View source for Kurt Cobain

{{Short description|American rock musician (1967–1994)}}
{{Redirect|Cobain|the film|Cobain (film)|the surname|Cobain (surname)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name               = Kurt Cobain
| image              = Nirvana around 1992 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Cobain with [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] in 1992
| birth_name         = <!-- Leave this blank per INFOBOX:PERSON template as he did not use a stage name. -->
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1967|2|20}}
| birth_place        = [[Aberdeen, Washington]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{circa}} {{Death date and age|1994|4|5|1967|2|20}}<!-- His body was FOUND on the 8th. The Seattle Coroner's Office ruled that he probably died on the 5th, please do not change this. -->
| death_place        = [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], U.S.
| body_discovered    = April 8, 1994
| death_cause        = [[Suicide of Kurt Cobain|Suicide by gunshot]]
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Singer
* musician
* songwriter
}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Courtney Love]]|1992}}
| children           = [[Frances Bean Cobain]]
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| genre           = {{flatlist|
* [[Grunge]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[punk rock]]
}}
| instrument      = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* guitar
}}<!--He was primarily notable as a guitarist and vocalist. This has been discussed on the article's talk page numerous times. Please address the topic there if you believe it should be changed.-->
| years_active    = 1985–1994
| label           = {{flatlist|
* [[Sub Pop]]
* [[DGC Records|DGC]]
* [[Geffen Records|Geffen]]
}}
| past_member_of  = {{flatlist|
* [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]|
* [[Fecal Matter (band)|Fecal Matter]]
}}
 }}
| signature          = Firma de Kurt Cobain.svg
}}

'''Kurt Donald Cobain''' (February 20, 1967 – {{circa}} April 5, 1994) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the [[grunge]] band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. Through his angsty songwriting and [[anti-establishment]] persona, his compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock music. He was heralded as a spokesman of [[Generation X]]<!-- sourced in section #Nirvana --> and is widely recognized as one of the most influential [[alternative rock]] musicians.

Cobain formed Nirvana with [[Krist Novoselic]] and [[Aaron Burckhard]] in 1987, establishing themselves as part of the [[Seattle]] music scene that later became known as [[grunge]]. Burckhard was replaced by [[Chad Channing]] before the band released their debut album ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]'' (1989) on [[Sub Pop]], after which Channing was in turn replaced by [[Dave Grohl]]. With this finalized lineup, the band signed with [[DGC Records|DGC]] and found commercial success with the single "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" from their critically acclaimed second album ''[[Nevermind]]'' (1991). Cobain wrote many other hit Nirvana songs such as "[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]", "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]", "[[In Bloom]]", "[[Heart-Shaped Box]]", "[[All Apologies]]", "[[About a Girl (Nirvana song)|About a Girl]]", "[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]", "[[You Know You're Right]]" and "[[Something in the Way]]".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Shoup |first=Brad |date=March 24, 2022 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/nirvana-you-know-youre-right-2002-1235048578/ |title='I Will Crawl Away For Good': 20 Years Ago, Nirvana Reconquered Modern Rock With an Uncanny Old New Song |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=March 25, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|date=June 20, 2019|title=Nirvana's 20 greatest songs – ranked!|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/20/nirvanas-20-greatest-songs-ranked|access-date=June 9, 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605091801/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/20/nirvanas-20-greatest-songs-ranked|url-status=live}}</ref> Although he was hailed as the voice of his generation following Nirvana's sudden success, he was uncomfortable with this role.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |date=April 5, 2019 |title=From the Archives: Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was a reluctant hero who spoke to his generation |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-kurt-cobain-19940409-story.html |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=The Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

During his final years, Cobain struggled with a heroin addiction and chronic depression.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mazullo|first=Mark|title=The Man Whom the World Sold: Kurt Cobain, Rock's Progressive Aesthetic, and the Challenges of Authenticity|jstor=742606|volume=84|number=4|pages=713–749|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]]|year=2000|doi=10.1093/mq/84.4.713 | issn=0027-4631}}</ref> He also struggled with the personal and professional pressures of fame, and was often in the spotlight for his tumultuous marriage to fellow musician [[Courtney Love]], with whom he had a daughter named [[Frances Bean Cobain|Frances]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/love-story-of-kurt-cobain-courtney-love|title=Strange Love: The Story of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love|last=Hirschberg|first=Lynn|work=HWD|access-date=August 23, 2018|language=en|archive-date=December 15, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161215104313/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/love-story-of-kurt-cobain-courtney-love|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 1994, he overdosed on a combination of champagne and [[Flunitrazepam|Rohypnol]], subsequently undergoing an [[Intervention (counseling)|intervention]] and detox program. On April 8, 1994, [[Suicide of Kurt Cobain|he was found dead]] in the greenhouse of his [[Seattle]] home at the [[27 Club|age of 27]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://the27club.the27s.com/Forever27.html|title=The27s.com roster|date=January 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120173942/http://the27club.the27s.com/Forever27.html |archive-date=January 20, 2018 }}</ref> with police concluding that he had died around three days earlier from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-06-02 |title=Kurt Cobain's Downward Spiral and Last Days |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kurt-cobains-downward-spiral-the-last-days-of-nirvanas-leader-99797/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

Cobain was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], alongside Nirvana bandmates Novoselic and Grohl, in their first year of eligibility in 2014. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' included him on its lists of the [[Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time|100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time]], 100 Greatest Guitarists, and 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.<ref name=":2" /> He was ranked 7th by [[MTV]] in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music", and was placed 20th by ''[[Hit Parader]]'' on their 2006 list of the "100 Greatest Metal Singers of All Time".

== Early life ==
[[File:Aberdeen, WA - Grays Harbor Community Hospital - East Campus.jpg|thumb|Grays Harbor Hospital in [[Aberdeen, Washington]], where Cobain was born]]
[[File:Kurt Cobains House Aberdeen 2020.jpg|thumb|Cobain's childhood home in 2020]]
Kurt Donald Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in [[Aberdeen, Washington]], on February 20, 1967,<ref name="cross-2008">{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles|title= Cobain Unseen|publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]]|year=2008|isbn=978-0-316-03372-5}}</ref> the son of waitress Wendy Elizabeth (née Fradenburg; 1947-2021) and car mechanic Donald Leland Cobain (born 1946).<ref name="Halperin">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DsDU2DsewtYC&q=Who+Killed+Kurt+Cobain%3F|first1=Ian|last1=Halperin|first2=Max|last2=Wallace|title=Who Killed Kurt Cobain?|publisher=Birch Lane Press|location=New York City|date=1998|isbn=1-55972-446-3|access-date=November 14, 2020|archive-date=April 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423192012/https://books.google.com/books?id=DsDU2DsewtYC&q=Who+Killed+Kurt+Cobain%3F|url-status=live}}</ref> His parents married in [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho]], on July 31, 1965. Cobain had Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.<ref name="azerrad">{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Azerrad|author-link=Michael Azerrad|title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana|publisher=[[Knopf Doubleday]]|location=New York City|date=1993|isbn=0-385-47199-8}}</ref>{{rp|13}}<ref name="ancestry">{{cite web|first=William|last=Addams Reitwiesner|url=http://www.wargs.com/other/cobain.html|title=Ancestry of Frances Bean Cobain|publisher=Wargs.com|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-date=February 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212180909/http://www.wargs.com/other/cobain.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="cross-2001">{{cite book|first=Charles R.|last=Cross|author-link=Charles R. Cross|title=Heavier Than Heaven|publisher=[[Hachette Books|Hyperion Books]]|location=New York City|date=2001|isbn=0-7868-6505-9}}</ref>{{rp|7}} The Cobain surname comes from his Irish ancestors, who emigrated in 1875 from [[Carrickmore]], a village near [[Omagh]] in County Tyrone in [[Ulster]], the northern [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] in Ireland.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|7}} Researchers found that they were shoemakers, originally surnamed Cobane, and were [[Ulster Scots people]] who came from the Inishatieve area of Carrickmore. They first settled in Canada, where they lived in [[Cornwall, Ontario]], before moving to [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref name="Nirvanalegend2010">{{cite news|first=Aine|last=Fox|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/nirvana-legend-kurt-cobains-roots-traced-to-co-tyrone-28528834.html|title=Nirvana legend Kurt Cobain's roots traced to Co Tyrone|newspaper=[[Belfast Telegraph]]|publisher=[[Independent News & Media]]|location=Belfast, northern Ireland|date=March 24, 2010|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-date=November 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102033619/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/nirvana-legend-kurt-cobains-roots-traced-to-co-tyrone-28528834.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Cobain mistakenly believed that his Irish ancestors came from [[County Cork]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Jon|last=Savage|url=http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/sounds-dirty-the-truth-about-nirvana|title=Sounds Dirty: The Truth About Nirvana. By Jon Savage: Articles, reviews and interviews from Rock's Backpages|website=Rocksbackpages.com|date=August 15, 1993|access-date=December 5, 2013|archive-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101210624/http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/sounds-dirty-the-truth-about-nirvana|url-status=live}}</ref> His younger sister, Kimberly, was born on April 24, 1970.<ref name="Halperin"/><ref name="ancestry"/>

Cobain's family had a musical background. His maternal uncle, Chuck Fradenburg, played in a band called the Beachcombers; his aunt, Mari Earle, played guitar and performed in bands throughout [[Grays Harbor County]]; and his great-uncle, Delbert, had a career as an Irish tenor, making an appearance in the 1930 film ''[[King of Jazz]]''. Kurt was described as a happy and excitable child, who also exhibited sensitivity and care. His talent as an artist was evident from an early age, as he would draw his favorite characters from films and cartoons, such as the [[Creature from the Black Lagoon]] and [[Donald Duck]], in his bedroom.<ref name="cross-2008" /><ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|11}} He was encouraged by his grandmother, Iris Cobain, a professional artist.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Audrey Davies|title=The Visual Art of 8 More Famous Musicians – Part 2|url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2011/10/04/the-visual-art-of-8-more-famous-musicians-part-2/#sthash.S59n7oU7.dpbs|website=Rock Cellar Magazine|access-date=January 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219063106/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2011/10/04/the-visual-art-of-8-more-famous-musicians-part-2/#sthash.S59n7oU7.dpbs|archive-date=February 19, 2015}}</ref> Cobain developed an interest in music at a young age. According to his aunt Mari, he began singing at the age of two. At age four, he started playing the piano and singing, writing a song about a trip to a park. He listened to artists including [[Electric Light Orchestra]] (ELO),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thisrecording.com/today/2011/9/19/in-which-we-discard-a-heart-shaped-box.html|title=In Which We Discard A Heart-Shaped Box|access-date=August 26, 2013|archive-date=August 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823225041/http://thisrecording.com/today/2011/9/19/in-which-we-discard-a-heart-shaped-box.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and, from a young age, would sing songs including [[Arlo Guthrie]]'s "Motorcycle Song", [[the Beatles]]' "[[Hey Jude]]", [[Terry Jacks]]' "[[Seasons in the Sun]]", and the [[(Theme From) The Monkees|theme song]] to the [[The Monkees|''Monkees'' television show]].<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|9}}

When Cobain was nine years old, his parents divorced.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|20}} He later said the divorce had a profound effect on his life, and his mother noted that his personality changed dramatically; Cobain became defiant and withdrawn.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|17}} In a 1993 interview, he said he felt "ashamed" of his parents as a child and had desperately wanted to have a "typical family ... I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that."<ref name="Savage, Jon 19972">{{cite web |last=Savage |first=John |title=Kurt Cobain: The Lost Interview |url=http://www.nirvanafreak.net/art/art8a.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040430011407/http://www.nirvanafreak.net/art/art8a.shtml |archive-date=April 30, 2004 |access-date=April 8, 2012 |url-status=usurped |work=NirvanaFreak.net}}</ref> His parents found new partners after the divorce. Although his father had promised not to remarry, he married Jenny Westeby, to Kurt's dismay.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|24}} Cobain, his father, Westeby, and her two children, Mindy and James, moved into a new household. Cobain liked Westeby at first, as she gave him the maternal attention he desired.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|25}} In January 1979, Westeby gave birth to a boy, Chad Cobain.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|24}} This new family, which Cobain insisted was not his real one, was in stark contrast to the attention Cobain was used to receiving as an only boy, and he became resentful of his stepmother.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|24,25}} Cobain's mother dated a man who was abusive; Cobain witnessed the [[domestic violence]] inflicted upon her, with one incident resulting in her being hospitalized with a broken arm.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|25,26}} Wendy refused to press charges, remaining committed to the relationship.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|26}}

Cobain behaved insolently toward adults during this period and began bullying another boy at school. His father and Westeby took him to a therapist who concluded that he would benefit from a single-family environment.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|26}} Both sides of the family unsuccessfully attempted to reunite his parents. On June 28, 1979, Cobain's mother granted full custody to his father.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|27}} Cobain's teenage rebellion quickly became overwhelming for his father who placed him in the care of family and friends. While living with the [[born-again Christian]] family of his friend Jesse Reed, Cobain became a devout Christian and attended church services regularly. He later renounced Christianity, engaging in what was described as "anti-God" rants. Kurt claimed that "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]" was about his experience while living with the Reed family. He also stated in a 1992 interview that it was a fictionalized account of a man who "turned to religion as a last resort to keep himself alive" after the death of his girlfriend, "to keep him from suicide".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livenirvana.com/interviews/9203akcn/index.php#gsc.tab=0|title=Live Nirvana &#124; Interview Archive &#124; 1992 &#124; April ??, 1992 - Los Angeles, CA, US|website=www.livenirvana.com}}</ref> However, spirituality remained an important part of Cobain's personal life and beliefs.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|22}}<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|196}}<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|69}}

Although uninterested in sports, Cobain was enrolled in a junior high school [[Scholastic wrestling|wrestling]] team at the insistence of his father. He was a skilled wrestler but despised the experience. Because of the ridicule he endured from his teammates and coach, he allowed himself to be pinned in an attempt to sadden his father. Later, his father enlisted him in a [[Little League Baseball]] team, where Cobain would intentionally [[strike out]] to avoid playing.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|20–25}} Cobain befriended a gay student at school and was bullied by peers who concluded that he was gay. In an interview, he said that he liked being associated with a gay identity because he did not like people, and when they thought he was gay they left him alone. He said, "I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't." Cobain backed away in an occasion where this friend tried to kiss him, explaining to his friend that he was not gay, though they remained friends. According to Cobain, he used to spray paint "God Is Gay" on pickup trucks in the Aberdeen area. Police records show that Cobain was arrested for spray painting the phrase "ain't got no how watchamacallit" on vehicles.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|68}}

[[File:Cobain 1981.png|thumb|Cobain playing drums at Montesano High School in 1981]]
Cobain often drew during classes. When given a caricature assignment for an art course, Cobain drew [[Michael Jackson]] but was told by the teacher that the image was inappropriate for a school hallway. He then drew an image of then-President [[Ronald Reagan]] that was seen as "unflattering".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|41}} Through art and electronics classes, Cobain met [[Roger "Buzz" Osborne]], singer and guitarist of the [[Melvins]], who became his friend and introduced him to [[punk rock]] and [[hardcore punk|hardcore]] music.<ref name="gaar"/>{{rp|35,36}}<ref>{{cite AV media|date= December 13, 1993|title=Kurt Cobain: "These kids really like our band"|publisher=MTV|quote=Question: So it was your friend, the Melvins' Buzz Osborne, who introduced you to punk rock?<br />Cobain: Yeah, ... I was living in Aberdeen, and I was going to school in Montesano, which is about 30 miles away. I had him in an art class and electronics class and I remember just hanging out with him. He had a few punk rock magazines, and I would look at them and just like... "Oh." I was just mesmerized. ...|location=Seattle, WA |first=Rick |last=Hankey}}</ref> As attested to by several of Cobain's classmates and family members, the first concert he attended was [[Sammy Hagar]] and [[Quarterflash]], held at the [[Seattle Center Coliseum]] in 1983.<ref name="cross-2008" /><ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|44}} Cobain, however, claimed that the first live show he attended was the Melvins, when they played a free concert outside the [[Associated Wholesale Grocers|Thriftway]] supermarket where Osborne worked. Cobain wrote in his journals of this experience, as well as in interviews, singling out the impact it had on him.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|45}}<ref>{{cite magazine|publication-date=January–February 1992|title=Better Dead Than Cool|first=Gina |last=Arnold|author-link=Gina Arnold|magazine=[[Option (music magazine)|Option]]|quote=Kurt Cobain: [The Melvins] started playing punk rock and had a free concert right behind Thriftways supermarket where Buzz worked, and they plugged into the city power supply and played punk rock music for about 50 redneck kids. When I saw them play, it just blew me away. I was instantly a punk rocker. I abandoned all my friends, 'cause they didn't like any of the music. Then I asked Buzz to make me that compilation tape of punk rock songs and got a spike haircut. ... }}</ref> As a teenager living in [[Montesano, Washington]], Cobain eventually found escape through the thriving [[Pacific Northwest]] punk scene, going to punk rock shows in Seattle.<ref name="azerrad" />

During his second year in high school, Cobain began living with his mother in Aberdeen. Two weeks prior to graduation, he dropped out of [[Aberdeen High School (Washington)|Aberdeen High School]] upon realizing that he did not have enough credits to graduate. His mother gave him an ultimatum: find employment or leave. After one week, Cobain found his clothes and other belongings packed away in boxes.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|35}} Feeling banished, Cobain stayed with friends, occasionally sneaking back into his mother's basement.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|37}} Cobain also claimed that, during periods of homelessness, he lived under a bridge over the [[Wishkah River]],<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|37}} an experience that inspired the song "[[Something in the Way]]". His future bandmate [[Krist Novoselic]] later said, "He hung out there, but you couldn't live on those muddy banks, with the tides coming up and down. That was his own revisionism."<ref name="requiem">Cross, Charles R. "Requiem for a Dream." ''Guitar World.'' October 2001.</ref> In late 1986, Cobain moved into an apartment, paying his rent by working at the Polynesian Resort, a themed resort on the Pacific coast at [[Ocean Shores, Washington]] approximately {{convert|20|mi|km}} west of Aberdeen.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|43}} During this period, he traveled frequently to [[Olympia, Washington]], to go to rock concerts.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|46}} During his visits to Olympia, Cobain formed a relationship with Tracy Marander. Their relationship was close but strained by financial problems and Cobain's absence when touring. Marander supported the couple by working at the cafeteria of the [[Boeing]] plant in [[Auburn, Washington]], often stealing food. Cobain spent most of his time sleeping into the late evening, watching television, and concentrating on art projects.

Marander's insistence that he get a job caused arguments that influenced Cobain to write the song "[[About a Girl (Nirvana song)|About a Girl]]", which appeared on the Nirvana album ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]''. Marander is credited with having taken the cover photo for the album, as well as the front and back cover photos of their [[Blew]] single. She did not become aware that Cobain wrote "About a Girl" about her until years after his death.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|88–93, 116–117, 122, 134–136, 143, 153}} Soon after his separation from Marander, Cobain began dating [[Tobi Vail]], an influential [[punk zine]]ster of the [[riot grrrl]] band [[Bikini Kill]] who embraced the [[DIY]] ethos. After meeting Vail, Cobain vomited, overwhelmed with anxiety caused by his infatuation with her. This event inspired the lyric "love you so much it makes me sick" in the song "[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|152}} While Cobain regarded Vail as his female counterpart, his relationship with her waned; he desired the maternal comfort of a traditional relationship, which Vail regarded as sexist within a [[countercultural]] punk rock community. Vail's lovers were described by her friend Alice Wheeler as "fashion accessories".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|153}} Cobain wrote many of his songs about Vail.<ref name="cross-2001" />

== Career ==

=== Early musical projects ===
On his 14th birthday, February 20, 1981, Cobain's uncle offered him the choice of either a bike or a used guitar; Kurt chose the guitar. Soon, he was trying to play [[Led Zeppelin]]'s song "[[Stairway to Heaven]]". He also learned how to play "[[Louie Louie]]", [[Queen (band)|Queen]]'s "[[Another One Bites the Dust]]", and [[the Cars]]' "[[My Best Friend's Girl (song)|My Best Friend's Girl]]", before he began working on his own songs. Cobain played left-handed, despite being forced to write right-handed.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|22}}

In early 1985, Cobain formed [[Fecal Matter (band)|Fecal Matter]] after he had dropped out of [[Aberdeen High School (Washington)|Aberdeen High School]].<ref name="gaar">Gillian G. Gaar. ''Entertain Us!: The Rise of Nirvana'' Penguin, 2012</ref> One of "several joke bands" that arose from the circle of friends associated with the [[Melvins]],<ref name="gaar" /> it initially featured Cobain singing and playing guitar, Melvins drummer [[Dale Crover]] playing bass, and Greg Hokanson playing drums.<ref name="caya">Michael Azerrad. ''Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana''. Doubleday, 1993. {{ISBN|0-385-47199-8}}.</ref> They spent several months rehearsing original material and covers, including songs by [[the Ramones]], [[Led Zeppelin]], and [[Jimi Hendrix]].<ref name="gaar" /><ref name="rt">Gillian G. Gaar.  ''The Rough Guide to Nirvana''. Penguin, 1993.</ref>

=== Nirvana ===
{{Main|Nirvana (band)}}
<!-- Please don't significantly expand this section, it is intended to simply cover the basics of Cobain's involvement in Nirvana. The details about Nirvana's career are extensively discussed in [[Nirvana (band)]]. -->

During high school, Cobain rarely found anyone with whom he could play music. While hanging out at the Melvins' practice space, he met [[Krist Novoselic]], a fellow devotee of punk rock. Novoselic's mother owned a hair salon, and the pair occasionally practiced in the upstairs room of the salon. A few years later, Cobain tried to convince Novoselic to form a band with him by lending him a copy of a home demo recorded by Fecal Matter.<ref name="azerrad" /> After months of asking, Novoselic agreed to join Cobain, forming the beginnings of Nirvana.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|45}} Religion appeared to remain a significant muse to Cobain during this time as he often used Christian imagery in his work and developed an interest in [[Jainism]] and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] philosophy.
Cobain became disenchanted after early touring because of the band's inability to draw substantial crowds and the difficulty in supporting themselves financially. During their first few years playing together, Novoselic and Cobain were hosts to a succession of drummers. Eventually, the band settled on [[Chad Channing]] with whom Nirvana recorded the album ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]'', released on [[Sub Pop|Sub Pop Records]] in 1989. Cobain, however, became dissatisfied with Channing's style and subsequently fired him. He and Novoselic eventually hired [[Dave Grohl]] to replace Channing. Grohl helped the band record their 1991 major-label debut, ''[[Nevermind]]''. With ''Nevermind''{{'}}s lead single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Nirvana quickly entered the mainstream, popularizing a subgenre of [[alternative rock]] called "[[grunge]]". Since their debut, Nirvana has sold over 28&nbsp;million albums in the United States alone and over 75&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=top-selling-artists|title=Top-Selling Artists|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA)|access-date=September 22, 2008|archive-date=August 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815024116/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=top-selling-artists|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nirvana-catalogue-to-be-released-on-vinyl-1.799665|title=Nirvana catalogue to be released on vinyl|publisher=[[CBC.ca]]|date=March 21, 2009|access-date=July 14, 2013|archive-date=June 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626005614/http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/music/story/2009/03/21/nirvana-vinyl-releases.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The success of ''Nevermind'' provided numerous Seattle bands, such as [[Alice in Chains]], [[Pearl Jam]], and [[Soundgarden]], access to wider audiences. As a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on radio and music television in the U.S. during the first half of the 1990s. Nirvana was considered the "flagship band of [[Generation X]]", and Cobain found himself reluctantly anointed by the media as the generation's "spokesman".<ref name="Inside the Heart and Mind of Nirvana2">{{cite magazine|author=Michael Azerrad|author-link=Michael Azerrad|date=April 16, 1992|title=Nirvana: Inside the Heart and Mind of Kurt Cobain|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-inside-the-heart-and-mind-of-kurt-cobain-19920416|access-date=September 17, 2016|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=June 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616154032/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nirvana-inside-the-heart-and-mind-of-kurt-cobain-19920416|url-status=live}}</ref> He resented this characterization since he believed his artistic message had been misinterpreted by the public.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Freedland|first=Jonathan|date=April 5, 2014|title=Kurt Cobain: an icon of alienation|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/from-the-archive-blog/2014/apr/05/kurt-cobain-an-icon-of-alienation|access-date=August 23, 2018|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=April 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408140153/https://www.theguardian.com/music/from-the-archive-blog/2014/apr/05/kurt-cobain-an-icon-of-alienation|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Quote box|width=27%|align=right|quoted=y | quote=When you're in the public eye, you have no choice but to be raped over and over again – they'll take every ounce of blood out of you until you're exhausted. ... I'm looking forward to the future. It will only be another year and then everyone will forget about it.|salign = right|source=—Kurt Cobain on the overwhelming media attention after ''Nevermind'', 1992<ref name=flipside>{{cite magazine|access-date=March 2, 2021|url=https://archive.org/details/flipsideissue78/page/n37|publication-date=May–June 1992|date=March 1992|location=Los Angeles, California|title=An Interview with... Kurt Cobain|magazine=[[Flipside (fanzine)|Flipside]]|first1=Al |last1=Kowalewski|first2=Cake |last2=Nunez|number=78 |page=37}}</ref>}}

Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his [[Underground rock|underground]] roots and vision. He also felt persecuted by the media, comparing himself to [[Frances Farmer]] whom he named [[Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle|a song]] after.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gaar|first1=Gillian G.|title=In Utero|date=2006|publisher=[[Continuum Publishing]]|location=United States|isbn=0-8264-1776-0|pages=50–52}}</ref> He began to harbor resentment against people who claimed to be fans of the band yet refused to acknowledge, or misinterpreted, the band's social and political views. A vocal opponent of sexism, racism, sexual assault, and homophobia, he was publicly proud that Nirvana had played at a [[gay rights]] benefit concert that was held to oppose [[1992 Oregon Ballot Measure 9|Oregon's 1992 Ballot Measure 9]], which would have directed Oregon schools to teach that homosexuality was "abnormal, wrong, unnatural and perverse".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portside.org/2014-01-07/king-outcast-teens-kurt-cobain-and-politics-nirvana|title=King of the Outcast Teens: Kurt Cobain and the Politics of Nirvana|last=Barrett|first=Dawson|date=January 6, 2014|publisher=Portside|access-date=March 2, 2015|archive-date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311192259/http://portside.org/2014-01-07/king-outcast-teens-kurt-cobain-and-politics-nirvana|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hornet.com/stories/nirvana-gay-rights-1992-gop/|title=In 1992, Nirvana Fought an Anti-Gay Ballot Initiative (and Wanted to Burn Down GOP Headquarters)|publisher=Hornet|last=Villarreal|first=David|date=December 7, 2017|access-date=August 7, 2018|archive-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808011729/https://hornet.com/stories/nirvana-gay-rights-1992-gop/|url-status=live}}</ref> Cobain was a vocal supporter of the [[pro-choice]] movement, and Nirvana was involved in [[L7 (band)|L7]]'s [[Rock for Choice]] campaign.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jonathan|last=Gold|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-29-ca-68-story.html|title=POP MUSIC REVIEW: Bands Get Together for Rock for Choice|date=September 29, 1992|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California|access-date=March 2, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402233342/http://articles.latimes.com/1992-09-29/entertainment/ca-68_1_pop-music-review|url-status=live}}</ref> He received [[death threat]]s from a small number of [[Pro-life movement|anti-abortion]] activists for participating in the pro-choice campaign, with one activist threatening to shoot Cobain as soon as he stepped on a stage.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|253}}

=== Other collaborations ===
In 1989, members of Nirvana and fellow American [[alternative rock]] band [[Screaming Trees]] formed a side project known as the Jury. The band featured Cobain on vocals and guitar, [[Mark Lanegan]] on vocals, [[Krist Novoselic]] on bass, and [[Mark Pickerel]] on drums. Over two days of recording sessions, on August 20 and 28, 1989, the band recorded four songs also performed by [[Lead Belly]]; "[[In the Pines|Where Did You Sleep Last Night?]]", an instrumental version of "[[Grey Goose (folk song)|Grey Goose]]", "[[Ain't It a Shame]]", and "[[They Hung Him on a Cross]]", the latter of which featured Cobain performing solo.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=http://livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/august-1989.php|title=Live Nirvana &#124; LiveNirvana.com Sessions History &#124; Studio Sessions &#124; (The Jury) August 20 & 28, 1989 – Reciprocal Recording, Seattle, WA, US|publisher=LiveNIRVANA|access-date=May 2, 2010|archive-date=January 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106171113/http://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/august-1989.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Cobain was inspired to record the songs after receiving a copy of ''Lead Belly's Last Sessions'' from friend [[Slim Moon]]; after hearing it, he "felt a connection to Leadbelly's almost physical expressions of longing and desire."<ref>{{cite book|title=Nirvana – The True Story|last=True|first=Everett|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2006|isbn=978-1-84449-640-2|pages=146, 636}}</ref>

In 1990, Cobain and his girlfriend, [[Tobi Vail]] of the [[riot grrrl]] band [[Bikini Kill]], collaborated on a musical project called Bathtub is Real in which they both sang and played guitar and drums. They recorded their songs on a [[Stereo-Pak|four-track tape]] machine that belonged to Vail's father. In [[Everett True]]'s 2009 book ''Nirvana: The Biography'', Vail is quoted as saying that Cobain "would play the songs he was writing, I would play the songs I was writing and we'd record them on my dad's four-track. Sometimes I'd sing on the songs he was writing and play drums on them ... He was really into the fact that I was creative and into music. I don't think he'd ever played music with a girl before. He was super-inspiring and fun to play with."<ref>{{cite book |last=True |first=Everett |url=https://archive.org/details/nirvanabiography00true |title=Nirvana: The Biography |date=March 13, 2007 |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |isbn=978-0306815546 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |page=[https://archive.org/details/nirvanabiography00true/page/187 187] |author-link=Everett True |url-access=registration}}</ref> The musician [[Slim Moon]] described their sound as "like the minimal quiet pop songs that Olympia is known for. Both of them sang; it was really good."<ref>{{cite web |title=LIVE NIRVANA SESSIONS HISTORY: (Bathtub Is Real) 1990 – ?, Olympia, WA, US |url=http://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/home/1990bathtubisreal.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101201135/http://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/home/1990bathtubisreal.php |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |access-date=October 23, 2013 |website=livenirvana.com}}</ref>

In 1992, Cobain contacted [[William S. Burroughs]] about a possible collaboration. Burroughs responded by sending him a recording of "[[The Junky's Christmas]]"<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/when_kurt_cobain_met_william_burroughs|title=When Kurt Cobain met William Burroughs|date=October 26, 2012|work=DangerousMinds|access-date=October 11, 2018|archive-date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011133359/https://dangerousminds.net/comments/when_kurt_cobain_met_william_burroughs|url-status=live}}</ref> (which he recorded in his studio in [[Lawrence, Kansas]]).<ref name=":12">{{Cite news|url=http://www.openculture.com/2012/12/ithe_priest_they_called_himi_a_dark_collaboration_between_kurt_cobain_william_s_burroughs.html|title=The "Priest" They Called Him: A Dark Collaboration Between Kurt Cobain & William S. Burroughs|work=Open Culture|access-date=October 13, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011172855/http://www.openculture.com/2012/12/ithe_priest_they_called_himi_a_dark_collaboration_between_kurt_cobain_william_s_burroughs.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Two months later at a studio in [[Seattle]], Cobain added guitar backing based on "Silent Night" and "To Anacreon in Heaven". The two would meet shortly later in Lawrence, Kansas and produce "[[The "Priest" They Called Him|The 'Priest' They Called Him]]", a spoken word version of "The Junky's Christmas".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":12" />

== Musical influences ==
[[The Beatles]] were an early and lasting influence on Cobain; his aunt Mari remembers him singing "[[Hey Jude]]" at the age of two.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|9}} "My aunts would give me Beatles records", Cobain told [[Jon Savage]] in 1993, "so for the most part [I listened to] the Beatles [as a child], and if I was lucky, I'd be able to buy a single."<ref name="Savage, Jon 1997">{{cite web|last=Savage|first=John|url=http://www.nirvanafreak.net/art/art8a.shtml|title=Kurt Cobain: The Lost Interview|work=NirvanaFreak.net|access-date=April 8, 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040430011407/http://www.nirvanafreak.net/art/art8a.shtml|archive-date=April 30, 2004}}</ref> Cobain expressed a particular fondness for [[John Lennon]], whom he called his "idol" in his posthumously released [[Journals (Cobain)|journals]],<ref name="Cobain, Kurt 2002">{{cite book|last=Cobain|first=Kurt|url=https://archive.org/details/kurtcobainjourna00coba|title=Journals|date=2002|publisher=[[Riverhead Books|Riverhead Hardcover]]|isbn=978-1-57322-232-7|location=New York City|url-access=registration}}</ref> and he said that he wrote the song "About a Girl", from Nirvana's 1989 debut album ''Bleach'', after spending three hours listening to ''[[Meet the Beatles!]]''.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|121}}

Cobain was also a fan of 1970s [[hard rock]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] bands, including [[Led Zeppelin]], [[AC/DC]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[Aerosmith]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], and [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]. Nirvana occasionally played cover songs by these bands, including Led Zeppelin's "[[Heartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)|Heartbreaker]]", "[[Moby Dick (instrumental)|Moby Dick]]" and "[[Immigrant Song]]", Black Sabbath's "[[Hand of Doom (song)|Hand of Doom]]", and Kiss' "[[Destroyer (Kiss album)|Do You Love Me?]]" and wrote the ''[[Incesticide]]'' song "Aero Zeppelin" as a tribute to Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith. Recollecting touring with his band, Cobain stated, "I used to take a nap in the van and listen to Queen. Over and over again and drain the battery on the van. We'd be stuck with a dead battery because I'd listened to Queen too much".<ref>{{cite news|first=Amy|last=Weller|title=If it wasn't for Freddie Mercury... 13 artists inspired by the Queen icon|url=https://www.gigwise.com/photos/84002/9/if-it-wasnt-for-freddie-mercury-13-artists-inspired-by-the-queen-icon|date=September 5, 2013|access-date=March 13, 2018|work=Gigwise|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330082547/https://www.gigwise.com/photos/84002/9/if-it-wasnt-for-freddie-mercury-13-artists-inspired-by-the-queen-icon|url-status=live}}</ref>

He was introduced to punk rock and hardcore music by his Aberdeen classmate [[Buzz Osborne]], lead singer and guitarist of the [[Melvins]], who taught Cobain about punk by loaning him records and old copies of the Detroit-based magazine ''[[Creem]]''.<ref name=DailyHerald>{{cite news|last=Guarino|first=Mark|title=Heavy heaven New Cobain bio sheds light on fallen hero.|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-79153994|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210222111506/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-79153994|archive-date=February 22, 2021|access-date=January 3, 2013|newspaper=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|date=October 12, 2001|quote=Soon band member Roger "Buzz" Osborne started Cobain's schooling, loaning him records and old copies of the '70s rock magazine ''Creem''.}}</ref> Punk rock proved to be a profound influence on a teenaged Cobain's attitude and artistic style. His first punk rock album was ''[[Sandinista!]]'' by [[the Clash]],<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|169}} but he became a bigger fan of fellow 1970s British punk band the [[Sex Pistols]], describing them as "one million times more important than the Clash" in his journals.<ref name="Cobain, Kurt 2002"/> He quickly discovered contemporary American hardcore bands like [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]], [[Bad Brains]], [[Millions of Dead Cops]] and [[Flipper (band)|Flipper]].<ref name=DailyHerald/> The Melvins themselves were a major early musical influence on Cobain; his admiration for them led him to drive their van on tour and help them to carry their equipment.<ref name="gaar"/>{{rp|42}}<ref name="cross-2008"/>{{rp|153}} He and Novoselic watched hundreds of Melvins rehearsals and "learned almost everything from them", as stated by Cobain.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 1992 |title=Kurt Cobain, Il Punk Da Un Milione Di Dollari|language=it|magazine=[[:it:Rumore (rivista)|Rumore]]|first=Claudio |last=Sorge|author-link=:it:Claudio Sorge|location=Mezzago, Italy|quote=Kurt Cobain: Ci aggregammo subito ai Melvins, che erano anche loro di Aberdeen. Definitivamente sono il gruppo che ci ha maggiormente influenzato. Andavamo alle loro prove, ai loro concerti. Abbiamo suonato con loro in vari show. Abbiamo imparato quasi tutto da loro. }}</ref><ref name=flipside/> The Melvins' heavy, [[grunge]]y sound was mimicked by Nirvana on many songs from ''Bleach''; in an early interview given by Nirvana, Cobain stated that their biggest fear was to be perceived as a "Melvins rip-off".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|153}} After their commercial success, the members of Nirvana would constantly talk about the Melvins' importance to them in the press.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=March 2, 2021|url=https://shepherdexpress.com/music/concert-reviews/melvins-turner-hall-ballroom/|publication-date=May 2, 2012|title=The Melvins @ Turner Hall Ballroom|first=Thomas |last=Michalski|website=[[Shepherd Express]]|date=May 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name=flipside/>

Cobain was an admirer of [[Jimi Hendrix]], and said in reference to the growing media attention on the [[Seattle sound|Seattle scene]] at the time, "I mean, we had Jimi Hendrix. Heck. What more do we want?".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.livenirvana.com/interviews/9109mc/index.php#gsc.tab=0 |title=Interview September 21, 1991 |last=Coiteux|first=Marc|date=September 21, 1991 |website=LiveNirvana |access-date=March 17, 2024}}</ref> In a 1993 interview Cobain called Hendrix "a great musician and a great composer," and noted that, "I have great respect for him."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.livenirvana.com/interviews/9301acm/index.php#Transcript1&gsc.tab=0 |title=Interview January 20, 1993 |last=Carlos Miguel|first=Antonio|date=January 20, 1993 |website=LiveNirvana |access-date=March 13, 2024}}</ref>

Cobain was also a fan of [[protopunk]] acts like [[the Stooges]], whose 1973 album ''[[Raw Power]]'' he listed as his favorite of all time in his journals.<ref name="Cobain, Kurt 2002"/>

The 1980s American [[alternative rock]] band [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] were instrumental in helping an adult Cobain develop his own songwriting style. In a 1992 interview with ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Cobain said that hearing their 1988 debut album, ''[[Surfer Rosa]]'', "convinced him to abandon his more Black Flag-influenced songwriting in favor of the [[Iggy Pop]]/Aerosmith–type songwriting that appeared on ''Nevermind''.<ref>Cobain, Kurt. "Kurt Cobain of Nirvana Talks About the Records That Changed His Life. ''[[Melody Maker]]''. August 29, 1992.</ref> In a 1993 interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', he said that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was his attempt at "trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band—or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard".<ref name="pixies">Fricke, David. "Kurt Cobain: The Rolling Stone Interview". ''Rolling Stone''. January 27, 1994</ref>

Cobain's appreciation of early alternative rock bands also extended to [[Sonic Youth]] and [[R.E.M.]], both of which the members of Nirvana befriended and looked up to for advice. It was under recommendation from Sonic Youth's [[Kim Gordon]] that Nirvana signed to [[DGC Records|DGC]] in 1990,<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|162}} and both bands did a two-week tour of Europe in the summer of 1991, as documented in the 1992 documentary, ''[[1991: The Year Punk Broke]]''. In 1993, Cobain said of R.E.M.: "If I could write just a couple of songs as good as what they've written... I don't know how that band does what they do. God, they're the greatest. They've dealt with their success like saints, and they keep delivering great music".<ref name="pixies"/>

After attaining mainstream success, Cobain became a devoted champion of lesser known [[indie rock|indie]] bands, covering songs by [[the Vaselines]], [[Meat Puppets]], [[Wipers (band)|Wipers]] and [[Fang (band)|Fang]] onstage and/or in the studio, wearing [[Daniel Johnston]] [[T-shirts]] during photo shoots, having the [[K Records]] logo tattooed on his forearm, and enlisting bands like [[Butthole Surfers]], [[Shonen Knife]], [[Chokebore]] and [[Half Japanese]] along for the ''[[In Utero (album)|In Utero]]'' tour in late 1993 and early 1994. Cobain even invited his favorite musicians to perform with him: ex-[[Germs (band)|Germs]] guitarist [[Pat Smear]] joined the band in 1993, and the Meat Puppets appeared onstage during Nirvana's 1993 ''[[MTV Unplugged]]'' appearance to perform three songs from their second album, ''[[Meat Puppets II]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Payne |first=Chris |date=November 18, 2014 |title=Nirvana's 'MTV Unplugged' 20 Years Later: Meat Puppets' Curt Kirkwood Looks Back |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/nirvana-mtv-unplugged-new-york-meat-puppets-interview-6319909/ |access-date=March 8, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

Nirvana's ''Unplugged'' set includes renditions of "[[The Man Who Sold the World (song)|The Man Who Sold the World]]", by [[David Bowie]], and the American folk song, "[[In the Pines|Where Did You Sleep Last Night]]", as adapted by [[Lead Belly]]. Cobain introduced the latter by calling Lead Belly his favorite performer, and in a 1993 interview revealed he had been introduced to him from reading the American author [[William S. Burroughs]], saying: "I remember [Burroughs] saying in an interview, 'These new rock'n'roll kids should just throw away their guitars and listen to something with real soul, like Leadbelly.' I'd never heard about Leadbelly before so I bought a couple of records, and now he turns out to be my absolute favorite of all time in music. I absolutely love it more than any rock'n'roll I ever heard."<ref name="Laurence">{{cite web|url=http://romanceisdead.net/spip.php?article30|title=Kurt Cobain interview Date: 08/10/1993 Location: Seattle Ze Full Version Uncut !!!|publisher=Romance Is Dead|author=Laurence Romance|date=April 21, 2010|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412030834/http://romanceisdead.net/spip.php?article30|archive-date=April 12, 2012}}</ref> The album ''[[MTV Unplugged in New York]]'' was released posthumously in 1994. It has drawn comparisons to R.E.M.'s 1992 release, ''[[Automatic for the People]]''.<ref name="Thomas">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Stephen|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r206714|pure_url=yes}}|title=MTV Unplugged in New York – Nirvana|website=AllMusic|access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> In 1993, Cobain had predicted that the next Nirvana album would be "pretty ethereal, acoustic, like R.E.M.'s last album".<ref name="pixies"/>

"Yeah, he talked a lot about what direction he was heading in", Cobain's friend, R.E.M.'s lead singer [[Michael Stipe]], told ''[[Newsweek]]'' in 1994. "I mean, I know what the next Nirvana recording was going to sound like. It was going to be very quiet and acoustic, with lots of stringed instruments. It was going to be an amazing fucking record, and I'm a little bit angry at him for killing himself. He and I were going to record a trial run of the album, a demo tape. It was all set up. He had a plane ticket. He had a car picking him up. And at the last minute he called and said, 'I can't come.{{' "}} Stipe was chosen as the godfather of Cobain's and [[Courtney Love]]'s daughter, [[Frances Bean Cobain]].<ref name="September1994">{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/everybody-hurts-sometime-188414|title=Everybody Hurts Sometime|work=Newsweek|date=September 26, 1994|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-date=March 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304123011/http://www.newsweek.com/everybody-hurts-sometime-188414|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Artistry ==
[[File:Kurt Cobain, Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar, EMP Museum.jpg|thumb|upright|The Lake Placid Blue [[Fender Mustang]] played by Cobain during the filming of the video for "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]", shown at the [[Museum of Pop Culture]] in Seattle]]
According to Grohl, Cobain believed that music comes first and lyrics second; he focused primarily on the melodies.<ref name=classicalbums>{{cite AV media |title=Classic Albums—Nirvana: Nevermind|medium=DVD |publisher=Isis Productions|date=2004|quote=Kurt used to say that music comes first and lyrics comes second, and I think Kurt's main focus was melody}}</ref> He complained when fans and rock journalists attempted to decipher his singing and extract meaning from his lyrics, writing: "Why in the hell do journalists insist on coming up with a second-rate [[Sigmund Freud|Freudian]] evaluation of my lyrics, when 90 percent of the time they've transcribed them incorrectly?"<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|182}} Though Cobain insisted on the subjectivity and unimportance of his lyrics, he labored and procrastinated in writing them, often changing the content and order of lyrics during performances.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|177}} Cobain would describe his own lyrics as "a big pile of contradictions. They're split down the middle between very sincere opinions that I have and sarcastic opinions and feelings that I have and sarcastic and hopeful, humorous rebuttals toward cliché [[Bohemianism|bohemian]] ideals that have been exhausted for years."<ref>''Sliver: The Best of the Box'' album booklet.</ref>

Cobain originally wanted ''Nevermind'' to be divided into two sides: a "Boy" side, for the songs written about the experiences of his early life and childhood, and a "Girl" side, for the songs written about his dysfunctional relationship with Vail.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|177}} [[Charles R. Cross]] wrote, "In the four months following their break-up, Kurt would write a half dozen of his most memorable songs, all of them about Tobi Vail." Though Cobain wrote "Lithium" before meeting Vail, he wrote the lyrics to reference her.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|168–169}} Cobain said in an interview with ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'' that he wrote about "some of my very personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships, feeling that death void that the person in the song is feeling. Very lonely, sick."<ref>Morris, Chris. "The Year's Hottest Band Can't Stand Still". ''Musician'', January 1992.</ref> While Cobain regarded ''In Utero'' as "for the most part very impersonal",<ref>Savage, Jon. "Sounds Dirty: The Truth About Nirvana". ''The Observer''. August 15, 1993.</ref> its lyrics deal with his parents' divorce, his newfound fame and the public image and perception of himself and [[Courtney Love]] on "Serve the Servants", with his enamored relationship with Love conveyed through lyrical themes of pregnancy and the female anatomy on "[[Heart-Shaped Box]]."
[[File:Fender Jaguar II.jpg|thumb|upright|Cobain's model of Fender Jaguar|alt=]]
Cobain was affected enough to write "[[Polly (Nirvana song)|Polly]]" from ''Nevermind'' after reading a newspaper story of an incident in 1987, when a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped after attending a punk rock show, then raped and tortured with a [[Blow torch|blowtorch]]. She escaped after gaining the trust of her captor [[Gerald Friend]] through flirting with him.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|136}} After seeing Nirvana perform, [[Bob Dylan]] cited "Polly" as the best of Nirvana's songs, and said of Cobain, "the kid has heart".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|137}} [[Patrick Süskind]]'s novel ''[[Perfume (novel)|Perfume: The Story of a Murderer]]'' inspired Cobain to write the song "[[Scentless Apprentice]]" from ''In Utero''. The book is a historical horror novel about a [[perfumer]]'s apprentice born with no body odor of his own but with a highly developed sense of smell, and who attempts to create the "ultimate perfume" by killing virginal women and taking their scent.<ref>Gaar 2006, pp. 42–43</ref>

Cobain immersed himself in artistic projects throughout his life, as much so as he did in songwriting. The sentiments of his artwork followed the same subjects of his lyrics, often expressed through a dark and macabre sense of humor. Noted were his fascination with [[physiology]], his own rare medical conditions, and the human anatomy. According to Novoselic, "Kurt said that he never liked literal things. He liked cryptic things. He would cut out pictures of meat from grocery-store fliers, then paste these orchids on them ... And all this stuff on [''In Utero''] about the body – there was something about anatomy. He really liked that. You look at his art – there are these people, and they're all weird, like mutants. And dolls – creepy dolls."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/krist-novoselic-on-kurts-writing-process-and-the-in-utero-aesthetic-20131003|title=Krist Novoselic on Kurt Cobain's Writing Process|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=June 4, 2018|archive-date=June 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614021242/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/krist-novoselic-on-kurts-writing-process-and-the-in-utero-aesthetic-20131003|url-status=live}}</ref>

Cobain contributed backing guitar for a [[spoken word]] recording of beat poet [[William S. Burroughs]]' entitled ''[[The "Priest" They Called Him]]''.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|301}} Cobain regarded Burroughs as a hero. During Nirvana's European tour Cobain kept a copy of Burroughs' ''[[Naked Lunch]]'', purchased from a London bookstall.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|189–190}} Cobain met with Burroughs at his home in Lawrence, Kansas in October 1993. Burroughs expressed no surprise at Cobain's death: "It wasn't an act of will for Kurt to kill himself. As far as I was concerned, he was dead already."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miles|first1=Barry|author-link1=Barry Miles|date=2015|title=William S. Burroughs: A Life|publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson|isbn=978-1-7802-2120-5|pages=621}}</ref>

== Equipment ==
In a ''[[Guitar World]]'' retrospective, Cobain's guitar tone was deemed "one of the most iconic" in the history of the electric guitar, while noting that rather than relying on expensive or vintage items, Cobain used "an eccentric cache of budget models, low-end imports and pawn shop prizes." Cobain stated in a 1992 interview, "Junk is always best," but denied this was a punk statement and claimed it was a necessity, as he had trouble finding high quality lefthanded guitars.<ref name="Gill">{{cite web |last1=Gill |first1=Chris |title=The definitive Kurt Cobain gear guide: a deep dive into the Nirvana frontman's pawn shop prizes, turbo-charged stompboxes and blown woofers |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-definitive-kurt-cobain-gear-guide |website=guitarworld.com |date=February 17, 2021 |publisher=Guitar World |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref>

Cobain's first guitar was a used electric guitar from [[Sears]] that he received on his 14th birthday. He took guitar lessons long enough to learn [[AC/DC]]'s "[[Back in Black (song)|Back in Black]]" and began playing with local kids. Cobain found the guitar smashed after leaving it in a locker, but he was able to purchase new equipment, including a [[Peavey Electronics|Peavey]] amp, by recovering and selling his stepfather's gun collection, which his mother had dumped in a river after discovering his infidelity.<ref name="Gill"/> Upon forming what would be Nirvana, Cobain was playing a [[Fender (company)|Fender]] [[Fender Champ|Champ]] amplifier and a righthanded [[Univox]] [[Univox Hi-Flier|Hi-Flier]] guitar he flipped over and strung for lefthanded playing.<ref name="Gill"/>

For the recording of ''Bleach'', Cobain needed to borrow a [[Fender (company)|Fender]] [[Twin Reverb]] due to his main amplifier, a solid-state [[Randall Amplification|Randall]], being repaired at the time, but as the Twin Reverb's speakers were blown, he was forced to pair it with an external cabinet featuring two 12" speakers. He used a [[Boss DS-1]] for distortion, while playing Hi-Flier guitars, which cost him $100 each. Nirvana embarked on their first American tour in 1989, at the start of which Cobain played an [[Epiphone]] ET270; however, he destroyed the guitar onstage during a show, a subsequent habit that forced label Sub Pop to have to call local pawn shops looking for replacement guitars.<ref name="Gill"/> Cobain's first acoustic guitar, a [[Stella (guitar)|Stella]] 12-string, cost him $31.21. Cobain strung it with six (or sometimes five) strings, and while the guitar's tuners had to be held together with duct tape, it sounded good enough that the guitar was later used to record the ''Nevermind'' tracks "Polly" and "Something in the Way."<ref name="Gill"/>

Despite receiving a $287,000 advance upon signing with Geffen Records, Cobain retained a preference for inexpensive gear.<ref name="Gill"/> He became a fan of Japanese-made Fender guitars ahead of recording ''Nevermind'', due to their slim necks and wide availability in lefthanded orientation. These included several [[Stratocaster]]s fitted with [[humbucker]] pickups in the bridge positions, as well as a 1965 [[Fender Jaguar|Jaguar]] with [[DiMarzio]] pickups and a 1969 [[Fender Mustang|Competition Mustang]], the latter of which Cobain cited as his favorite, despite noting, "They're cheap and totally inefficient, and they sound like crap and are very small."<ref name="Gill"/> For the album, Cobain used a rackmount system featuring a [[Mesa/Boogie]] Studio preamp, a Crown power amp, and [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]] cabinets. He also used a [[Vox (company)|Vox]] [[AC30]] and a Fender [[Fender Bassman|Bassman]]. Producer Butch Vig preferred to avoid pedals, but allowed Cobain to use his Boss DS-1, which Cobain considered a key part of his sound, as well as an [[Electro-Harmonix]] [[Big Muff]] fuzz pedal and a [[Small Clone]] chorus, which can be heard on songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," and "Aneurysm."<ref name="Gill"/>

Cobain used his '69 Mustang, '65 Jaguar, a custom Jaguar/Mustang, and a Hi-Flier for the ''In Utero'' recording sessions. To tour behind the album, Cobain placed an order for 10 Mustangs split between Fiesta Red and Sonic Blue. As the [[Fender Custom Shop]] was new, the guitars were to be shipped out two at a time over a period of months. By the time of his death, Cobain had received six of the guitars. The remaining four, waiting to be shipped, were instead sold as regular stock at Japanese music stores without informing buyers the guitars had been made for Cobain.<ref name="Williams">{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Stuart |title=The story of Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang guitars in Nirvana |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/kurt-cobain-fender-mustang-guitars-story-nirvana |website=musicradar.com |date=May 21, 2022 |publisher=Music Radar |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref>

For Nirvana's ''Unplugged'' performance, Cobain played a righthanded 1959 [[C. F. Martin & Company|Martin]] D-18E acoustic guitar modified for lefthanded playing. The guitar became the most expensive ever sold when it fetched over $6 million at auction in 2020.<ref name="Kreps">{{cite web |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |title=Kurt Cobain's 'MTV Unplugged' Guitar Sells for $6 Million at Auction |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kurt-cobain-unplugged-guitar-auction-1018229/ |website=rollingstone.com |date=June 20, 2020 |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref> Cobain's 1969 Competition Mustang, which he also played in the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" music video, sold at a 2022 auction to [[Jim Irsay]], owner of the [[Indianapolis Colts]], for $4.5 million, with an original estimate of $600,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kurt Cobain's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' guitar sells for $4.5 million at auction |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kurt-cobains-smells-teen-spirit-guitar-sells-45m-auction-rcna30044 |website=nbcnews.com |date=May 23, 2022 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref>

== Personal life ==

=== Relationships and family ===
There are differing accounts of exactly when and how Kurt Cobain first met Courtney Love. In his 1993 authorized biography of Nirvana, [[Michael Azerrad]] cites a January 21, 1989, [[Dharma Bums (band)|Dharma Bums]] gig in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] where Nirvana played as support,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qrSDPW6G5ZIC&q=michael%20azerrad%20version%20of%20when%20kurt%20met%20cortney&pg=PA169|title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana|isbn=9780307833730|last1=Azerrad|first1=Michael|date=January 23, 2013|publisher=Crown }}</ref> while the [[Charles R. Cross]] 2001 Cobain biography has Love and Cobain meeting at the same [[Satyricon nightclub]] venue in Portland but a different Nirvana show, January 12, 1990,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NWOLAwAAQBAJ&q=when%20did%20courtney%20meet%20kurt%20-%20heavier%20than%20heaven&pg=PT233|title=Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain|isbn=9781401304515|last1=Cross|first1=Charles R.|date=March 13, 2012|publisher=Hachette Books }}</ref><ref name="cross-2001"/>{{rp|201}} when both still led ardent underground rock bands.<ref name="Love me do">{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Laura|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/dec/11/biography.popandrock|title=Love me do|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 11, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043445/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/dec/11/biography.popandrock|url-status=live}}</ref> Love made advances soon after they met, but Cobain was evasive. Early in their interactions, Cobain broke off dates and ignored Love's advances because he was unsure if he wanted a relationship. Cobain noted, "I was determined to be a bachelor for a few months [...] But I knew that I liked Courtney so much right away that it was a really hard struggle to stay away from her for so many months."<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|172–173}} [[Everett True]], who was an associate of both Cobain and Love, disputes those versions of events in his 2006 book, claiming that he himself introduced the couple on May 17, 1991.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H89kHhJR4-AC&q=buthole+surfers+gig+may+1991&pg=PT391|title = Nirvana: The True Story|isbn = 9780857120137|last1 = True|first1 = Everett|date = November 4, 2009| publisher=Omnibus Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyv8H4pr76kC&q=when%20did%20nirvana%20support%20the%20dharma%20bums&pg=PT40|title=Nirvana - Uncensored on the Record|publisher=Coda Books |isbn=9781781580059}}</ref>

Cobain was already aware of Love through her role in the 1987 film ''[[Straight to Hell (film)|Straight to Hell]]''. According to True, the pair were formally introduced at an [[L7 (band)|L7]] and [[Butthole Surfers]] concert in Los Angeles in May 1991.<ref name="WednesdayMarch">{{cite web|url=http://planbmag.com/blogs/staff/2006/03/01/wednesday-1-march/|title=Wednesday 1&nbsp;March|author=Everett True|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206065138/http://planbmag.com/blogs/staff/2006/03/01/wednesday-1-march/|archive-date=February 6, 2008|access-date=April 6, 2012}} Plan B Magazine Blogs. March 1, 2006.</ref> In the weeks that followed, after learning from Grohl that Cobain shared mutual interests with her, Love began pursuing Cobain. In late 1991, the two were often together and bonded through drug use.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|172|quote=Courtney Love: "We bonded over pharmaceuticals.}}

On February 24, 1992, a few days after the conclusion of Nirvana's "[[Pacific Rim]]" tour, Cobain and Love were married on [[Waikiki Beach]] in Hawaii. Love wore a satin and lace dress once owned by Frances Farmer, and Cobain donned a Guatemalan purse and wore green pajamas, because he had been "too lazy to put on a tux." Eight people were in attendance at the ceremony, including Grohl, but not Novoselic.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Raul|title=Dave Grohl Was One Of Eight Guests At Kurt Cobain And Courtney Love's Hawaiian Wedding|url=http://www.feelnumb.com/2011/06/20/dave-grohl-was-one-of-eight-guests-at-kurt-cobain-and-courtney-loves-hawaiian-wedding/#lightbox/7/|website=feelnumb|access-date=January 11, 2015|date=June 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125151422/http://www.feelnumb.com/2011/06/20/dave-grohl-was-one-of-eight-guests-at-kurt-cobain-and-courtney-loves-hawaiian-wedding/#lightbox/7/|archive-date=January 25, 2015}}</ref> Love said she was warned by the [[Sonic Youth]] bassist [[Kim Gordon]] that marrying Cobain would "destroy her life"; Love responded: "'Whatever! I love him, and I want to be with him!' ... It wasn't his fault. He wasn't trying to do that."<ref name="Love me do" />

The couple's daughter, [[Frances Bean Cobain]], was born August 18, 1992.<ref name="You">{{cite news|author1=Brenda You|date=June 18, 1994|title=Heroin Addiction Blamed In Death Of Another Seattle Rock Musician|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/06/18/heroin-addiction-blamed-in-death-of-another-seattle-rock-musician/|url-status=live|access-date=January 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509121953/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-06-18/news/9406180065_1_kristen-pfaff-courtney-love-kurt-cobain|archive-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> A [[Medical ultrasonography|sonogram]] was included in the artwork for Nirvana's single, "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]."<ref>{{cite web|author1=Raul|title=Nirvana's Lithium Single Artwork Includes A Sonogram Of Frances Bean Cobain|url=http://www.feelnumb.com/2009/09/28/nirvana-lithium-single-cover-includes-sonogram-of-frances-bean-cobain/|website=feelnumb|access-date=January 11, 2015|date=September 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112143125/http://www.feelnumb.com/2009/09/28/nirvana-lithium-single-cover-includes-sonogram-of-frances-bean-cobain/|archive-date=November 12, 2014}}</ref> In a 1992 ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' article'','' Love admitted to a drug binge with Cobain in the early weeks of her pregnancy.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=September 1, 1992|title=Strange Love: The Story of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/love-story-of-kurt-cobain-courtney-love|access-date=February 23, 2022|magazine=Vanity Fair|language=en-US}}</ref> At the time, she claimed that ''Vanity Fair'' had misquoted her. Love later admitted to using heroin before knowing she was pregnant.<ref name="You" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=January 28, 2015|title=Courtney Love Admits To Using Heroin While Pregnant With Frances Bean|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/courtney-love-heroin-pregnant_n_6565528|access-date=February 23, 2022|website=HuffPost|language=en}}</ref> The couple were asked by the press if Frances was addicted to drugs at birth.<ref name="azerrad" /> The Los Angeles County Department of Children's Services visited the Cobains days after Love gave birth and later took them to court, stating that their drug usage made them unfit parents.<ref name="azerrad" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Frances Bean Cobain|url=https://www.biography.com/personality/frances-bean-cobain|access-date=February 23, 2022|website=Biography|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=December 18, 2009|first=Marisa|last=Laudadio|title=Inside Story: Courtney Love and Daughter Frances Bean's Rocky Relationship|url=https://people.com/celebrity/inside-story-courtney-love-and-daughter-frances-beans-rocky-relationship/|access-date=February 23, 2022|website=people.com|language=en}}</ref>

=== Sexuality ===
In October 1992, when asked, "Well, are you gay?" by ''[[Monk Magazine]]'', Cobain replied, "If I wasn't attracted to Courtney, I'd be a bisexual."<ref name="Monk Magazine">{{cite news |url=http://www.monk.com/display.php?p=People&id=33 |title=GO FOR THE GRUNGE |first=James |last=Crotty |work=[[Monk Magazine]] |date=October 30, 1992 |access-date=April 29, 2019 |archive-date=October 24, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041024074822/http://www.monk.com/display.php?p=People&id=33 |url-status=live }}</ref> In another interview, he described identifying with the gay community in ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]'', stating, "I'm definitely gay in spirit and I probably could be bisexual" and "if I wouldn't have found Courtney, I probably would have carried on with a bisexual life-style", but also that he was "more sexually attracted to women".<ref name="Advocate 1993">{{cite news |url=https://kevinallman.typepad.com/ARTICLES/MAGAZINES/Advo-Cobain.pdf |title=The Dark Side of Kurt Cobain |first=Kevin |last=Allman |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |issue=622 |pages=35–43 |date=February 9, 1993 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401143937/https://kevinallman.typepad.com/ARTICLES/MAGAZINES/Advo-Cobain.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Advocate 2013">{{cite news |url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/people/2013/10/24/rediscovered-interview-reveals-kurt-cobain-thought-he-was-gay |title=Rediscovered Interview Reveals Kurt Cobain Thought He Was Gay |first=Jase |last=Peeples |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |date=October 24, 2013 |access-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401135023/https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/people/2013/10/24/rediscovered-interview-reveals-kurt-cobain-thought-he-was-gay |url-status=live }}</ref> He described himself as being "feminine" in childhood, and often wore dresses and other stereotypically feminine clothing. Some of his song lyrics, as well as phrases he would use to vandalize vehicles and a bank, included "God is gay",<ref name="Advocate 1993"/> "Jesus is gay", "HOMOSEXUAL SEX RULES",<ref name="Advocate 1993"/> and "Everyone is gay". One of his personal journals states, "I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes."<ref name="Cobain, Kurt 2002" />

Cobain advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, including traveling to Oregon to perform at a benefit opposing the [[1992 Oregon Ballot Measure 9]],<ref name="Advocate 1993" /> and supported local bands with LGBTQ+ members. He reported having felt "different" from the age of seven, and was a frequent target of homophobic bullying in his school due to his having a "gay friend".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/1004185/rare-kurt-cobain-interview-reveals-gay-curious-thoughts-audio/ |title=Rare Kurt Cobain Interview Reveals Gay Curious Thoughts [Audio] |first=Niki |last=Cruz |work=[[Inquisitr]] |date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=April 6, 2019 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401141054/https://www.inquisitr.com/1004185/rare-kurt-cobain-interview-reveals-gay-curious-thoughts-audio/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Cobain was interviewed by two gay magazines, ''[[Out (magazine)|Out]]'' and ''The Advocate'';<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://people.ucalgary.ca/~ptrembla/homosexuality-suicide/04-kurt-cobain-god-gay.htm |chapter=The Suicide Of Kurt Cobain: A Victim Of The Binary And Biphobia? |first=Pierre |last=Tremblay |title=The Gay, Lesbian And Bisexual Factor In The Youth Suicide Problem |url=http://www.youth-suicide.com/gay-bisexual/book.htm |year=1994 |access-date=April 6, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040725115706/http://www.youth-suicide.com/gay-bisexual/book.htm }}</ref> the 1993 interview with ''The Advocate'' being described as "the only [interview] the band's lead singer says he plans to do for ''[[Incesticide]]''",<ref name="Advocate 1993" /> an album whose [[liner notes]] included a statement decrying [[homophobia]], racism and [[misogyny]]:<ref name="Advocate 1993" />

{{Blockquote |text=If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us—leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records. |author=|title=|source=}}

=== Health and addiction ===
At school Cobain was diagnosed with [[attention deficit disorder]] and was prescribed [[ritalin]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |title=Come As You Are - the nirvana story |date=1993-10-01 |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=9780385471992 |language=EN}}</ref> Throughout most of his life, Cobain had chronic [[bronchitis]] and intense physical pain due to an undiagnosed chronic stomach condition.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|66}} In an interview with [[Jon Savage]] in 1993 he said, "Every time I've had an endoscope, they find a red irritation in my stomach. But it's psychosomatic, It's all from anger. And screaming". He then goes onto mention that he, "had minor scoliosis in junior high".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Live Nirvana {{!}} Interview Archive {{!}} 1993 {{!}} July 22, 1993 - New York, NY, US |url=https://www.livenirvana.com/interviews/9307js/index.php |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=www.livenirvana.com}}</ref> According to ''[[The Telegraph (London)|The Telegraph]]'', Cobain had [[Major depressive disorder|depression]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Haig|title=Kurt Cobain was not a 'tortured genius', he had an illness|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11515605/Kurt-Cobain-was-not-a-tortured-genius-he-had-an-illness.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/11515605/Kurt-Cobain-was-not-a-tortured-genius-he-had-an-illness.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|location=London, England|date=April 5, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1993, he told Michael Azerrad that he had [[narcolepsy]] and [[manic depression]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=2023-11-02 |title=He Wrote the First Nirvana Bio. 30 Years Later, He Has a Few Changes |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nirvana-biography-kurt-cobain-dave-grohl-1234868298/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> His cousin brought attention to the family history of suicide, mental illness and alcoholism, noting that two of her uncles had died by suicide with guns.<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian|last=Libby|url=http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/cobainqa|title=Even in His Youth|work=AHealthyMe.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202043704/http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/cobainqa|archive-date=February 2, 2007|access-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref>

According to [[Charles R. Cross|Cross]], Cobain suffered a [[mental breakdown]] midway through Nirvana's show in Rome on November 27, 1989. After smashing his guitar, he climbed a 30&nbsp;ft speak stack and shouted, "I'm going to killing myself!".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cross |first=Charles R. |title=Heavier than Heaven |date=2019-03-07 |publisher=Sceptre |isbn=9781473699632 |language=EN}}</ref> Eventually he climbed down and took the following day off, sightseeing with [[Sub Pop]] manager, [[Bruce Pavitt]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pavitt |first=Bruce |title=Experiencing Nirvana - Grunge in europe, 1989 |publisher=2014-04-24 |isbn=9781935950103 |pages=The photo on the front cover is from this sightseeing trip. |language=EN}}</ref> Cobain completed the remaining five European tour dates and returned to the USA.

He first drank alcohol in 7th grade (c. 12 yrs)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |title=Come As You Are - The story of nirvana |publisher=Doubleday |date=1993-10-01 |isbn=9780385471992 |language=EN}}</ref> and he often drank to excess throughout his life. His first drug experience was with [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] in 1980, at age 13. He regularly used the drug during adulthood.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|76}} Cobain also had a period of consuming "notable" amounts of [[Lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD]], as observed by Marander,<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|75}} and had been involved in [[solvent abuse]] as a teenager.<ref name="cross-2001" /> Novoselic said he was "really into getting fucked up: drugs, acid, any kind of drug".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|76}} He occasionally experimented with meth or cocaine when the band were on tour.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cross |first=Charles |title=Heavier than Heaven |publisher=Sceptre |date=2019-03-07 |isbn=9781473699632}}</ref> One example was when Novoselic and Cobain took cocaine after their gig in New York on July 18, 1989.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |title=Come As You Are - the story of nirvana |publisher=Doubleday |date=1993-10-01 |isbn=9780385471992 |language=EN}}</ref> Cobain first took heroin in 1986, administered to him by a dealer in [[Tacoma, Washington]], who had previously supplied him with [[oxycodone]] and [[aspirin]].<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|41}} Cobain used heroin sporadically for several years; by the end of 1991, his use had developed into [[Substance use disorder|addiction]]. Cobain claimed that he was "determined to get a habit" as a way to self-medicate his stomach condition. "It started with three days in a row of doing heroin and I don't have a stomach pain. That was such a relief," he said.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|236}} However, his longtime friend [[Buzz Osborne]] disputes this, saying that his stomach pain was more likely caused by his heroin use: "He made it up for sympathy and so he could use it as an excuse to stay loaded. Of course he was vomiting—that's what people on heroin do, they vomit. It's called 'vomiting with a smile on your face'."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thetalkhouse.com/music/talks/buzz-osborne-the-melvins-talks/ |title=Buzz Osborne (the Melvins) Talks the HBO Documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck &#124; The Talkhouse Music |publisher=Thetalkhouse.com |date=June 6, 2015 |access-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119080439/http://thetalkhouse.com/music/talks/buzz-osborne-the-melvins-talks/ |archive-date=November 19, 2015 }}</ref> . Cobain told Novoselic in 1990 that he had used heroin and he spoke to Grohl about it in January 1991.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Azerrad |first=Michael |title=Nirvana: The Amplifications |date= |publisher=HARPER COLLINS |year=2023-10-24 |isbn=9780063279940 |language=EN}}</ref>

Cobain's heroin use began to affect Nirvana's ''Nevermind'' tour. During a 1992 photoshoot with [[Michael Lavine]], before their first ''Saturday Night Live'' performance on January 11, he fell asleep several times, having used heroin beforehand. Cobain told biographer [[Michael Azerrad]]: "They're not going to be able to tell me to stop. So I really didn't care. Obviously to them it was like practicing witchcraft or something. They didn't know anything about it so they thought that any second, I was going to die."<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|241}}

The morning after the band's performance on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' in 1992, Cobain experienced his first near-death [[Drug overdose|overdose]] after injecting heroin; Love resuscitated him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsN/nirvana.html|title=Legacy|date=April 8, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040803123238/http://www.canoe.com/JamMusicArtistsN/nirvana.html|access-date=July 27, 2020|archive-date=August 3, 2004}}</ref>

On May 2, 1993 Cobain overdosed at his home in Seattle and Love called the paramedics. He was taken to [[Harborview Medical Center|Harboview Medical Center]], but was discharged the same day.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goldberg |first=Danny |title=Serve The Servant |date=2020-04-02 |publisher=Orion |isbn=9781409182801}}</ref>

Prior to a performance at the New Music Seminar in New York City on July 23, 1993, Cobain suffered another overdose. Rather than calling for an ambulance, Love injected Cobain with [[naloxone]] to resuscitate him. Cobain proceeded to perform with Nirvana, giving the public no indication that anything had happened.<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|296–297}}

By March 1994, Love had "seen Kurt close to death from heroin overdoses on more than a dozen occasions," according to Cross.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cross |first=Charles |title=Heavier than Heaven: the biography of Kurt Cobain |publisher=Sceptre |date=2019-03-07 |isbn=9781473699632 |pages=Chapter 22 |language=EN}}</ref>

==Death==
{{Main|Suicide of Kurt Cobain}}
[[File:Kurt'sNote.jpg|thumb|Cobain's suicide note. The final phrase before the [[valediction]], "It's better to burn out than to fade away", is a quote from the lyrics of [[Neil Young]]'s song "[[My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)]]".]]
Following a tour stop at [[Munich-Riem airport|Terminal Eins]] in Munich, Germany, on March&nbsp;1, 1994, Cobain was diagnosed with [[bronchitis]] and severe [[laryngitis]]. He flew to Rome the next day for medical treatment, and was joined there by his wife, Courtney Love, on March&nbsp;3. The next morning, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and [[Flunitrazepam|Rohypnol]]. Cobain was rushed to the hospital and was unconscious for the rest of the day. Dave Grohl mentioned in his memoir that, he received a phone call saying Cobain had died a month before his death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arnold |first=Chuck |date=2021-10-05 |title=Dave Grohl was told Kurt Cobain died month before suicide |url=https://nypost.com/2021/10/05/dave-grohl-was-told-kurt-cobain-died-month-before-suicide/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> At that time he was hospitalized.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grohl |first=Dave |title=The Storyteller - Tales of life and music |publisher=Simon Schuster |date=2022-06-09 |isbn=9781398503724 |language=EN}}</ref> Love later said that the incident was Cobain's first [[suicide attempt]].<ref name="life after death">{{cite magazine |last=Fricke |first=David |author-link=David Fricke |date=December 15, 1994 |title=Courtney Love: Life After Death |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/courtneylove/articles/story/5937442/life_after_death |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413090248/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/courtneylove/articles/story/5937442/life_after_death |archive-date=April 13, 2009 |access-date=April 5, 2012 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> After five days, Cobain was released and returned to Seattle.<ref name="Halperin" /> 

On March 18, 1994, Love phoned the [[Seattle Police Department|Seattle police]] informing them that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. Police arrived and confiscated several guns and a bottle of pills from Cobain, who insisted that he was not suicidal and had locked himself in the room to hide from Love.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kurt-cobains-downward-spiral-the-last-days-of-nirvanas-leader-19940602|quote=she told them...he was going to kill himself. Cobain told them that he hadn't actually been planning to take his own life.|title=Kurt Cobain's Downward Spiral: The Last Days of Nirvana's Leader|date=June 2, 1994|author=Neil Strauss|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=September 2, 2017|archive-date=May 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521080133/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kurt-cobains-downward-spiral-the-last-days-of-nirvanas-leader-19940602|url-status=live}}</ref>

Love arranged an [[Intervention (counseling)|intervention]] regarding Cobain's drug use on March&nbsp;25, 1994. The ten people involved included musician friends, record company executives, and one of Cobain's closest friends, [[Dylan Carlson (musician)|Dylan Carlson]]. Cobain reacted with anger, insulting and heaping scorn on the participants, and locked himself in the upstairs bedroom. However, by the end of the day, Cobain agreed to undergo a [[Drug detoxification|detox]] program, and he entered a residential facility in Los Angeles for a few days on March&nbsp;30, 1994.<ref name="The1994">{{cite web|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940511&slug=1909954|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|date=May 11, 1994|title=Questions Linger After Cobain Suicide|access-date=January 20, 2019|archive-date=January 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064212/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940511&slug=1909954|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Questions Linger After Cobain Suicide – Credit-Card Activity, Details Of Last Days Intrigue Investigators |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19940511&slug=1909954|access-date=June 18, 2021|website=archive.seattletimes.com|archive-date=March 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316071159/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19940511&slug=1909954|url-status=live}}</ref>

The following night, Cobain left the facility and flew to Seattle. On the flight, he sat near [[Duff McKagan]] of [[Guns N' Roses]]. Despite Cobain's animosity towards Guns N' Roses, Cobain "seemed happy" to see McKagan. McKagan later said that he knew from "all of my instincts that something was wrong".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|331}} Most of Cobain's friends and family were unaware of his whereabouts. On April 7, amid rumors of Nirvana breaking up, the band pulled out of the 1994 [[Lollapalooza]] festival.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 6, 1994|title=Nirvana Pulls Out of Tour Plan: Pop music: Amid reports of a breakup, the band withdraws from talks about headlining this summer's 'Lollapalooza '94,' citing singer Kurt Cobain's health problems. – Los Angeles Times|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-06-ca-42770-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521055811/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-06-ca-42770-story.html|archive-date=May 21, 2020|access-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:KurtCobainHouse.jpg|thumb|Cobain's former home, and the site of his death.]]
On April 8,<ref>{{cite web|author1=Monica Guzman|title=15 years later: Where were you when Kurt Cobain was found dead?|url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2009/04/07/15-years-later-where-were-you-when-kurt-cobain-was-found-dead|website=Seattle PI|publisher=Hearst Media|access-date=February 2, 2015|date=April 7, 2009|archive-date=February 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202133826/http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2009/04/07/15-years-later-where-were-you-when-kurt-cobain-was-found-dead/}}</ref> Cobain's body was discovered at his [[Denny-Blaine, Seattle|Lake Washington Boulevard]] home by an electrician,<ref name="Drugs, Guns And Threats">{{cite news|author=Whitely, Peyton|date=April 19, 1994|title=Kurt Cobain's Troubled Last Days – Drugs, Guns And Threats; And Then He Disappeared|url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940409&slug=1904636|newspaper=The Seattle Times|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006113050/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940409&slug=1904636|url-status=live}}</ref> who had arrived to install a security system. A [[suicide note]] was found, addressed to Cobain's childhood [[imaginary friend]] Boddah, that stated that Cobain had not "felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing ... for too many years now". Cobain's body had been there for days; the coroner's report estimated he died on April&nbsp;5, 1994, at the [[27 Club|age of 27]].<ref name="Liu2009">{{cite news|author=Liu, Marian |date=April 6, 2009 |title=Kurt Cobain's death, 15 years later, being marked with Friday tribute |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/musicnightlife/2008993909_zmus06dispatchcobain.html |newspaper=Seattle Times |access-date=April 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019035843/http://seattletimes.com/html/musicnightlife/2008993909_zmus06dispatchcobain.html |archive-date=October 19, 2012 }}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===
A public vigil was held on April&nbsp;10, at a park at [[Seattle Center]], drawing approximately 7,000 mourners.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|346}} Prerecorded messages by Novoselic and Love were played at the memorial. Love read portions of the suicide note to the crowd, crying and chastising Cobain. Near the end of the vigil, Love distributed some of Cobain's clothing to those who remained.<ref name="azerrad" />{{rp|350}} Grohl said that the news of Cobain's death was "probably the worst thing that has happened to me in my life. I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone. I just felt like, 'Okay, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't.'"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thomas-Mason |first1=Lee |title=Dave Grohl opens up about how Kurt Cobain's death impacted his life |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/dave-grohl-opens-up-about-how-kurt-cobains-death-impacted-his-life/ |website=Far Out Magazine |date=November 15, 2018 |access-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730225502/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/dave-grohl-opens-up-about-how-kurt-cobains-death-impacted-his-life/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Colothan |first1=Scott |title=Dave Grohl: 'Kurt Cobain's Death Is The Worst Thing That's Ever Happened To Me' |url=https://www.gigwise.com/news/53389/ |website=Gigwise |access-date=July 30, 2021 |date=November 10, 2009 |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730225501/https://www.gigwise.com/news/53389/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=3am |title=Dave Grohl reveals he knew Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain would die young |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/dave-grohl-reveals-he-knew-nirvana-670948 |website=Mirror |access-date=July 30, 2021 |date=November 12, 2009 |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730225501/https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/dave-grohl-reveals-he-knew-nirvana-670948 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]],'' reporting from Seattle on April&nbsp;23, stated that within a few hours of Cobain's death being confirmed on April&nbsp;8, the only remaining Nirvana titles at Park Ave Records on Queen Anne Avenue were two "[[Heart-Shaped Box]]" import CD singles. A marketing director at the three-store Cellophane Square chain said that "all three stores sold about a few hundred CDs, singles, and vinyl by the morning of April&nbsp;9". A buyer at [[Tower Records]] on Mercer Street said: "It's a pathetic scene, everything is going out the door. If people were really fans, they would've had this stuff already."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Borzillo |first=Carrie |author-link=Carrie Borzillo |date=April 23, 1994 |title=Cobain Mourned By Fans, Industryites In Memorials, Music Stores |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1994/1994-04-23-Billboard-Page-0100.pdf |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |page=102 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213229/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1994/1994-04-23-Billboard-Page-0100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, sales of Nirvana releases rose dramatically immediately after Cobain's death.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 23, 1994 |title=MCA puts hold on Nirvana releases |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1994/Music-Week-1994-01-08.o-IDX-627.pdf |magazine=[[Music Week]] |page=5 |access-date=December 20, 2021 |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220121021/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1994/Music-Week-1994-01-08.o-IDX-627.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Grohl believed that he knew Cobain would die at an early age, saying that "sometimes you just can't save someone from themselves", and "in some ways, you kind of prepare yourself emotionally for that to be a reality".<ref name="DaveGrohl">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/nirvana/48303|title=Dave Grohl: 'I knew Kurt Cobain was destined to die early'|work=NME|date=November 10, 2009|location=UK|access-date=August 14, 2010|archive-date=November 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112103103/https://www.nme.com/news/nirvana/48303|url-status=live}}</ref> Dave Reed, who for a short time had been Cobain's foster father, said that "he had the desperation, not the courage, to be himself. Once you do that, you can't go wrong, because you can't make any mistakes when people love you for being yourself. But for Kurt, it didn't matter that other people loved him; he simply didn't love himself enough."<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|351}}

A final ceremony was arranged by Cobain's mother on May 31, 1999, and was attended by Love and Tracy Marander. As a Buddhist monk chanted, daughter Frances Bean scattered Cobain's ashes into [[McLane Creek]] in Olympia, the city where he "had found his true artistic muse".<ref name="cross-2001" />{{rp|351}} In 2006, Love said she retained Cobain's ashes, kept in a bank vault in Los Angeles because "no cemetery in Seattle will take them".<ref name="Love me do" />[[File:Viretta Park bench 04.jpg|thumb|A bench in Viretta Park, through tribute [[graffiti]], has become an improvised memorial to Cobain]] Cobain's death became a topic of public fascination and debate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/soaked-in-bleach-review-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-1201519277/|title=Film Review: 'Soaked in Bleach'|last=Harvey|first=Dennis|date=June 24, 2015|work=Variety|access-date=August 23, 2018|language=en-US|archive-date=June 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124944/https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/soaked-in-bleach-review-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-1201519277/|url-status=live}}</ref> His artistic endeavors and struggles with addiction, illness and depression, as well as the circumstances of his death, have become a frequent topic of controversy. According to a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department, the department receives at least one weekly request to reopen the investigation, resulting in the maintenance of the basic incident report on file.<ref name="Kiro" />

In March 2014, the Seattle police developed four rolls of film that had been left in an evidence vault; no reason was provided for why the rolls were not developed earlier. According to the Seattle police, the 35mm film photographs show the scene of Cobain's dead body more clearly than previous [[Instant film|Polaroid images]] taken by the police. Detective Mike Ciesynski, a [[cold case]] investigator, was instructed to look at the film because "it is 20 years later and it's a high media case". Ciesynski stated that Cobain's death remains a suicide and that the images would not have been released publicly.<ref name="Kiro">{{cite web|title=Seattle police re-examine Cobain suicide, develop scene photos|url=http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/only-kiro-7-seattle-police-re-investigate-kurt-cob/nfHMq/|work=kirotv.com|publisher=Cox Media Group|access-date=March 27, 2014|author=Casey McNerthney|author2=Amy Clancy|date=March 20, 2014|archive-date=March 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326230140/http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/only-kiro-7-seattle-police-re-investigate-kurt-cob/nfHMq/}}</ref> The photos in question were later released, one by one, weeks before the 20th anniversary of Cobain's death. One photo shows Cobain's arm, still wearing the hospital bracelet from the drug rehab facility he had left just a few days prior to returning to Seattle. Another photo shows Cobain's foot resting next to a bag of [[shotgun shells]], one of which was used in his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/new-kurt-cobain-death-scene-photos/ |title=Kurt Cobain Death Scene Photos – New Kurt Cobain death scene photos – Pictures |work=CBS News |date=March 27, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-date=November 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129031232/http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/new-kurt-cobain-death-scene-photos/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Cobain is remembered as one of the most influential rock musicians in the history of alternative music.<ref>{{Cite news|title=10 years later, Cobain lives on in his music|language=en-US|work=TODAY.com|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/10-years-later-cobain-lives-his-music-wbna4652653|access-date=October 18, 2018|archive-date=March 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323224116/http://www.today.com/popculture/10-years-later-cobain-lives-his-music-wbna4652653|url-status=live}}</ref> His angst-fueled songwriting<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ali|first=Lorraine|date=April 17, 1994|title=POP VIEW; Kurt Cobain Screamed Out Our Angst|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/17/archives/pop-view-kurt-cobain-screamed-out-our-angst.html|access-date=June 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=June 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621100609/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/17/archives/pop-view-kurt-cobain-screamed-out-our-angst.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and anti-establishment persona<ref>{{Cite web|last=Molon|first=Adam|date=April 5, 2014|title=Inside Kurt Cobain's $450M empire|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/04/04/kurt-cobain-and-the-big-business-of-dead-celebs.html|access-date=June 18, 2020|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=June 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621135311/https://www.cnbc.com/2014/04/04/kurt-cobain-and-the-big-business-of-dead-celebs.html|url-status=live}}</ref> led him to be referenced as the spokesman of [[Generation X]]. In addition, Cobain's songs widened the themes<ref>{{Cite web|title=5 Ways Kurt Cobain Changed the Face of Music|url=https://fuse.tv/2014/04/kurt-cobain-charles-r-cross|access-date=June 18, 2020|website=Fuse|language=en|archive-date=June 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619065112/https://fuse.tv/2014/04/kurt-cobain-charles-r-cross|url-status=live}}</ref> of mainstream rock music of the 1980s to discussion of personal reflection and social issues.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mazullo|first=Mark|date=2000|title=The Man Whom the World Sold: Kurt Cobain, Rock's Progressive Aesthetic, and the Challenges of Authenticity|journal=The Musical Quarterly|volume=84|issue=4|pages=713–749|doi=10.1093/mq/84.4.713|jstor=742606|issn=0027-4631}}</ref> On April 10, 2014, Nirvana was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]. Grohl, Novoselic and Love accepted the accolade at the ceremony, where Cobain was also remembered.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 12, 2014|title=Courtney Love Says Nirvana's Rock Hall Induction Might Be 'Awkward' – Video|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/courtney-love-says-nirvanas-rock-hall-induction-might-be-awkward-20140212|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=April 5, 2014|archive-date=April 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420093250/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/courtney-love-says-nirvanas-rock-hall-induction-might-be-awkward-20140212|url-status=live}}</ref> Cobain is one of the best-known members of the [[27 Club]],<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=December 8, 2019|title=The 27 Club: A Brief History|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/the-27-club-a-brief-history-17853/|access-date=October 27, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=October 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002033643/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/the-27-club-a-brief-history-17853/|url-status=live}}</ref> a list of musicians who died when they were 27 years old.

''[[Music & Media]]'' reporting on April 23, 1994, after Cobain had died, stated that Jørgen Larsen, the president of [[MCA Music Entertainment|MCA Music Entertainment International]] was asked where he thought Cobain stood in terms of his contribution to contemporary music, and Larsen replied that "If anybody comes out of nowhere to sell 11 or 12 million albums you have to conclude that there's something there. He wasn't just a one-hit wonder."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clark-Meads |first1=Jeff |last2=Sullivan |first2=Julia |date=April 23, 1994 |title=Cobain |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/94/MM-1994-04-23-OCR-Page-0030.pdf |work=[[Music & Media]] |page=30 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |quote=continued from page 1 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214931/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/94/MM-1994-04-23-OCR-Page-0030.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to music journalist [[Paul Lester]], who worked at ''[[Melody Maker]]'' at the time, Cobain's suicide triggered an immediate reappraisal of his work. He wrote: "The general impression offered by ''In Utero'' was that Cobain was some kind of whiny, self-absorbed, grunge, misery guts who could make routinely powerful music but was hardly a suffering godhead. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief after April 5, 1994, that Cobain could no longer further sully his reputation; that the myth-making machinery could finally be cranked into action."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lester|first=Paul|author-link=Paul Lester|date=April 16, 2008|title=The making of rock martyrs|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/apr/16/rockmartyrs|url-status=live|access-date=January 17, 2022|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118185043/https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/apr/16/rockmartyrs}}</ref>

[[Billy Corgan]] of [[the Smashing Pumpkins]] referred to Cobain as "the [[Michael Jordan]] of our generation",<ref>{{cite web|last=Campbell|first=Glen|title=Billy Corgan: Kurt Cobain Is 'The Michael Jordan' Of '90s Rock|website=Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Corgan-Cobain-The-Michael-Jordan/dp/B00TNOSRE0|access-date=November 18, 2015|archive-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119161631/http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Corgan-Cobain-The-Michael-Jordan/dp/B00TNOSRE0|url-status=live}}</ref> and said that Cobain opened the door for everyone in the 1990s alternative rock scene.<ref>{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Brett|date=July 22, 2015|title=Billy Corgan Praises Kurt Cobain & Dave Grohl|url=http://www.alternativenation.net/billy-corgan-praises-kurt-cobain-dave-grohl/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919081629/http://www.alternativenation.net/billy-corgan-praises-kurt-cobain-dave-grohl/|archive-date=September 19, 2015|access-date=November 18, 2015|publisher=Alternativenation.net}}</ref> [[Lars Ulrich]] of [[Metallica]] reflected on Cobain's influence stating that "with Kurt Cobain you felt you were connecting to the real person, not to a perception of who he was — you were not connecting to an image or a manufactured cut-out. You felt that between you and him there was nothing — it was heart-to-heart. There are very few people who have that ability."<ref>{{cite web|date=April 1, 2004|title=Lars Ulrich: Kurt Cobain Didn't Want To Share The Stage With Guns N' Roses|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lars-ulrich-kurt-cobain-didn-t-want-to-share-the-stage-with-guns-n-roses/#JWEozW71A6XwGAlU.99|access-date=November 18, 2015|website=Blabbermouth.net|archive-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119090550/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/lars-ulrich-kurt-cobain-didn-t-want-to-share-the-stage-with-guns-n-roses/#JWEozW71A6XwGAlU.99|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1996, the [[Church of Kurt Cobain]] was established in Portland, Oregon,<ref name="Spokesman">{{cite news |date=May 26, 1996 |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/may/26/cobain-followers-form-their-own-church-fledgling/ |title=Cobain Followers Form Their Own Church Fledgling Group Hopes To Find Meaning In Late Musician's Tragic Life |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217203656/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/may/26/cobain-followers-form-their-own-church-fledgling/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SeattleTimes">{{cite news |date=May 24, 1996 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19960524&slug=2331008 |title=Church of Kurt Cobain Forms |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217203636/https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19960524&slug=2331008 |url-status=live }}</ref> but it was later claimed by some media outlets to have been a media hoax.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chaplin |first=Julian |date=September 6, 1996 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fsRC10LkbN0C&pg=PA50 |title=Kurt Comes Alive |work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=12 |page=50 |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222121354/https://books.google.com/books?id=fsRC10LkbN0C&dq=Kurt+Cobain+Church&pg=PA50 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cross |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Cross |date=July 22, 2021 |url=https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/ongoing-history-daily-the-church-of-kurt-cobain/ |title=Ongoing History Daily: The Church of Kurt Cobain |work=[[A Journal of Musical Things]] |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217203639/https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/ongoing-history-daily-the-church-of-kurt-cobain/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Reflecting on Cobain's death over 10 years later, [[MSNBC]]'s [[Eric Olsen (writer)|Eric Olsen]] wrote, "In the intervening decade, Cobain, a small, frail but handsome man in life, has become an abstract [[Generation X]] icon, viewed by many as the 'last real rock star'{{nbsp}}... a messiah and martyr whose every utterance has been plundered and parsed."<ref name="10 years later">{{cite web|last=Olsen|first=Eric|date=April 9, 2004|title=10 years later, Cobain lives on in his music|url=http://www.today.com/id/4652653|access-date=April 8, 2012|work=[[MSNBC]].com|archive-date=June 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622170917/http://www.today.com/id/4652653|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:KurtKouchPRM.jpg|thumb|The Kurt Couch at [[The Punk Rock Museum]]]]
In 2003, [[David Fricke]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked Cobain the 12th greatest guitarist of all time.<ref name=":02">{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Guitarists – David Fricke's Picks: 12) Kurt Cobain|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231/kurt-cobain-20101202|access-date=July 14, 2013|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=December 3, 2010|archive-date=September 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919190341/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-of-all-time-19691231/kurt-cobain-20101202|url-status=live}}</ref> He was later ranked the 73rd greatest guitarist and 45th greatest singer of all time by the same magazine,<ref name=":1">{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time: 73) Kurt Cobain|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/kurt-cobain-20111122|access-date=April 8, 2012|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831182309/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/kurt-cobain-20111122|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Singers of All Time: 45) Kurt Cobain|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/kurt-cobain-20101202|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-date=September 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926170533/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/kurt-cobain-20101202|url-status=live}}</ref> and by [[MTV]] as seventh in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music".<ref name="Enigmazach2009">{{cite web|author=enigmazach|date=June 30, 2009|title=MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music|url=http://www.listology.com/list/mtvs-22-greatest-voices-music|access-date=April 8, 2012|publisher=Listology|archive-date=December 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221110955/http://www.listology.com/list/mtvs-22-greatest-voices-music|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006, he was placed at number twenty by ''[[Hit Parader]]'' on their list of the "100 Greatest Metal Singers of All Time".<ref name="Oz">{{cite web|author=oz|date=December 4, 2006|title=Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time – HearYa – Indie Music Blog|url=http://www.hearya.com/2006/12/04/hit-paraders-top-100-metal-vocalists-of-all-time/|access-date=April 8, 2012|publisher=Hearya.com|archive-date=September 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908211559/http://www.hearya.com/2006/12/04/hit-paraders-top-100-metal-vocalists-of-all-time/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Welcome to Aberdeen cropped.jpg|thumb|In 2005, a sign was put up in [[Aberdeen, Washington]], that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen – [[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come As You Are]]" as a tribute to Cobain|alt=]]In 2005, a sign was put up in Aberdeen, Washington, that read "Welcome to Aberdeen&nbsp;– Come As You Are" as a tribute to Cobain. The sign was paid for and created by the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization created in May 2004 to honor Cobain. The Committee planned to create a [[Kurt Cobain Memorial Park]] and a youth center in Aberdeen. Because Cobain was cremated and his remains scattered into the [[Wishkah River]] in Washington, many Nirvana fans visit [[Viretta Park]], near Cobain's former [[Lake Washington]] home to pay tribute. On the anniversary of his death, fans gather in the park to celebrate his life and memory.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/travel/chasing-kurt-cobain-in-washington-state.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/travel/chasing-kurt-cobain-in-washington-state.html |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Chasing Kurt Cobain in Washington State |last=Seminara |first=Dave |date=March 25, 2014 |website=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Controversy erupted in July 2009 when a monument to Cobain in Aberdeen along the Wishkah River included the quote "... Drugs are bad for you. They will fuck you up." The city ultimately decided to sandblast the monument to replace the expletive with "f---",<ref>{{cite web|title=The Daily World: Park's four-letter controversy erased |url=http://tdw.thedailyworld.com/content/park%E2%80%99s_four_letter_controversy_erased_0 |work=TheDailyWorld.com |date=August 7, 2009 |access-date=April 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803091510/http://tdw.thedailyworld.com/content/park%E2%80%99s_four_letter_controversy_erased_0 |archive-date=August 3, 2012 }}</ref> but fans immediately drew the letters back in.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seattle Weekly: You Can Sandblast All You Want, But Drugs Will Still Fuck You Up|url=http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2009/08/you_can_sandblast_all_you_want.php|author=Chris Kornelis|date=August 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721193533/http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2009/08/you_can_sandblast_all_you_want.php|archive-date=July 21, 2011|access-date=April 6, 2012}}</ref> In December 2013, the small city of [[Hoquiam, Washington|Hoquiam]], where Cobain once lived, announced that April 10 would become the annual Nirvana Day.<ref name="cobain day">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nirvana-80-1245754 |title=Aberdeen, Washington to celebrate annual Kurt Cobain Day |last=Stubbs |first=Dan |date=January 24, 2014 |website=NME |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823195508/https://www.nme.com/news/music/nirvana-80-1245754 |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, in January 2014, Cobain's birthday, February 20, was declared annual "Kurt Cobain Day" in Aberdeen.<ref name="cobain day" />

In June 2020, the 1959 [[Martin Guitar|Martin]] D-18E acoustic-electric guitar used by Cobain for Nirvana's ''MTV Unplugged'' performance sold at auction for $6,010,000 to Peter Freedman the chairman of [[Røde Microphones]]. It was the most expensive guitar and the most expensive piece of band memorabilia ever sold.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2020|title=Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged guitar sells for record-setting $6 million in auction|url=https://consequence.net/2020/06/kurt-cobains-mtv-unplugged-guitar/|access-date=June 22, 2020|website=Consequence of Sound|language=en-US|archive-date=June 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621084400/https://consequence.net/2020/06/kurt-cobains-mtv-unplugged-guitar/|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2022, Cobain's Lake Placid Blue [[Fender Mustang]] guitar sold at auction for $4.5 million to [[Jim Irsay]], making it the second-most valuable guitar ever sold and the most valuable electric guitar.<ref>{{cite news |last=Laing |first=Rob |date=May 23, 2022 |title=Kurt Cobain's Smells Like Teen Spirit 1969 Competition Fender Mustang guitar sells for $4.5 million at auction |work=[[MusicRadar]] |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/kurt-cobain-mustang-sold-auction-nirvana |access-date=May 23, 2022}}</ref>

In July 2021, the [[Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation]] confirmed that Cobain's childhood home in [[Aberdeen]] would be included on their Heritage Register, and that the owner would be making it into an exhibit for people to visit.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jacob |first=Mary K |date=July 30, 2021 |url=https://nypost.com/2021/07/30/kurt-cobain-childhood-home-now-a-landmark-will-be-an-exhibit/ |title=Cobain childhood home now a landmark, to be turned into an exhibit |work=[[New York Post]] |access-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801001250/https://nypost.com/2021/07/30/kurt-cobain-childhood-home-now-a-landmark-will-be-an-exhibit/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hammock |first=Dan |date=July 20, 2021 |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/kurt-cobains-childhood-home-placed-on-washington-state-heritage-register,269369 |title=Kurt Cobain's childhood Home Placed on Washington State Heritage Register |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Chronicle]] |access-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801130309/https://www.chronline.com/stories/kurt-cobains-childhood-home-placed-on-washington-state-heritage-register,269369 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Media ==
=== Books ===
Prior to Cobain's death, [[Michael Azerrad]] published ''[[Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana]]'', a book chronicling Nirvana's career from its beginning, as well as the personal histories of the band members. The book explored Cobain's drug addiction, as well as the countless controversies surrounding the band. After Cobain's death, Azerrad republished the book to include a final chapter discussing the last year of Cobain's life. The book involved the band members themselves, who provided interviews and personal information to Azerrad specifically for the book. In 2006, Azerrad's taped conversations with Cobain were transformed into a documentary about Cobain, titled ''[[Kurt Cobain: About a Son]]''. Though this film does not feature any music by Nirvana, it has songs by the artists that inspired Cobain.

Journalists [[Ian Halperin]] and [[Max Wallace]] published their investigation of any possible conspiracy surrounding Cobain's death in their 1998 book ''[[Who Killed Kurt Cobain?]]''. Halperin and Wallace argued that, while there was not enough evidence to prove a conspiracy, there was more than enough to demand that the case be reopened.<ref>Halperin & Wallace, p. 202</ref> The book included the journalists' discussions with Tom Grant, who had taped nearly every conversation that he had undertaken while he was in Love's employ. Over the next several years, Halperin and Wallace collaborated with Grant to write a second book, 2004's ''[[Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain]]''.

In 2001, writer [[Charles R. Cross]] published a biography of Cobain, titled ''[[Heavier Than Heaven]]''. For the book, Cross conducted over 400 interviews, and was given access by Courtney Love to Cobain's journals, lyrics, and diaries.<ref name="Heavierthan">{{cite web|url=http://www.hyperionbooks.com/book/heavier-than-heaven-a-biography-of-kurt-cobain/|title=Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain|publisher=HyperionBooks.com|access-date=July 26, 2009|archive-date=June 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623205923/http://www.hyperionbooks.com/book/heavier-than-heaven-a-biography-of-kurt-cobain/|url-status=live}}</ref> Cross' biography was met with criticism, including allegations of Cross accepting secondhand (and incorrect) information as fact.<ref>''Nirvana: the True Story'' by [[Everett True]]</ref> Friend [[Everett True]] – who derided the book as being inaccurate, omissive, and highly biased – said ''Heavier than Heaven'' was "the Courtney-sanctioned version of history"<ref name="SmellsLike2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=184892|title=Smells Like Everett True – Books – The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper|publisher=Thestranger.com|date=March 27, 2007|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-date=January 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120145033/http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=184892|url-status=live}}</ref> or, alternatively, Cross's "Oh, I think I need to find the new [[Bruce Springsteen]] now" Kurt Cobain book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magnetmagazine.com/interviews/true.html|title=MAGNET Interview: Everett True|work=magnetmagazine.com|author=Matthew Fritch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030617162627/http://magnetmagazine.com/interviews/true.html|archive-date=June 17, 2003|access-date=April 5, 2012}}</ref> However, beyond the criticism, the book contained details about Cobain and Nirvana's career that would have otherwise been unnoted. In 2008, Cross published ''[[Cobain Unseen]]'', a compilation of annotated photographs and creations and writings by Cobain throughout his life and career.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/23454963/cobain_unseen_rare_photos_artw/photo/17|title=Cobain Unseen: Rare Photos, Artwork and Journal Entries|magazine=Rolling Stone|author=Charles M. ''(sic)'' Cross|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020044620/http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/23454963/cobain_unseen_rare_photos_artw/photo/17|archive-date=October 20, 2008|access-date=April 5, 2012|author-link=Charles R. Cross}}</ref>

In 2002, a sampling of Cobain's writings was published as ''[[Journals (Cobain)|Journals]]''. The book fills 280 pages with a simple black cover; the pages are arranged somewhat chronologically (although Cobain generally did not date them). The journal pages are reproduced in color, and there is a section added at the back with explanations and transcripts of some of the less legible pages. The writings begin in the late 1980s and were continued until his death. A paperback version of the book, released in 2003, included a handful of writings that were not offered in the initial release. In the journals, Cobain talked about the ups and downs of life on the road, made lists of what music he was enjoying, and often scribbled down lyric ideas for future reference. Upon its release, reviewers and fans were conflicted about the collection. Many were elated to be able to learn more about Cobain and read his inner thoughts in his own words, but were disturbed by what was viewed as an [[Invasion of privacy|invasion of his privacy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nd.edu/~observer/11192002/Scene/0.html |title=Nirvana releases a hit and miss|work=Notre Dame Observer|date=November 19, 2002|author=David Hartwig|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040307110632/http://www.nd.edu/~observer/11192002/Scene/0.html |archive-date=March 7, 2004 }}</ref>

In 2019, on the 25th anniversary of Cobain's death, former Nirvana manager, [[Danny Goldberg]], published ''[[Serving the Servant|Serving the Servant: Remembering Kurt Cobain]]''. In promotion of the book, Goldberg stated:

{{blockquote|I think that in terms of icons, Kurt was kind of the last icon of the rock era and then the hip-hop era started.

Then, obviously, in our kid's generation, hip-hop has been a dominant voice for adolescence. It's not the only one,  there were still rock artists but not only was he iconic in terms of depth in which he touched people, that music was pop. Those songs were as big as [[Rihanna]], [[Travis Scott]] or [[Justin Bieber]] or anything today.

They were pop hits as well as touching the underground culture. That fusion of pop and underground, I don't think rock has produced someone else who could do that since Kurt. I think he's arguably the last of that era.

You could almost have [[bookend]]s of an era that started with [[The Beatles]] and ended with Kurt. I mean, yeah, there was rock and roll before The Beatles but The Beatles broadened it and I think you can make that argument.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 20, 2019 |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/nirvana_manager_i_dont_think_dave_grohl_touches_people_as_deeply_as_kurt_did_i_suspect_dave_would_acknowledge_that_too.html |title=Nirvana Manager: I Don't Think Dave Grohl Touches People as Deeply as Kurt Did. I Suspect Dave Would Acknowledge That Too |work=[[Ultimate Guitar]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Jenke |first=Tyler |date=April 21, 2019 |url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/nirvana-manager-kurt-cobain-last-icon-rock-era/ |title=Nirvana's manager calls Kurt Cobain the 'last icon of the rock era' |work=[[Tone Deaf (magazine)|Tone Deaf]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Mazzarone |first=Mike |date=April 20, 2019 |url=https://www.alternativenation.net/nirvana-reveal-dave-grohl-made-money-kurt-cobain/ |title=Nirvana Reveal If Dave Grohl Made More Money Than Kurt Cobain |work=Alternative Nation |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref>}}

=== Film and television ===
In the 1998 documentary ''[[Kurt & Courtney]]'', filmmaker [[Nick Broomfield]] investigated Tom Grant's claim that Cobain was actually murdered. He took a film crew to visit a number of people associated with Cobain and Love; Love's father, Cobain's aunt, and one of the couple's former nannies. Broomfield also spoke to [[The Mentors|Mentors]] bandleader [[Eldon Hoke|Eldon "El Duce" Hoke]], who claimed Love offered him $50,000 to kill Cobain. Although Hoke claimed he knew who killed Cobain, he failed to mention a name, and offered no evidence to support his assertion. Broomfield inadvertently captured Hoke's last interview, as he died days later, reportedly hit by a train. However, Broomfield felt he had not uncovered enough evidence to conclude the existence of a conspiracy. In a 1998 interview, Broomfield summed it up by saying:

{{blockquote|I think that he committed suicide. I don't think there's a smoking gun. And I think there's only one way you can explain a lot of things around his death. Not that he was murdered, but that there was just a lack of caring for him. I just think that Courtney had moved on, and he was expendable.<ref>{{cite web|last=Miller|first=Prairie|url=http://www.minireviews.com/interviews/broomfield.htm|title=Kurt and Courtney: Interview with Nick Broomfield|work=Minireviews.com|access-date=April 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010301212925/http://www.minireviews.com/interviews/broomfield.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2001}}</ref>}}

Broomfield's documentary was noted by ''[[The New York Times]]'' to be a rambling, largely speculative and circumstantial work, relying on flimsy evidence as was his later documentary ''[[Biggie & Tupac]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Leland|first=John|title=New Theories Stir Speculation On Rap Deaths|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/07/arts/new-theories-stir-speculation-on-rap-deaths.html|access-date=September 30, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 7, 2002|archive-date=October 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002202518/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/07/arts/new-theories-stir-speculation-on-rap-deaths.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The documentary ''[[Teen Spirit: The Tribute to Kurt Cobain]]'' was released as a [[home video]] in 1996,<ref>{{cite web |last=Prato |first=Greg |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/teen-spirit-tribute-to-kurt-cobain-dvd-mw0000940490 |title=AllMusic Review |website=[[AllMusic.com]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref> and on DVD in 2001.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 18, 2001 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/2001/2001-08-18-Billboard-Page-0044.pdf |title=What's In Your DVD Player? - MVD |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref> ''[[The Vigil (1998 film)|The Vigil]]'' is a 1998 [[comedy film]] about a group of young people who travel from [[Lethbridge]], Alberta, Canada to [[Seattle]] in the United States to attend the memorial vigil for Cobain in 1994. It stars [[Donny Lucas]] and [[Trevor White (actor)|Trevor White]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Brennan |first=Sandra |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-vigil-v174337 |title=The Vigil |work=[[AllMovies.com]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=April 8, 2015 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/kurt-on-film-a-guide-to-cobains-cinematic-legacy-175517/the-vigil-for-kurt-cobain-1998-226896/ |title=Kurt on Film: A Guide to Cobain's Cinematic Legacy |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref>

[[Gus Van Sant]] loosely based his 2005 movie ''[[Last Days (2005 film)|Last Days]]'' on the events in the final days of Cobain's life, starring [[Michael Pitt]] as the main character Blake who was based on Cobain.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/may/06/cannes2005.cannesfilmfestival |title=Howard Feinstein on Gus Van Sant's new film, Last Days |last=Feinstein |first=Howard |date=May 6, 2005 |website=The Guardian |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720114847/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/may/06/cannes2005.cannesfilmfestival |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, the [[Jon Brewer]] directed documentary, ''[[All Apologies: Kurt Cobain 10 Years On]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whatisondisneyplus.com/movie/409154/all-apologies-kurt-cobain-10-years-on |title=All Apologies: Kurt Cobain 10 Years On (2006) |website=whatisondisneyplus.com |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Teuton |first=Dan |date=March 14, 2013 |url=https://businessmag.co.uk/profiles-cpt/jon-brewer-emperor-media/ |title=Jon Brewer - Emperor Media |work=businessmag.co.uk |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref> and the [[BBC]] documentary, ''[[The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain]]'', were released.<ref>{{cite news |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=April 15, 2015 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tribeca-my-scientology-movie-filmmakers-884275 |title=Tribeca: 'My Scientology Movie' Filmmakers Were Confronted by Church Members During Shoot |publisher=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00795mc |title=The Last 48 Hours of Kurt Cobain |publisher=[[BBC Online]] |access-date=December 29, 2023}}</ref> In January 2007, Love began to shop the biography ''Heavier Than Heaven'' to various movie studios in Hollywood to turn the book into an [[A-list]] feature film about Cobain and Nirvana.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nirvana-211-1343187 |title=New Kurt Cobain biopic to feature original Nirvana music |date=November 6, 2007 |website=NME |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823195509/https://www.nme.com/news/music/nirvana-211-1343187 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A [[Brett Morgen]] film, entitled ''[[Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck]]'', premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in January 2015, followed by small-screen and cinema releases.<ref name="Hollywood">{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Tatiana |date=December 3, 2014 |title=Why Courtney Love Isn't a Producer on Kurt Cobain Documentary |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-courtney-love-isn-t-753391/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730151624/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-courtney-love-isn-t-753391/ |archive-date=July 30, 2021 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> Morgen said that documentary "will be this generation's ''[[Pink Floyd – The Wall|The Wall]]''".<ref name="factmag">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2013/01/04/director-brett-morgen-reveals-first-details-of-kurt-cobain-documentary/|title=Director Brett Morgen reveals first details of Kurt Cobain documentary|publisher=Factmag.com|date=January 4, 2013|access-date=December 5, 2013|archive-date=November 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105001435/http://www.factmag.com/2013/01/04/director-brett-morgen-reveals-first-details-of-kurt-cobain-documentary/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Soaked in Bleach]]'' is a 2015 American [[docudrama]] directed by Benjamin Statler. The film details the events leading up to [[Death of Kurt Cobain|the death]] of Kurt Cobain, as seen through the perspective of Tom Grant, the private detective who was hired by [[Courtney Love]] to find Cobain, her husband, shortly before his death in 1994. It also explores the premise that Cobain's death was not a suicide. The film stars Tyler Bryan as Cobain and [[Daniel Roebuck]] as Grant, with Sarah Scott portraying [[Courtney Love]] and [[August Emerson]] as [[Dylan Carlson (musician)|Dylan Carlson]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/soaked-in-bleach-review-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-1201519277/ |title=Film Review: 'Soaked in Bleach' |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=June 24, 2015 |website=Variety |access-date=August 23, 2018 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124944/https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/soaked-in-bleach-review-kurt-cobain-courtney-love-1201519277/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Love's legal team issued a cease-and-desist letter against theaters showing the documentary.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/06/courtney-love-cease-and-desist-soaked-in-bleach-kurt-cobain-documentary-1201445904/ |title=Courtney Love Sends Cease & Desist Against Kurt Cobain Movie 'Soaked In Bleach' |date=June 16, 2015 |website=Deadline |access-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823195509/https://deadline.com/2015/06/courtney-love-cease-and-desist-soaked-in-bleach-kurt-cobain-documentary-1201445904/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Regarding the depiction of Nirvana, and in particular Kurt Cobain, the indie rock author Andrew Earles wrote:

{{blockquote|Never has a rock band's past been so retroactively distorted into an irreversible fiction by incessant mythologizing, conjecture, wild speculation, and romanticizing rhetoric. The Cobain biographical narrative – specifically in regard to the culturally irresponsible mishandling of subjects such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide – is now impenetrable with inaccurate and overcooked connectivity between that which is completely unrelated, too chronologically disparate, or just plain untrue.|Andrew Earles<ref>{{cite book|last1=Earles|first1=Andrew|last2=Cross|first2=Charles|last3=Gaar|first3=Gillian G.|last4=Gendron|first4=Bob|last5=Martens|first5=Todd|last6=Yarm|first6=Mark|title=Kurt Cobain and Nirvana – Updated Edition: The Complete Illustrated History|publisher=Voyaguer Press|year=2016|chapter=Ch6 – Sigh Eternally|pages=187|isbn=978-0760351789|chapter-url={{Google books|plainurl=yes|id=GwyQDAAAQBAJ|page=187}}}}</ref>}}[[Matt Reeves]]' film ''[[The Batman (film)|The Batman]]'' depicts a version of [[Bruce Wayne]], performed by [[Robert Pattinson]], that was loosely inspired by Cobain. Reeves stated, "when I write, I listen to music, and as I was writing the first act, I put on Nirvana's 'Something in the Way,' that's when it came to me that, rather than make Bruce Wayne the [[playboy lifestyle|playboy]] version we've seen before, there's another version who had gone through a great tragedy and become a [[recluse]]. So I started making this connection to Gus Van Sant's ''Last Days'', and the idea of this fictionalised version of Kurt Cobain being in this kind of decaying manor."<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Batman: Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne Is Inspired By Kurt Cobain, Says Matt Reeves – Exclusive Images|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/the-batman-robert-pattinson-inspired-by-kurt-cobain-matt-reeves-exclusive/|access-date=December 18, 2021|website=Empire|date=December 18, 2021 |archive-date=December 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218153556/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/the-batman-robert-pattinson-inspired-by-kurt-cobain-matt-reeves-exclusive/|url-status=live}}</ref> "Something in the Way" was used in trailers to promote ''The Batman'' prior to its release and is featured twice in the film.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Batman – Movie Trailers – iTunes|url=https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/the-batman/|access-date=December 18, 2021|website=trailers.apple.com|language=en-US|archive-date=November 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101131957/https://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/the-batman/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moran |first1=Sarah |title=What Is The Nirvana Song In The Batman? Soundtrack Explained |url=https://screenrant.com/the-batman-soundtrack-guide-song-nirvana/ |access-date=March 5, 2022 |work=Screen Rant |date=March 4, 2022}}</ref>

To mark the 30th anniversary of Cobain's death a new documentary titled ''[[Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music]]'' aired on [[BBC Two]] and [[BBC iPlayer]] on April 13, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001yctz |title=Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music |website=bbc.co.uk |access-date=April 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gagliardi |first=Pino |date=April 5, 2024 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bbc-kurt-cobain-documentary-moments-that-shook-music-1235867231/ |title=30 Years After His Death, BBC to Air Kurt Cobain Documentary |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=April 6, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 27, 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/bbc-music-remembers-kurt-cobain |title=BBC Music Remembers Kurt Cobain with range of programmes across the BBC |work=[[BBC Online]] |access-date=March 28, 2024}}</ref>

=== Theatre ===
In September 2009, the [[Roy Smiles]] play ''[[Kurt and Sid]]'' debuted at the [[Trafalgar Studios]] in London's West End. The play, set in Cobain's greenhouse on the day of his suicide, revolves around the ghost of [[Sid Vicious]] visiting Cobain to try to convince him not to kill himself. Cobain was played by [[Shaun Evans]].<ref name=Whatsonstage>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8831247477600|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616081828/http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8831247477600|archive-date=June 16, 2011|title=Danny Dyer Plays Vicious in Kurt & Sid Premiere|work=Whatsonstage.com|publisher=[[Whatsonstage]]|date=July 13, 2009|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>

=== Video games ===
{{Further|Guitar Hero 5#Kurt Cobain controversy|label1=''Guitar Hero 5'' § Kurt Cobain controversy}}

Cobain was included as a playable character in the 2009 video game ''[[Guitar Hero 5]]''; he can be used to play songs by Nirvana and other acts. Novoselic and Grohl released a statement condemning the inclusion and urging the developer, [[Activision]], to alter it, saying they had no control over the use of Cobain's likeness. Love denied that she had given permission, saying it was "the result of a cabal of a few assholes' greed", and threatened to sue. The vice-president of Activision said that Love had contributed photos and videos to the development and had been "great to work with".<ref name="Swash2009">{{Cite news |author=Swash, Rosie |date=September 11, 2009 |title=Kurt Cobain video game ''Guitar Hero'' gives Love a bad name |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/sep/11/guitar-hero-upsets-nirvana-fans |url-status=live |access-date=April 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907123317/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/sep/11/guitar-hero-upsets-nirvana-fans |archive-date=September 7, 2013}}</ref>

== Discography ==
===Nirvana===
''For a complete list of all Nirvana releases, see [[Nirvana discography]]''.
* ''[[Bleach (Nirvana album)|Bleach]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Nevermind (album)|Nevermind]]'' (1991)
* ''[[In Utero]]'' (1993)

=== Posthumous albums ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Kurt Cobain albums
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Title
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Album details
! colspan="9" scope="col" |Chart positions
|-
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/kurt-cobain|title=Kurt Cobain Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=February 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214113013/https://www.billboard.com/music/kurt-cobain|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Ultratop|BE]] (Ultratop Flanders)<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/46359/kurt-cobain-montage-of-heck-the-home-recordings|title=Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|website=ultratop.be|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129103451/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/album/46359/Kurt-Cobain-Montage-Of-Heck-The-Home-Recordings|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |BE (Ultratop Wallonia)<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/album/46359/kurt-cobain-montage-of-heck-the-home-recordings|title=Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|website=ultratop.be|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212044856/https://www.ultratop.be/fr/album/46359/Kurt-Cobain-Montage-Of-Heck-The-Home-Recordings|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Productores de Música de España|ES]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spanishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+of+Heck+-+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|title=spanishcharts.com – Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|website=spanishcharts.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204091510/https://spanishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+Of+Heck+%2D+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|FR]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+of+Heck+-+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|title=lescharts.com – Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|website=lescharts.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117055319/https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+of+Heck+-+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|ITL]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+of+Heck+-+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|title=italiancharts.com – Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|website=italiancharts.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207180122/https://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+Of+Heck+%2D+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Dutch Album Top 100|NL]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Kurt+Cobain&titel=Montage+of+Heck+-+The+Home+Recordings&cat=a|title=Kurt Cobain – Montage Of Heck – The Home Recordings|last=Hung|first=Steffen|website=hitparade.ch|access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[Swiss Hitparade|SWI]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/album/Kurt-Cobain/Montage-Of-Heck-The-Home-Recordings-287577|title=Kurt Cobain - Montage Of Heck - The Home Recordings - swisscharts.com|website=swisscharts.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=February 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203212722/http://swisscharts.com/album/Kurt-Cobain/Montage-Of-Heck-The-Home-Recordings-287577|url-status=live}}</ref>
! style="width:2em;font-size:75%" |[[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/35519/kurt-cobain/|title=KURT COBAIN {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=July 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715171221/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/35519/kurt-cobain/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings]]''
|
* Released: November 13, 2015
* Label: [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music]]
* Formats: CD, [[LP album|LP]], [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] (CS)
|121
|42
|78
|94
|65
|47
|51
|47
|51
|}

=== Posthumous singles ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Kurt Cobain singles
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Song
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Year
! colspan="2" scope="col" |Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Album
|-
! style="width:3em;font-size:75%" |[[Hot Singles Sales|US<br /><small>(physical sales)</small>]]<br /><ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/kurt-cobain/chart-history/hot-singles-sales |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717205635/https://www.billboard.com/music/kurt-cobain/chart-history/hot-singles-sales |archive-date=July 17, 2020 |title=Chart History – Kurt Cobain |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=August 1, 2021}}</ref>
! style="width:3em;font-size:75%" |UK <br /><small>(physical sales)</small><br /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-singles-chart/20151211/1/ |title=Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100 – 11 December 2015 – 17 December 2015 |website=officialcharts.com |access-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505220639/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/physical-singles-chart/20151211/1/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |"[[And I Love Her#Kurt Cobain cover|And I Love Her]]"/"[[Sappy]]"
|2015
|2
|2
|''Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings''
|}

=== Posthumous videos ===
* ''[[Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck]]'' (DVD and Blu-ray) (2015)

=== Collaborations ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Musical collaborations of Kurt Cobain
!scope="col"|Release
!scope="col"|Artist
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Comments
|-
! scope="row" |"[[In the Pines|Where Did You Sleep Last Night?]]"
| rowspan="4" |The Jury
| rowspan="4" |1989
| rowspan="4" |In 1989, members of Nirvana and fellow band [[Screaming Trees]] formed a side project known as the Jury (a [[Lead Belly]] cover band).<ref name=":3" />

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" was later released on [[Mark Lanegan]]'s album, ''[[The Winding Sheet]]'', in 1990.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.revolutioncomeandgone.com/articles/10/the-jury.php|title=The Jury: the story of the Cobain/Lanegan collaboration that could have been {{!}} Northwest Passage|website=www.revolutioncomeandgone.com|access-date=February 3, 2020|archive-date=February 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205220738/http://www.revolutioncomeandgone.com/articles/10/the-jury.php|url-status=live}}</ref> "Grey Goose", "Ain't It a Shame" and "They Hung Him on a Cross" were later released on Nirvana's B-sides collection, ''[[With the Lights Out]]'', in 2004.<ref name=":4" />
|-
! scope="row" |"[[Grey Goose (folk song)|Grey Goose]]"
|-
! scope="row" |"[[Ain't It a Shame]]"
|-
! scope="row" |"[[They Hung Him on a Cross]]"
|-
! scope="row" |"Scratch It Out" / "Bikini Twilight"
|[[The Go Team (American band)|The Go Team]]
|1989
|
|-
! scope="row" |''[[The Winding Sheet]]''
|[[Mark Lanegan]]
| rowspan="2" |1990
|Background vocals on "Down in the Dark" and guitar on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night".
|-
! scope="row" |[[Earth (American band)|Earth]]'s demo
|[[Earth (American band)|Earth]]
|Lead vocals for song "Divine Bright Extraction"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/bodyfc25.html?songid=259|title=Divine And Bright|website=www.livenirvana.com|access-date=July 25, 2017|archive-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729005526/http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/bodyfc25.html?songid=259|url-status=live}}</ref> and backing vocals for "A Bureaucratic Desire For Revenge".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/body3576.html?songid=127|title=A Bureaucratic Desire For Revenge|website=www.livenirvana.com|access-date=July 25, 2017|archive-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729004459/http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/body3576.html?songid=127|url-status=live}}</ref> Lead vocals for a cover song "Private Affair" (original by [[The Saints (Australian band)|The Saints]]), but that was never released.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/body3e6b.html?songid=270|title=Private Affair|website=www.livenirvana.com|access-date=July 25, 2017|archive-date=July 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729012251/http://www.livenirvana.com/digitalnirvana/songguide/body3e6b.html?songid=270|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |''[[The "Priest" They Called Him]]''
|[[William S. Burroughs]] and Kurt Cobain
| rowspan="2" |1993
|Background guitar noise.
|-
! scope="row" |''[[Houdini (album)|Houdini]]''
|[[Melvins]]
|Co-producer, Guitar on "Sky Pup" and percussion on "Spread Eagle Beagle".
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Azerrad|first=Michael|year=1994|title=Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana|publisher=Doubleday|isbn=0-385-47199-8}}
* {{cite book|last=Burlingame|first=Jeff|year=2006|title=Kurt Cobain: Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind|publisher=Enslow|isbn=0-7660-2426-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/kurtcobainohwell0000burl}}
* {{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles|year=2001|title=Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain|publisher=Hyperion|isbn=0-7868-8402-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles|year=2008|title=Cobain Unseen|publisher=Little, Brown and Co.|isbn=978-0316033725}}
* {{cite book|last=Kitts|first=Jeff|year=1998|title=Guitar World Presents Nirvana and the Grunge Revolution|publisher=Hal Leonard|isbn=0-7935-9006-X}}
* {{cite book|last=Prato|first=Greg|year=2009|title=Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-877-9}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|d=Q8446|q=Kurt Cobain|c=Category:Kurt Cobain|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}}
* {{discogs artist}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p65214}}
* {{IMDb name|1052}}
* [http://www.kurtsequipment.com/ The Kurt Cobain Equipment FAQ] info on his guitars, amplifiers & effects
* [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/kurt-courtney-no-nirvana Official police reports into Cobain's death] at [[The Smoking Gun]]
* [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kurt_cobain Kurt Cobain] at [[Rotten Tomatoes]]

{{Nirvana (band)}}
{{Courtney Love}}
{{2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Portal bar|Music|Rock music}}
{{Authority control}}
<!-- NOTE: DO ''not'' ADD BISEXUAL CATEGORIES, THEY WILL BE REMOVED AS UNSOURCED. Cobain never went on record as being bisexual&nbsp;— the only primary source quotes him as saying he ''considered'' it. -->
<!-- MURDER CATEGORIES SHOULD ''not'' BE INCLUDED. This was a consensus to keep the article NPOV, see talk page. -->

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