Nirvana was formed in 1987 by vocalist and guitaristKurt Cobain and bassistKrist Novoselic, with the position of drummer being filled by various musicians. The band released its debut album,Bleach, in 1989 onindependent labelSub Pop. After being joined by final drummerDave Grohl and signing toGeffen Records subsidiaryDGC Records, the band released its second studio album,Nevermind, which became one of the best selling alternative albums of the 1990s[1][2] and popularized theSeattlegrunge movement and alternative music.[3] The band's third album,In Utero, was also a commercial and critical success, though it did not match the sales precedent set byNevermind—as the members of the band expected.[4] Nirvana disbanded in 1994 after the death of Cobain; since then several posthumous releases have been issued from the band, which once resulted in a legal conflict between Cobain's widow,Courtney Love, and the surviving members of the band over the release of the song "You Know You're Right".[5] In 2006, Love sold a significant share of the rights to Cobain's song catalog toPrimary Wave Music Publishing.[6] Since its debut, the band has sold 27.6 million albums in the United States alone,[7] and over 75 million records worldwide.[8]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Notes
^Live at the Paramount did not chart on the USBillboard 200 album chart, but did chart at number 72 on the USBillboardTop Album Sales chart.[40]
^Live and Loud did not chart on the USBillboard 200 album chart, but did chart at number 47 on the USBillboard Top Album Sales chart,[40] and at number 3 on the USBillboard Vinyl Albums chart.[42]
^Live and Loud did not chart on theOCCUK Albums Chart, but did chart at number 45 on the OCC UK Album Sales chart,[43] number 38 on the OCC UK Physical Albums chart,[44] and number 6 on the OCC UKVinyl Albums chart.[45]
Blew was intended to be released to promote an upcoming European tour, but this plan was scrapped, and the EP ended up being released exclusively in the UK shortly after its completion.[56]
Hormoaning was released only in Australia and Japan, with two different covers accompanying the release in each country, to promote the band's tour of thePacific Rim.[57]Hormoaning was re-released forRecord Store Day 2011, as a limited edition.
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Notes
^The "Love Buzz" single was limited to 1000 numbered retail copies and 200 promotional copies.
^Though "Sliver" was initially released as a standalone single on Sub Pop in 1990, it did not chart in Ireland until after the success of theNevermind album in 1992.
^"Sliver" did not chart on the USBillboard Hot 100 but charted at number 19 on the USBillboardAlternative Airplay chart in January 1993 following its appearance on theIncesticide compilation album which was released in December 1992.[65]
^"Sliver" did not chart on the AustralianARIA Singles Chart but charted at number 12 on the AustralianARIA Alternative Singles Chart.[66]
^"Lithium" did not chart on the FrenchSNEP Singles Chart, but did chart at number 20 on the West Europe Airplay Chart which included France, Belgium (Wallonia), parts of Switzerland, and Monaco.[71]
^"Lithium" did not chart on the Swedish Singles Chart but did chart at number 10 on the Swedish Airplay Chart.[72]
^"In Bloom" did not chart on the USBillboard Hot 100 due to the lack of an American physical release, but it charted at number 5 on the USBillboardMainstream Rock chart.[73]
^"Heart-Shaped Box" did not chart on the USBillboard Hot 100 due to the lack of an American physical release, but it charted at number 1 on the USBillboard Alternative Airplay chart,[65] and at number 4 on the USBillboard Mainstream Rock chart.[73]
^"All Apologies" and "Rape Me" were released together as adouble A-side single.
^"All Apologies" did not chart on theBillboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 45 on theBillboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[75]
^"All Apologies" / "Rape Me" did not chart on the PortugueseAFP Singles Chart, which was only a Top 10 chart at the time, but "Rape Me" did chart at number 15 on the Iberian Airplay Chart, which included Portugal and Spain.[76]
^The "Pennyroyal Tea" single was cancelled after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but it charted at number 1 on theBillboardHot Singles Sales chart,[77][78] when re-released forRecord Store Day in 2014.
^The "Pennyroyal Tea" single was cancelled after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but it charted at number 4 on the UK Physical Singles Sales chart,[79] and number 121 on the UK Singles Chart,[80][81] when re-released forRecord Store Day in 2014.
^The "About a Girl" retail single was released only inContinental Europe and Australia, but the song was released to radio in the US.
^"About a Girl" did not chart on theBillboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 22 on theBillboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[75]
^"About a Girl" did not chart on the PortugueseAFP Singles Chart, which had been discontinued in January 1994,[82] but did chart at number 7 on the Iberian Airplay Chart, which included Portugal and Spain.[83]
^The "About a Girl" single charted in the UK based solely onimport sales and did not receive a UK release.
^"You Know You're Right" was released as a promotional and downloadable single only at a time when there were no countries in the world including downloads in their music charts.
^"You Know You're Right" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart because it was only released as a downloadable single and no physical single was released at a time when downloads were not being counted towards the UK Singles Chart, but it charted at number 85 on the UK Airplay Chart.[84]
^"Dumb" peaked at number 92 on the UK airplay chart in October 1993 which was compiled byERA.[94]
^"Drain You" did not chart on theBillboard US Alternative Airplay chart but did chart at number 44 on the US Alternative Top 50 chart which was published byRadio & Records.[100]
^In 2021, "Endless, Nameless" was released as a7-inch single included with the 30th-anniversary vinyl reissue ofNevermind.[101]
Cover of a 1968Velvet Underground song. Previously released on the split single "Here She Comes Now/Venus in Furs" in 1991, it was later released onWith the Lights Out in 2004 and on theNevermind 20th anniversary deluxe editions in 2011.
Nirvana's contribution to theRed Hot AIDS Benefit Series was an uncredited and asecret track.[137] The song was originally titled "Sappy", but was renamed "Verse, Chorus, Verse" prior to release onNo Alternative. It charted at number 9 on the US Alternative Airplay chart which was published byRadio & Records in 1994.[138] It was later released onWith the Lights Out in 2004 as "Sappy" and on theIn Utero 20th anniversary deluxe editions as "Sappy" in 2013.
The first song onThe Beavis and Butt-Head Experience, it was recorded during the sessions forIn Utero. This version of "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" was included as a B-side on the cancelled "Pennyroyal Tea" single but is different from the version found onWith the Lights Out.
This is an early version of "Stay Away" which was a song onNevermind. "Pay to Play" was the first new Nirvana song to be released after Cobain's death but its inclusion on the compilation album had been agreed to before he died.[141] "Pay to Play" was later released onWith the Lights Out in 2004 and on theNevermind 20th anniversary deluxe editions in 2011.
Courtney Love stated in May 2002 that she owned 109 unreleased tapes made by Cobain, with or without the other members of Nirvana.[147] Of these songs, many were released on the 61 songbox setWith the Lights Out in 2004, with three "freshly unearthed" songs appearing on the compilationSliver: The Best of the Box in 2005.[148] More unreleased Nirvana tracks were released on the deluxe and super deluxe 20th anniversary editions of theNevermind andIn Utero albums in 2011 and 2013 respectively.[149][150][151] Many more unreleased songs were released onMontage of Heck: The Home Recordings in 2015 which was the companion soundtrack to the filmKurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.[152]Brett Morgen stated that in Cobain's archive he discovered over 200 hours of audio on over 108 cassettes and that he thought the solo album "would be a nice complement to the film".[152]
Peaks within the top 50:"Discography Nirvana". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. RetrievedSeptember 30, 2015.
Peaks between 51–100 until December 2010:Ryan, Gavin (2011).Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 204.
For:Sliver: The Best of the Box:pandora.nla.gov.au."ARIA Chart report 5th December 2005"(PDF). Pandora, Australia's Web Archives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 19, 2005. RetrievedJuly 26, 2010.
ForLive! Tonight! Sold Out!!:pandora.nla.gov.au."ARIA Chart report 4th December 2006"(PDF). Pandora, Australia's Web Archives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 19, 2006. RetrievedJuly 26, 2010.
ForClassic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind:pandora.nla.gov.au."ARIA Chart report 25th April 2005"(PDF). Pandora, Australia's Web Archives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 19, 2005. RetrievedJuly 26, 2010.
ForMTV Unplugged in New York:pandora.nla.gov.au."ARIA Chart report 26th November 2007"(PDF). Pandora, Australia's Web Archives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on December 19, 2007. RetrievedJuly 26, 2010.
ForLive at the Paramount:pandora.nla.gov.au."ARIA Chart report 10th October 2011"(PDF). Pandora, Australia's Web Archives. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on October 29, 2011. RetrievedJuly 23, 2016.
^Rocco, John; Rocco, Brian, eds. (1998).The Nirvana Companion: Two Decades of Commentary: A Chronicle of The End of Punk. London:Omnibus Press. p. 218.ISBN0711969957.Gaar, Gillian (1997). 'Verse Chorus Verse: The Recording History of Nirvana'.Goldmine.
^Rocco, John; Rocco, Brian, eds. (1998).The Nirvana Companion: Two Decades of Commentary: A Chronicle of The End of Punk. London:Omnibus Press. p. 224.ISBN0711969957.Gaar, Gillian (1997). 'Verse Chorus Verse: The Recording History of Nirvana'.Goldmine.
