5 of the best from Kurt Cobain

To remember the anniversary of the death of Kurt Cobain, JOE takes a look back at some of our favourite Nirvana tunes

By Adrian Collins

Iconic is a word that certainly does apply to the great Kurt Cobain, and it was 19 years ago today that the singer died in Seattle.

Cobain was part of what was perhaps the most important band in the grunge music scene of the day, and the talent of the musicians and songwriters involved was borne out in years to come by Dave Grohl and Pat Smear being involved in Foo Fighters, and Krist Novoselic being involved in a number of bands afterwards also.

We'll start with the moment that we have to mention, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Anthemic and legendary, this song simply couldn't be left off any Nirvana list. It might have been done to death by teenage boys in rock bands, but back in the day its contrasts between light riffs with melancholy lyrics and heavy chorus made gave it its legendary status.

During the unplugged gig, Cobain showed his many different sides and displayed why his voice was so iconic, in particular with this David Bowie cover, 'The Man Who Sold the World'.

'In Bloom' from the album Nevermind was a great display of Cobain's ability to write a brilliant tune with real meaning behind it, as he took a shot at those who didn't understand what the band were doing.

'About a Girl' from the band's debut album Bleach was a song Cobain described as “a risk”, given that it was heavily influenced by his pop leanings, but that risk was certainly rewarded seeing as it gave us this classic.

'All Apologies' is a hugely popular song from the band's last album before Cobain's death, and it was given a beautiful rendition at their Unplugged gig, a night that will more than likely never be forgotten by music fans.