finds that a higher power comforts him as Lithium would. Cobain was very open about religion and often spoke on his understanding that some people need it in order to find purpose. "If it's going to save someone, it's OK," he told Rolling Stone.This song once again showed the general public who Cobain actually was, a man that knew what it was like to be lost and need guidance, and who unfortunately never found peace.

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Remembering Jimi Hendrix, 47 Years On

The late, great Jimi Hendrix died 47 years ago today, but his legacy has never faded.

Jimmy Hendrix

Photo by Freddy Kearney (Unsplash)

Jimi Hendrix was the kind of musician whose love for his craft outshone even his virtuosic skill.

His passion endowed everything he created with a kind of transcendent fire, and even now—nearly half a century after his death—you can still hear that ecstasy coming through each note of every one of his recordings.

James Marshall Hendrix died of asphyxia on September 18, 1970, after a whirlwind four-year career that would imprint him on music's legacy forever. He spoke frequently about the extent of his love for his craft, giving new meaning to musicianship and inspiring artists everywhere to pick up the guitar.

He was a major inspiration to guitarists like Elton John, Santana, Joe Satriani, and Orianthi. Freddie Mercury called Hendrix his idol, saying, "He sort of epitomizes, from his presentation on stage, the whole works of a rock star. There's no way you can compare him. You either have the magic or you don't. There's no way you can work up to it. There's nobody who can take his place."

Hendrix also made waves as a protest musician, giving voice to the rage and optimism that defined the 1970s. Perhaps most famously, his cover of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was powerful Vietnam protest and a cry of rage at the state of the nation, as well as a tribute to an America that never existed.

He had a tremendous amount of wisdom to give, too, and he knew how to bridge the gap between humility and liberation, between sadness and joy, between love and independence. "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours," he once advised.

His style was iconic, emblematic of the counterculture movement's best aesthetics.

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He was also an incredible lyricist. His songs were about love, but they were also about pain, religion, and the passage of time; they bridged the gap between bone-deep weariness and hope. As he once said, "Imagination is the key to my lyrics. The rest is painted with a little science fiction."

Of course, when he started to play the guitar, nothing else compared.

What Makes Jimi Hendrix Such a Good Guitaristwww.youtube.com