Nevermind
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{{otheruses|Nevermind (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
| Name = Nevermind
| Type = studio
| Artist = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| Cover = NirvanaNevermindalbumcover.jpg
| Released = [[September 24]], [[1991]]
| Recorded = May–June 1991 at Sound City Studios, [[Van Nuys]] and [[Devonshire]], [[North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|North Hollywood]], [[California]]<br />"[[Polly (song)|Polly]]" recorded in April 1990 at [[Smart Studios]], [[Madison, Wisconsin]]
| Genre = [[Grunge music|Grunge]]
| Length = 42:36 (59:23 with "Endless, Nameless")
| Label = [[Geffen Records|DGC]]<br><small>24425</small>
| Producer = [[Butch Vig]]
| Reviews =
* [[Allmusic]] {{rating-5|5}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=A5al67u50h0jj link]
* [[Robert Christgau]] (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Nirvana link]
* ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' (A-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315922,00.html link]
* ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' {{rating-5|5}}
* ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' {{rating-5|4.5}} [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/238528/nevermind link]
| Last album = ''[[Bleach (album)|Bleach]]''<br />(1989)
| This album = '''''Nevermind'''''<br />(1991)
| Next album = ''[[In Utero]]''<br />(1993)
| Misc =
{{Singles
| Name = Nevermind
| Type = studio
| single 1 = [[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]
| single 1 date = September 1991
| single 2 = [[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]
| single 2 date = March 1992
| single 3 = [[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]
| single 3 date = July 1992
| single 4 = [[In Bloom]]
| single 4 date = November 1992
}}
}}
'''''Nevermind''''' is the second studio album by the [[United States|American]] [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], released on [[September 24]], [[1991]]. Produced by [[Butch Vig]], ''Nevermind'' was the group's first release on [[Geffen Records]], which signaled its move away from [[Seattle]]-based [[independent record label]] [[Sub Pop]]. Front man [[Kurt Cobain]] sought to make music outside of the restrictive confines of the Seattle [[Grunge music|grunge]] scene, drawing influence from groups such as the [[Pixies]] and its use of loud/quiet song dynamics.
''Nevermind'' was a surprise success by late 1991, largely due to the success of its lead single "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]". By January 1992 it had replaced [[Michael Jackson]]'s album ''[[Dangerous (album)|Dangerous]]'' at number one on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' charts. ''Nevermind'' was highly acclaimed for bringing [[alternative rock]] to a large mainstream audience, and would subsequently be regarded as one of the most influential altenative rock albums of all time.
==Background==
Nirvana was a band from [[Aberdeen, Washington]], formed by [[Kurt Cobain]] and [[Krist Novoselic]], that had signed to Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. The group released its debut album ''[[Bleach (album)|Bleach]]'' in 1989, with [[Chad Channing]] on drums. However, Channing left Nirvana in 1990, and the band was in need of a permanent drummer. After seeing a show by [[hardcore punk]] band [[Scream (band)|Scream]], Novoselic and Cobain were impressed by the group's drummer, [[Dave Grohl]]. Following Scream's unexpected disbandment, Grohl contacted Novoselic, made his way to Seattle, and was soon invited to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that when Grohl joined the band, everything "fell into place".<ref name=classicalbums>''Classic Albums—Nirvana: Nevermind'' [DVD]. Isis Productions, 2004.</ref>
Meanwhile Cobain was writing a number of new songs. Feeling disillusioned by the heavy detuned rock popular in the Seattle grunge scene and which Sub Pop had built its image upon, Cobain at the time was listening to bands like [[R.E.M.]], [[The Smithereens]], and the [[Pixies]], and began writing more melodic songs as a result. A key development was the single "[[Sliver (song)|Sliver]]", released on Sub Pop in 1990 (before Grohl joined the band), which Cobain said "was like a statement in a way. I had to write a pop song and release it on a single to prepare people for the next record. I wanted to write more songs like that."<ref>Azerrad, 1993. p. 145</ref> Grohl said that the band at that point often made the analogy of likening their music to children's music, in that the band tried to make its songs as simple as possible.<ref name=classicalbums />
By the start of the 1990s Sub Pop was experiencing financial difficulties. With rumors that Sub Pop would sign up as a subsidiary for a major label, the band decided to "cut out the middleman" and start to look for a major label.<ref name=classicalbums /> A number of labels courted the band, but Nirvana ultimately signed with Geffen Records based upon the recommendation of its management, who also managed the band's idols (and recent Geffen signings) [[Sonic Youth]], and Sonic Youth's [[Kim Gordon]].<ref>Azerrad, 1993. p. 162</ref>
==Recording and production==
In the spring of 1990, Nirvana began planning its second album for Sub Pop, tentatively titled ''Sheep''. For the album, Sub Pop head [[Bruce Pavitt]] suggested [[Butch Vig]] as a potential producer.<ref name=classicalbums /> Nirvana particularly liked Vig's work with [[Killdozer (band)|Killdozer]] and called Vig up to tell him, "We want to sound as heavy as that record."<ref name=hoi>Hoi, Tobias. "In Bloom." ''Guitar World''. October 2001.</ref> In April of 1990, the band travelled out to Vig's [[Smart Studios]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin]] to begin work on the album. Most of the basic song arrangements were completed by that time, but Cobain was still working on lyrics and the band was unsure of which songs to record.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 29</ref> Ultimately, eight songs were recorded: "Immodium" (later retitled "Breed"), "[[Dive (song)|Dive]]" (later released as the b-side to "Sliver"), "[[In Bloom]]", "Pay to Play" (eventually renamed "Stay Away" and given a new set of lyrics), "Sappy", "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]", "[[Here She Comes Now/Venus in Furs|Here She Comes Now]]" (released on ''Velvet Underground Tribute Album: Heaven and Hell Volume 1''), and "Polly".<ref>Azerrad, 1993. p. 137</ref> The band had planned to record more tracks, but Cobain blew his voice out on "Lithium", forcing them to shut down recording. Vig was told that the band would come back to record more songs, but the producer didn't hear anything for a while.<ref name=classicalbums /> Instead, the band used the sessions as a demo tape to shop for a new label. Within a few months, the tape was circulating amongst major labels, creating a buzz around the group.<ref>Azerrad, 1993. p. 138</ref>
After signing to Geffen, a number of producers for the album were suggested, including [[Scott Litt]], [[David Briggs (producer)|David Briggs]], and [[Don Dixon (musician)|Don Dixon]], but Nirvana held out for Vig.<ref>Azerrad, 1993. p. 164-65</ref> Novoselic noted in 2001 that the band was already nervous about recording on a major label, since the producers suggested wanted percentage points for the album, and they optioned for Vig, whom they felt comfortable collaborating with.<ref name=requiem>Cross, Charles R. "Requiem for a Dream." ''Guitar World''. October 2001.</ref> Afforded a budget of $65,000, Nirvana recorded ''Nevermind'' at Sound City Studios in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] in May and June of 1991.<ref>Sandford 1995, pg. 181</ref> Nirvana was originally set to record the album during March and April of 1991, but the date kept getting pushed back in spite of the band's anxiousness to begin the sessions. To pay for gas money to get to Los Angeles, Nirvana played a show where they played "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" for the first time.<ref name=classicalbums /> The band sent Vig some rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured the Smart Sessions songs along with some new ones, notably "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come As You Are]]".<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 167</ref>
When it arrived in California, Nirvana did a few days of pre-production where the band and Vig tightened up some of the song arrangements.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 169</ref> The only recording carried over from the Smart Studios sessions was the song "Polly", which included cymbal crashes performed by Chad Channing. Once recording commenced, the band worked eight to ten hours a day. The band members tended to take two or three tries at instrumental takes; if the takes weren't satisfactory at that point, they would move on to something else.<ref name="Azerrad p. 174">Azerrad 1993, pg. 174</ref> The group had rehearsed the songs so much before recording started that often only a few takes were needed.<ref name=requiem /> Novoselic and Grohl finished their bass and drum track in a matter of days, but Cobain had to work longer on guitar overdubs, singing, and particularly lyrics (which sometimes were finished mere minutes before recording).<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 176</ref> Cobain's phrasing was so consistent on various takes that Vig would mix the takes together to create overdubs.<ref name="Azerrad p. 174" /> Vig often had to trick Cobain, who was averse to performing multiple takes, into recording additional takes for overdubs. In particular, Vig convinced Cobain to double-track his vocals on the song "In Bloom" by telling him "[[John Lennon]] did it."<ref name=classicalbums /> While the sessions went well generally, Vig said Cobain would become moody and difficult at times: "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in a corner and say nothing for an hour."<ref name=hoi />
After the recording sessions were completed, Vig and the band set out to [[audio mixing|mix]] the album. However, after a few days, both Vig and the band members realized that they were unhappy with how the mixes were turning out. As a result, they decided to call in someone else to oversee the mixing, with DGC supplying a list of possible options. The list contained several familiar names, including Scott Litt (known for his work with R.E.M.) and Ed Stasium (known for his work with The Smithereens). However, Cobain feared that bringing in known mixers would result in the album sounding like the work of those bands. Instead, Cobain chose [[Andy Wallace (producer)|Andy Wallace]] (who had co-produced Slayer's 1990 album ''[[Seasons in the Abyss]]'') from the bottom of the list.<ref name="diperna1996">di Perna, Alan. "Grunge Music: The Making of Nevermind." ''Guitar World''. Fall 1996.</ref> Novoselic recalled, "We said, 'right on,' because those Slayer records were so heavy."<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 96</ref> Wallace ran the songs through various special effects boxes and tweaked the drum sounds, completing about one mix per day.<ref name="Azerrad 179 180">Azerrad 1993, pg. 179-80</ref> Both Wallace and Vig noted years later that upon hearing Wallace's work the band loved the mixes.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 99</ref> After the album's release members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the polished sound the mixer had given ''Nevermind''. Cobain said in ''Come as You Are'', "Looking back on the production of ''Nevermind'', I'm embarrassed by it now. It's closer to a [[Mötley Crüe]] record than it is a punk rock record."<ref name="Azerrad 179 180" />
''Nevermind'' was [[audio mastering|mastered]] on the afternoon of August 2 in The Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California. Howie Weinberg started working alone when no one else showed up at the appointed time in the studio; by the time Nirvana, Andy Wallace, and Gary Gersh arrived, Weinberg had mastered most of the album.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 102</ref> One of the songs mastered at the session, a [[hidden track]] called "Endless, Nameless" intended to appear at the end of "[[Something in the Way]]", was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. Weinberg recalled, "In the beginning, it was kind of a verbal thing to put that track at the end. Maybe I misconstrued their instructions, so you can call it my mistake if you want. Maybe I didn't write it down when Nirvana or the record company said to do it. So, when they pressed the first twenty thousand or so CDs, albums, and cassettes, it wasn't on there." When the band discovered the song's omission after listening to its copy of the album, Cobain called Weinberg and demanded he rectify the mistake.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 103</ref> Weinberg complied and added about ten minutes of silence between the end of "Something in the Way" and the start of the hidden track on future pressings of the album.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 104</ref>The hidden track itself bears whitout a doubt influences from the [[Butthole Surfers]],as this was one of Cobain's favourite bands.
== Release ==
''Nevermind'' was released on [[September 24]], [[1991]] with 46,251 copies of the album shipped to American record stores;<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 196</ref> 35,000 copies were shipped in the United Kingdom, where ''Bleach'' had been successful.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 113</ref> The lead single "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" had been released on September 10th with the intention of being a base-building cut among alternative rock fans, while the next single "[[Come As You Are]]" would be the song that would possibly garner more attention.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 227</ref> The band set out on a short American tour four days before the release date to support the album. Geffen Records hoped that ''Nevermind'' would sell around 250,000 copies, which was the same level the record company had achieved with Sonic Youth's Geffen debut ''[[Goo (album)|Goo]]''.<ref>Wice, Nathaniel. "How Nirvana Made It". ''Spin''. April 1992.</ref> The best estimate was that if the band, the management, and the label all worked really hard, the record could possibly be certified gold by September of 1992.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 193</ref>
The album debuted on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] at position 144, which was high enough for the album to also top the ''[[Top Heatseekers|Heatseekers]]'' chart.<ref>{{cite news|title=The ''Billboard'' 200|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=[[October 19]], [[1991]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Heatseekers|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=[[October 19]], [[1991]]}}</ref> Geffen shipped about half of the initial US pressing to the American Northwest, where it sold out quickly and was unavailable for days. Geffen reputedly put production of all other albums on hold in order to fulfill demand in the region.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 119</ref> ''Nevermind'' was already selling well, but over the next few months the album momentum increased significantly as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" unexpectedly became more and more popular. The song's video had received a world premiere on [[MTV]]'s late night alternative show ''[[120 Minutes]]'' but it soon proved so popular that the channel began playing it during the day.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 199</ref> The record was soon certified gold, but the band was relatively uninterested in the achievement. Novoselic recalled, "Yeah I was happy about it. It was pretty cool. It was kind of neat. But I don't give a shit about some kind of achievement like that. It's cool—I guess."<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 202</ref>
As the band set out for their European tour at the start of November 1991, ''Nevermind'' entered the ''Billboard'' Top 40 for the first time at number 35. By this point "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had become a genuine hit and the album was selling so fast none of Geffen's marketing strategies aimed at different sales levels could be enacted. Geffen president Ed Rosenblatt told the ''[[New York Times]]'', "We didn't do anything. It was just one of those 'Get out of the way and duck' records."<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 228</ref> Nirvana found as they toured Europe during the end of 1991 that the shows were dangerously oversold, television crews became a constant presence onstage, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was almost omnipresent on radio and music television.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 203</ref>
''Nevermind'' became Nirvana's first number one album on [[January 11]], [[1992]], replacing Michael Jackson at the top of the ''Billboard'' charts.<ref>{{cite news|title=The ''Billboard'' 200|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=[[January 11]], [[1992]]}}</ref> By this time ''Nevermind'' was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 229</ref> "Come As You Are" was finally released as the second single in March of 1992; it peaked at number 32 on the ''Billboard'' charts. Two more singles, "Lithium" and "In Bloom," were released from the album. ''Nevermind'' eventually spent two hundred and fifty-two weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite news|title=The ''Billboard'' 200|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=[[November 2]], [[1996]]}}</ref>
''Nevermind'' was [[RIAA certification|certified]] Gold and Platinum by the [[RIAA certification|RIAA]] on [[November 27]], [[1991]], and was certified Diamond on [[March 24]], [[1999]].<ref>{{cite web|title=RIAA Searchable Database|url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH}} Last accessed March 10, 2007.</ref> It was also certified Diamond in Canada (1,000,000 units) by the [[CRIA]] on March 19, 2001.<ref>[http://www.cria.ca/gold/0301_g.php Gold & Platinum - March 2001]. [[CRIA]], [[March 2001]]. Retrieved on [[27 September]] [[2007]].</ref> By April 2007, Nevermind has sold 26 million copies worldwide.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/f8dp/ Nirvana (Nevermind) - 26 million sold]</ref>
===Critical reception===
Upon the album's release, several mainstream newspapers and magazines gave ''Nevermind'' positive reviews. Karen Schoemer of ''The New York Times'' wrote, "With 'Nevermind,' Nirvana has certainly succeeded. There are enough intriguing textures, mood shifts, instrumental snippets and inventive word plays to provide for hours of entertainment." Schoemer concluded, "'Nevermind' is more sophisticated and carefully produced than anything peer bands like [[Dinosaur Jr]]. and [[Mudhoney (band)|Mudhoney]] have yet offered."<ref>{{cite news | author=Schoemer, Karen | date = [[September 27]] [[1991]]| title= Pop/Jazz; A Band That Deals In Apathy | publisher=''The New York Times'' | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE6DD143EF934A1575AC0A967958260 | accessdate= 2007-09-27}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave ''Nevermind'' an A- rating, and reviewer David Browne argued that on ''Nevermind'' Nirvana "never entertain the notion" of wanting to sound "normal," compared to other contemporary alternative bands.<ref>{{cite news | author=Browne, David | date = [[October 25]] [[1991]]| title=''Nevermind'' (review) | publisher=''Entertainment Weekly'' | url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315922,00.html | accessdate= 2007-09-27}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave the album three out of five stars; reviewer Ira Robbins wrote, "If Nirvana isn't onto anything altogether new, ''Nevermind'' does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio's high-octane hits."<ref>{{cite news | author=Robbins, Ira | date = [[November 28]] [[1991]]| title=''Nevermind'' (review) | publisher=''Rolling Stone'' | url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/238528/nevermind | accessdate= 2007-09-27}}</ref> The ''[[Boston Globe]]'' was less enthusiastic about the album; reviewer Steve Morse wrote, "Most of ''Nevermind'' is packed with generic punk-pop that been done by countless acts from [[Iggy Pop]] to the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]," and added "the band has little or nothing to say, settling for moronic ramblings by singer-lyricist Cobain."<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 117</ref>
''Nevermind'' was voted as the best album of the year in ''[[The Village Voice]]'' [[Pazz & Jop]] critics poll; "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped the single of the year and video of the year polls.<ref>{{cite web | author=Christgau, Robert | date= [[March 3]] [[1992]]| title="The 1991 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll" | publisher=''RobertChristgau.com'' | url= http://web.archive.org/web/20060507034515/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres91.php | accessdate=2007-05-19}}</ref> ''Nevermind'' topped the poll by a large majority, and ''Village Voice'' critic [[Robert Christgau]] wrote in his companion piece to the poll, "As a modest pop surprise they might have scored a modest victory, like [[De La Soul]] in 1990. Instead their multiplatinum takeover constituted the first full-scale public validation of the Amerindie values--the noise, the toons, the 'tude--the radder half of the [Pazz & Jop poll] electorate came up on."<ref>{{cite web | author=Christgau, Robert | date= [[March 3]] [[1992]]| title="Reality Used to Be a Friend of Ours" | publisher=''RobertChristgau.com'' | url= http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pj91.php | accessdate=2007-09-29}}</ref>
''Nevermind'' has continued to garner critical praise since its release. The album was listed at number seventeen on ''Rolling Stone's'' [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].<ref name="RS500">{{cite book|last=Levy |first=Joe|coauthors=Steven Van Zandt|title=[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|Rolling Stone The 500 Greatest Album of All Time]]|origyear=2005|accessdate=2008-01-08|edition=3rd edition|year=2006|publisher=Turnaround|location=London|isbn=1932958614|oclc=70672814 |ref=RS500}}</ref> ''Time'' placed ''Nevermind'', which writer [[Josh Tyrangiel]] called "the finest album of the 90s," on its 2006 list of "The All-TIME 100 Albums."<ref>{{cite web | author=Tyrangiel, Josh | date = [[November 13]] [[2006]] | title="''Nevermind'' by Nirvana" | publisher=''Time'' | url= http://www.time.com/time/2006/100albums/0,27693,Nevermind,00.html | accessdate=2007-09-29}}</ref> In 2004, the [[Library of Congress]] chose ''Nevermind'' as one of fifty albums to be added to the [[National Recording Registry]] that year.The Album was also listed in [[1001 albums you must hear before you die]].
===Pressings and re-releases===
In 1996, [[Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab]] released ''Nevermind'' on [[phonograph record|vinyl]] as part of its ANADISQ 200 series, and as a 24-[[carat (purity)|carat]] gold CD. The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless". The LP version sold out quickly of its limited pressing, but the CD edition stayed in print.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg 148-49</ref> In 1999 the ''Nevermind'' album was re-released in a collectors box set with the 1993 album ''[[In Utero]]''.
==Music==
{{sample box start|Nevermind}}
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item | filename = NirvanaSmellsLikeTeenSpirit.ogg | title = "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | description = Sample of "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]", the first track on the album. The sample illustrates the change in dynamics from verse to pre-chorus and chorus. The band maintains the [[chord progression]] throughout, relying on the changes in dynamics and the reintroduction of the main guitar riff at the end to indicate the shifts between sections. | format = [[Ogg]] }}
{{multi-listen item | filename = ComeAsYouAre.ogg | title = "Come as You Are" | description = Sample of "[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]", the second single from ''Nevermind''. Guitarist Kurt Cobain uses a [[Chorus effect|chorus]] pedal when playing his guitar, creating a "watery" effect. | format = [[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
{{sample box end}}
Cobain, Nirvana's main songwriter, fashioned chord sequences that were based mainly around power chords and wrote songs that combined pop hooks with dissonant guitar rhythms. His aim for ''Nevermind''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s material was to sound like the "[[Bay City Rollers]] getting molested by [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]]".<ref>Lewis, Luke. "Nirvana - Nevermind" Q: Nirvana and the Story of Grunge. December 2005. p. 139</ref> Many of the songs on ''Nevermind'' feature shifts in dynamics, where the band changes from quiet verses to loud choruses. Dave Grohl said this approach originated during a four-month period prior to the recording of the album, where the band would experiment with extreme dynamics during regular jam sessions.<ref>di Perna, Alan. "Absolutely Foobulous!" ''Guitar World''. August 1997.</ref>
''[[Guitar World]]'' wrote, "Kurt Cobain's guitar sound on Nirvana's ''Nevermind'' set the tone for Nineties rock music." On ''Nevermind'', Cobain played a 1960s [[Fender Mustang]], a [[Fender Jaguar]] with DiMarzio pickups, and a few [[Fender Stratocaster]]s with humbucker bridge pickups. The guitarist used distortion and [[Chorus effect|chorus]] pedals as his main effects, the latter used to generate a "watery" sound on "Come as You Are" and the prechoruses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit".<ref>"Cobainspotting". ''Guitar World''. October 2001.</ref> Krist Novoselic tuned down his bass guitar one and a half steps to D flat "to get this fat-ass sound".<ref name=requiem />
===Lyrics===
Grohl said that Cobain told him, "Music comes first, lyrics come second," and Grohl believes that above all Cobain focused on the melodies of his songs.<ref name=classicalbums /> Cobain was still working on the album's lyrics well into the recording of ''Nevermind''. Additionally, Cobain's phrasing on the album is often difficult to understand. Vig asserted that clarity of Cobain's singing wasn't paramount. Vig said, "Even though you couldn't quite tell what he was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell."<ref name=classicalbums />
[[Charles R. Cross]] asserted in his 2001 biography of Kurt Cobain ''[[Heavier than Heaven]]'' that many of the songs written for ''Nevermind'' were about Cobain's dysfunctional relationship with [[Tobi Vail]]. After the relationship ended, Cobain began writing and painting violent scenes that included hatred for himself and others. Songs written during this period were less violent, but still reflected an anger absent from many of Cobain's previous songs.<ref>Cross 2001, pg. 169</ref> Cross argues Cobain wrote about a half dozen songs about Vail, including "Drain You", "Lounge Act", "Lithium", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Though "Lithium" had been written previous to Cobain knowing Vail, the lyrics of the song changed until it contained references to her; Cobain also said in an interview with ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' that "some of my very personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships, feeling that death void that the person in the song is feeling–very lonely, sick."<ref>Morris, Chris. "The Year's Hottest Band Can't Stand Still". ''Musician'', January 1992.</ref>
==Packaging==
The album's tentative title ''Sheep'' was something Cobain created as an inside joke towards the people he expected to buy the record. He wrote a fake ad for ''Sheep'' in his journal that read "Because you want to not; because everyone else is."<ref>Cross 2001, pg. 154</ref> Novoselic said the title was inspired by the band's cynicism about the public's reaction to [[Operation Desert Storm]].<ref name=requiem /> Cobain grew tired of the title as recording sessions for the album were completed, and suggested to Novoselic that the new album be named ''Nevermind''. Cobain liked the title because it was a metaphor for his attitude on life and was grammatically incorrect.<ref>Cross 2001, pg. 189</ref>
The ''Nevermind'' [[album cover]] shows a baby swimming toward a US dollar bill on a fishhook. According to Cobain, he conceived the idea while watching a television program on [[water birth]]s with Grohl. Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director [[Robert Fisher]]. Fisher found some stock footage of underwater births but they were too graphic for the record company. Also, the stock house that controlled the photo of a swimming baby that they subsequently settled on wanted $7,500 a year for its use, so instead Fisher sent a photographer to a pool for babies to take pictures. Five shots were yielded and the band settled on the image of a three-month-old infant named [[Spencer Elden]], the son of the photographer's friend Rick Elden. However, there was some concern because Elden's [[penis]] was visible in the image. 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 that would say "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile."<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 180-81</ref>
The back cover of the album features a photograph of a rubber monkey in front of a collage created by Cobain. The collage features photos of raw beef from a supermarket advert, images from [[Dante]]'s ''[[Inferno]]'', and pictures of diseased vaginas from Cobain's collection of medical photos. Cobain noted, "If you look real close, there is a picture of [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] in the back standing on a slab of beef."<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, pg. 108</ref> The album's liner notes contain no complete song lyrics; instead, the liner contains random song lyrics and unused lyrical fragements that Cobain arranged into a poem.<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 209</ref>
==Legacy==
''Nevermind'' not only popularized the [[Seattle]] [[Grunge music|grunge]] movement, but brought [[alternative rock]] as a whole into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4652653/ | title=10 years later, Cobain lives on in his music | accessdate=2007-09-27 | author=Olsen, Eric | publisher=MSNBC.com | date=[[2004-04-09]]}}</ref> ''Nevermind''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s success surprised Nirvana's contemporaries, who felt dwarfed by its impact. [[Fugazi]]'s [[Guy Picciotto]] later commented: "It was like our record could have been a hobo pissing in the forest for the amount of impact it had. [...] It felt like we were playing ukuleles all of a sudden because of the disparity of the impact of what they did".<ref>Azerrad, 2001. p. 493</ref> In 1992, [[Jon Pareles]] of ''The New York Times'' described that in the aftermath of the album's breakthrough, "Suddenly, all bets are off. No one has the inside track on which of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ornery, obstreperous, unkempt bands might next appeal to the mall-walking millions". Record company executives offered large advances and record deals to bands, and previous strategies of building audiences for alternative rock bands had been replaced by the opportunity to achieve mainstream popularity quickly.<ref>Pareles, Jon. "[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE3D71531F937A25755C0A964958260 Pop View; Nirvana-bes Awaiting Fame's Call]". ''The New York Times''. [[June 14]], [[1992]]. Retrieved on [[June 3]], [[2008]].</ref>
[[Michael Azerrad]] argued in his Nirvana biography ''[[Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana]]'' (1993) that ''Nevermind'' marked the emergence of a generation of music fans in their twenties in a climate dominated by the musical tastes of the [[baby boomer]] generation that preceded them. Azerrad wrote, "''Nevermind'' came along at exactly the right time. This was music by, for, and about a whole new group of young people who had been overlooked, ignored, or condescended to."<ref>Azerrad 1993, pg. 225</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' wrote in its entry for ''Nevermind'' on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, "No album in recent history had such an overpowering impact on a generation -- a nation of teens suddenly turned punk -- and such a catastrophic effect on its main creator."<ref name="nevermind rs500">[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6597662/17_nevermind: 17) ''Nevermind'']. ''Rolling Stone''. [[November 1]], [[2003]]. Retrieved on [[June 3]], [[2008]].</ref>
==Track listing==
All songs were written by Kurt Cobain, except where noted.
#"[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" (Cobain, [[Krist Novoselic]], [[Dave Grohl]]) – 5:01
#"[[In Bloom]]" – 4:14
#"[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]" – 3:39
#"Breed" – 3:03
#"[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]" – 4:17
#"[[Polly (song)|Polly]]" – 2:57
#"Territorial Pissings" – 2:22
#"[[Drain You]]" – 3:43
#"Lounge Act" – 2:36
#"Stay Away" – 3:32
#"[[On a Plain]]" – 3:16
#"Something in the Way" – 3:55
#*"Endless, Nameless" (6:44) is a hidden track on some copies of the record.
==Charts==
===Album===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Charts (1991)
!align="left"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"| [[Billboard charts#Top Heatseekers|Top Heatseekers]]
|align="center"| 1
|-
|align="left"| Finnish Album Charts
|align="center"| 1
|-
|align="left"| [[UK Albums Chart]]
|align="center"| 7
|-
!align="left"|Charts (1992)
!align="left"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"| [[Billboard 200]]
|align="center"| 1
|-
|align="left"| Portugal Album Charts
|align="center"| 1
|-
|align="left"| Holland Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align="left"| [[ARIA Charts]]
|align="center"| 2
|}
{{Col-2-of-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Charts (1992)
!align="left"|Peak<br>position
|-
|align="left"| Switzerland Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align="left"| Austrian Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align="left"| Norwegian Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align=";left"| New Zealand Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align="left"| Spanish Albums Chart
|align="center"| 2
|-
|align="left"| German Albums Chart
|align="center"| 3
|-
|align="left"| Hungarian Albums Chart
|align="center"| 12
|-
|align="left"| Sweden Albums Chart
|align="center"| 13
|-
|align="left"| Japanese Albums Chart
|align="center"| 24
|}
{{Col-end}}
==Personnel==
* [[Kurt Cobain]] (appears on the credits for the "Monkey Photo" as Kurdt Kobain) – [[singer|vocals]], [[guitar]], photography
* [[Krist Novoselic]] (credited as Chris Novoselic) – [[bass guitar]], vocals
* [[Dave Grohl]] – [[drum kit|drums]], vocals
* Nirvana – [[record producer|co-producers]], [[audio engineering|engineers]]:
* [[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]] – infant in cover photo
<!--
==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable"
!Publication
!Country
!Accolade
!Year
!Rank
|-
|''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
|[[United States|U.S.]]
|90 Greatest Albums of the '90s<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/spin100.html#Spin's%20Top%2090%20Albums%20of%20the%2090's | title=Spin's Top 90 Albums of the 90's | accessdate=2007-09-27 | author=''Spin'' | publisher=RockListMusic.co.uk}}</ref>
|1999
|#1
|-
|}
{|class="wikitable"
! Rank || Publisher || Name of list || Year || Reference
|-
| #1 || ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' || "90 Greatest Albums of the 90s" || [[1999]] ||
|-
| #1 || ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' || "Top 10 Albums of the 90s" || [[2000]] || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #1 || ''[[MuchMoreMusic]]'' || "40 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years" || [[2004]] || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #2 || ''[[Kerrang!]]'' || "50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time" || [[2003]] || <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/kerrang.html#50%20Most%20Influential | title=50 Most Influential Albums Of All Time | accessdate=2008-01-08 | author=''Kerrang!'' | publisher=RockListMusic.co.uk}}</ref>
|-
| #2 || ''[[VH1]]'' || "Top 100 Albums" || [[2001]] || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #3 || ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' || "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" || 2001 || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #3 || ''VH1'' || "Greatest Album Covers" || 2003 || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #3 || ''Spin'' || "100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005" || [[2005]] || <ref>"100 Greatest Albums 1985-2005". ''Spin''. July 2005.</ref>
|-
| #3 || ''Q'' || "100 Greatest Albums Ever" || 2006 || {{Fact|date=July 2007}}
|-
| #6 || ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'' || "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (Redux)" || 2003 || <ref>http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/36737/Staff_List_Top_100_Albums_of_the_1990s/page_10 link</ref>
|-
| #6 || ''[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]'' || "[[My Favourite Album]]" || 2003 || <ref>http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/top100.htm</ref>
|-
| #17 || ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' || "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]" || 2003 || <ref>http://musicchain.net/entry/RS-500-Greatest-Albums-of-All-Time</ref>
|}
-->
==See also==
* ''[[Nevermind It's an Interview]]''
* ''[[Classic Albums - Nirvana - Nevermind]]''
==References==
* ''Classic Albums—Nirvana: Nevermind'' [DVD]. Isis Productions, 2004.
* Azerrad, Michael. ''Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana''. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8
* Berkenstadt, Jim; Cross, Charles. ''Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind''. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0-02-864775-0
* Cross, Charles. ''Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain''. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9
* Sandford, Christopher. ''Kurt Cobain''. Carroll & Graff, 1995. ISBN 0-7867-1369-0
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote|Nevermind}}
* [http://www.google.com/musicl?lid=6s_-Syn1pbG&aid=PRuwDlmuWEB ''Nevermind''] at [[Google]] Music
{{start box}}
{{succession box
| before = ''[[Dangerous (album)|Dangerous]]'' by [[Michael Jackson]]
| title = [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] [[Number-one albums of 1992 (USA)|number-one album]]
| years = [[January 11]] - [[January 17]] [[1992]]
| after = ''[[Ropin' the Wind]]'' by [[Garth Brooks]]
}}
{{succession box
| before = ''Ropin' the Wind'' by Garth Brooks
| title = [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] [[Number-one albums of 1992 (USA)|number-one album]]
| years = [[February 1]] - [[February 7]] [[1992]]
| after = ''Ropin' the Wind'' by Garth Brooks
}}
{{end box}}
{{Nirvana (band)}}
[[Category:1991 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Butch Vig]]
[[Category:Geffen Records albums]]
[[Category:Nirvana albums]]
[[Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings]]
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