It was 19 years ago today, that Kurt Cobain passed away. Nirvana was a very interesting success story. At the time, they seemed totally out of left field for most of the business. Years after their success, labels were signing clones, but no one had the songs or the attitude right. Just a bunch of terrible trios flooding Rock.
Like every Nirvana fan, something grabbed me quickly. There was something Familiar about their songs. I remember comparing “Even In His Youth” to the Kinks. That was the B-Side to the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” single that circulated around the country. This was a classic story of people who loved a band and turned friends onto the music. Seemed like the week the single was out, everyone was asking me if I like that band. That was always the sign of a successful band, if people were not just talking about them, but were excited to share it with you. That was the old way, now people share links to a youtube clip or something. Same concept, just faster.
At the same time, all my friends into 80’s metal hated the Seattle scene. They didn’t get that is was like 70’s rock reinvented. They just thought it was sloppy musicians making crappy music. Those guys missed the point. So many great bands, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and mixes of those bands like Temple Of The Dog or Mad Season. Nirvana had two vital elements for all successful musicians. They had enough Familiar sounding material that it was easy to digest, and enough of a Different sound to stand apart from the crowd. Rocking grooves. Minor scale melodies that could have easily been created by John Lennon. Backed by wild grunge, sometimes Punk, Indy, or some other variation of Rock. They always included emotion in their songs. Everyone one of them made you feel something! Remember when music did that?!
I could bore everyone with a long list of the most successful bands in history, but I’ll spare your attention spans. Aside from making people feel something emotional, they all combined that balance of Familiar and Different. Think about it! Use it!
rePtile like Me 