Formed : 1987 // Aberdeen, WA, United States
Disbanded : April 8, 1994
Considered by many to be the forerunner of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 1980s/early 1990s, and perhaps the most influental rock band of Generations X & Y, Nirvana was a powerful trio of musicians who brought a unique aesthetic to a growing-stale rock scene. They had already made some waves on Sub Pop with their debut, BLEACH. But it wasn't until their major-label debut for DGC/Geffen, 1991's NEVERMIND - perhaps, more specifically, the first 30 seconds of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - that they broke into the mainstream of America - not really because they wanted to. Guitarist Cobain's suicide in April 1994 brought an untimely end to the band. Drummer Grohl went on to form the Foo Fighters. In the fall of 2004, WITH THE LIGHTS OUT (a 3-CD/DVD set of mostly unreleased material) confirmed that interest in the band is still very high. Most young rock stars today will likely cite Nirvana as a major influence on them.