Nirvana (every album, every song)

Despite only being active for less than a decade and releasing just three studio albums during their short tenure, Nirvana's overwhelming musical and cultural impact on the world cannot be understated. Within such a narrow timespan, the famous trio made themselves synonymous with what came to be known as grunge; a potent mix of melodic punk and heavy metal that evolved in America in the mid-1980s. Combined with the band's anti-glam, battered image and Kurt Cobain's lyrical themes of social alienation and world apathy, Nirvana rallied the youth to their beck and call with anthemic, head-banging singalongs and introspective dirges, providing a haven for those feeling lost and abject. Thirty years after the shocking death of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana still dominate the musical conversation and their influence continues to be far-reaching. This book aims to justify such a strong legacy with a detailed analysis of every song from Nirvana's three studio albums, as well as non-album singles, B-sides and any other outliers. In addition, tracks from live and compilation albums will be considered in this appraisal of a band that managed to showcase so much in such little time. They only reveal more as the years go by – as this assessment will prove.