Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Nirvana discography

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Studio albums
  
3

Compilation albums
  
4

Music videos
  
8

Live albums
  
3

Video albums
  
6

EPs
  
2

Nirvana discography

The discography of Nirvana, a former Aberdeen, Washington state-based American alternative rock group, consists of three studio albums, twenty-one singles, three live albums, two extended plays, four compilation albums, and two box sets.

Contents

Nirvana was formed in 1987 by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, with the position of drummer being filled by various musicians. The band released its debut album, Bleach, in 1989 on independent label Sub Pop. After being joined by final drummer Dave Grohl and signing to Geffen Records subsidiary DGC Records, the band released its second studio album, Nevermind, which became one of the best selling alternative albums of the 1990s and popularized the Seattle grunge movement and alternative music. The band's third album, In Utero, was also a commercial and critical success, though it did not match the sales precedent set by Nevermind—as the members of the band expected. 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". In March 2006, Love sold a significant share of the rights to Nirvana's publishing catalog to Larry Mestel of Primary Wave Music Publishing. Since its debut, the band has sold 27.6 million albums in the United States alone, and over 80 million records worldwide.

Retail singles

  • I ^ The "Love Buzz" single was limited to 1000 numbered retail copies and 200 promotional copies.
  • II ^ 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 the Nevermind album and did not chart in the United States until its appearance on the DGC-released Incesticide compilation album.
  • III ^ "All Apologies" and "Rape Me" were released together as a double A-side single and therefore the singles chart positions apply to both songs but the airplay charts only apply to "All Apologies".
  • IV ^ "All Apologies" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
  • V ^ The "Pennyroyal Tea" single was cancelled after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but it charted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, number 4 on the UK Physical Singles Sales chart, and number 121 on the UK Singles Chart, when re-released for Record Store Day in 2014.
  • VI ^ The "About a Girl" retail single was released only in Continental Europe and Australia, but the song was released to radio in the US.
  • VII ^ "About a Girl" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
  • VII ^ "You Know You're Right" was released as a downloadable and promotional single only.

    • Promotional singles

  • V ^ Released only in the United States.
  • VI ^ Released only in Brazil.

    • Unreleased songs

    Courtney Love stated in May 2002 that she owned 109 unreleased tapes made by Cobain, with or without the other members of Nirvana. Of these songs, many were released on the 61 song box set With the Lights Out in 2004, with three "freshly unearthed" songs appearing on the compilation Sliver: The Best of the Box in 2005. More unreleased Nirvana tracks were released on the deluxe and super deluxe 20th anniversary editions of the Nevermind and In Utero albums in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Many more unreleased songs were released on Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings in 2015 which was the companion soundtrack to the film Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. 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".

    References

    Nirvana discography Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA