It won’t be new to anyone who owns a copy of Kurt Cobain’s Journals, but for the rest of us, the late Nirvana frontman’s hand-scrawled list of his all-time favorite albums is a sight to behold. In our era of obsessive and narcissistic list-making (see: Pitchfork’s People’s List; clearly, this site isn’t immune to the allure of the listicle, either), it’s nice to know that even Cobain succumbed to the compulsion to itemize and rank the music he loved. Titled “Top 50 by Nirvana,” it includes plenty of selections that will be familiar to the band’s fans: The Vaselines, Sonic Youth, The Raincoats, The Wipers, Leadbelly. But there are some fascinating surprises, too, from Public Enemy to Mazzy Star to Rites of Spring. We were particularly tickled by the inclusion of Swans.

The Swans are an American post-punk band since 1982
Looking at some of the favorites it's clear IMO that The Swans are listed.


They're on tour in Europe right now.

Nice...I only know 5% of the listed records

__________________________

Bad Brains!

I own 5 of the albums listed. The rest I have never heard of. That goes for most of the acts mentioned, too.

Hello,

Just tickled to see The Knack in there. Well played Mr. Cobain.

Cheers,

Simon.

As much as I would have wished Cobain a longer life, he is totally overrated. It is surprising that people still talk about him twenty years after his dead.

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runaway
The Swans are an American post-punk band since 1982
Looking at some of the favorites it's clear IMO that The Swans are listed.


They're on tour in Europe right now.

Public castration is a good idea!
[www.maelstrom.nu]

Strange he included a Beatles recording and yet couldn't find a place for a Stones record. Not a very eclectic range, but I guess that's why Nirvana were what they were. I do like Nirvana, before any one accuses me of marginalising them, they had their place in music history and left a legacy. But, it was linear and unimaginative and therefore with or without Cobain's untimely death, it's unlikely they would have developed much further.

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crumbling_mice
Strange he included a Beatles recording and yet couldn't find a place for a Stones record. Not a very eclectic range, but I guess that's why Nirvana were what they were. I do like Nirvana, before any one accuses me of marginalising them, they had their place in music history and left a legacy. But, it was linear and unimaginative and therefore with or without Cobain's untimely death, it's unlikely they would have developed much further.

Yes. I tried to make that point on this board once and unintentionally started a war...
I could appreciate them for what they were and their influence - but it was a very limited influence. And this list proves why. Musically, they were very clausterphobic. Im surprised he only has one Beatles listing because I thought that was the most impressive influence he claimed. The rest of the bands on that list are a reflection of the limited range of musical depth,

Great Cobain list. Thanks for posting.

As great as Nevermind is, and it is great, In Utero remains my favorite Nirvana cd. It is an uncompromisingly brilliant follow-up to a massively influential album.

To say that Nirvana lacked musical depth is simply an idiotic opinion. To say that Cobain, had he lived past the age of 27, wouldn't have "grown" as an artist is ignorance masquerading as knowledge. He grew quite a bit between 1990 and 1994. Sure, he wasn't Mick Taylor noodling around in crappy Jazz-Fusion bands for three decades, but he did OK for himself, and music in general.

I saw them live a dozen times, and the last show was the best. They were enormous as a live band, and In Utero, somehow, captured that; Cobain's legacy is assured.

Kurt never fails to surprise me, and I've read several books about his life.

Some of the bands don't surprise me, but the albums he picked by that band do.

The Clash - most people would have said "London Calling", he chose "Combat Rock"

The Beatles - most people would have gone with anything from Rubber Soul through Abbey Road, or maybe A Hard Day's Night or something from earlier, he chose Meet The Beatles. I have a hard time imagining Kurt listening to "All My Loving" or "I Wanna Be Your Man", but his tastes are unpredictable.

R.E.M. - he had vocalized his love for "Automatic For The People" on several occasions, and the story goes (though there is some debate) that he was listening to it when he took his life. But he listed "Green", which is by far their most pop sounding album. Maybe this list was made prior to the release of AFTP.

Very interesting read, thanks OP.