This article is about “Nirvana”, the American rock band. Background - Something unusual happened in1991, and Michael Jackson saw his numbers off the charts by a new single by a group Nirvana. The widespread punk rock music scene thrived during the conservative era of the 1980s. The music went beyond bands and musical performers, thus encouraging independent record companies, zine writer, and general fans. The American rock band – Nirvana enjoyed a newly found mass audience with their songs talking about the youth subculture. The youth simply loved the acidic lyrics with its abrasive tones in their music (Mattson 69). Musical Context - Although the Nirvana style came to be known as grunge, its musical roots lay in the soil of punk rock. Nirvana's music was hard and frenetic even when compared to the popular groups of the 1980s, with a tendency toward irregular slow and fast and soft and loud passages (Nirvana 2004). What made their music distinct was the liberal distortion, a heavy drum line with a guttural bass underlining. However, the lyrical side was quieter.Social Context - There were conflicts and differences in the 1980s youth subculture, but there were common themes that encouraged a wider movement. Nirvana soon became one of the best new bands. It became an identity for the youthful rebellion with a new style. The style of music and dress could be easily marketed. The loud guitar sounds of grunge bands or the hip look of flannel shirts and those nose rings were a sign of the rebellion of the youth of the 1980s (Mattson 88). Nirvana’s half decade of music was set against some of the significant historical events since World War II. Substantial Albums – In 1991, about 3.5 million Americans rushed out to buy “Nevermind” album with the lead singer, Kurt Cobain, gracing its cover (Mattson 69). The hardcore music of Nirvana with its blitz like speed and shotgun lyrics had suddenly found a new audience and was taking the world by storm. The band focused more on the music, and the lyrics were difficult to understand. Even though it was difficult to tell what the song was about, it was the intense music that was the star. The grunge style of the hard rock was linked to Nirvana. The album is special as the band hoped that their fans would change their ways a bit, and the youth counterculture that was underground would come above ground. The concept was good behind the "Nevermind" shoot and boasts of the most stunning album covers ever produced. “Lithium” and “Come As You Are” are considered the best of the album in general, although it is hard to rank.analyze musical and lyrical meaning of Lithium. “Lithium” is a good example of musical style Nirvana and carries a post-traumatic spiritual crisis in its lyrics. “Come As You Are” is about people and their unexpected behaviors. The lyrics have been kept contradictory and confusing intentionally.Historical Context – Nirvana put the punk rock sound in the limelight of the musical stage and thus began the first wave of punk sensibility. The fans loved the outrageous mixture of repetitive sounds backing offensive lyrics. It was the raw energy of Nirvana's music that stirred the core of a generation and caught its spirit in a big way (Nirvana 2004). The band made some electrifying sounds in its short history and took rock and roll to the exhilarating thrills where it belongs. Nirvana will be remembered for transforming the rock 'n' roll in the 1990's, bringing a different face of the rock, the noisy and punk, into the commercial mainstream. There were no rules here, and there was a darkness to the lyrical content of the songs. The band is no more but still has a fan following. The music is an inspiration and can be an inspiration to many even decades from now. It shows how the need for social change could still be spoken loud and clear at the level of the masses. There is something exciting about the idea as to how popular artists in the field of music could still openly reject mainstream values openly.
Works Cited
Mattson, Kevin. "Did Punk Matter?: Analyzing the Practices of a Youth Subculture during the 1980s." American Studies 42.1 (2001): 69-97. Web.
"Nirvana." Encyclopedia Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians. 2004. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.
