The two artists who made Kurt Cobain hate rock music
Many people would consider Kurt Cobain to be the greatest rock star of all time. A grunge pioneer and an outspoken voice for equality, with no reservations about smashing guitars on stage, he changed the face of the frontman in his music and in his beliefs. Alongside creating some of the most iconic alternative rock hits of all time with Nirvana, he unflinchingly spoke out against issues such as misogyny and homophobia.
Few figures have had as monumental an impact on the rock sphere, but that doesn’t mean Cobain himself was a fan of everything or everyone it encompassed. Rather, he openly shared his distaste for elements of the musical scene he existed within. For example, he once rightfully denounced his rock predecessors, Led Zeppelin, for their sex-driven lyricism.
There were two artists who Cobain once made a particularly damning statement about while sharing his hatred for rock, inventively insulting them by suggesting that he would wear a tie-dye shirt made out of their bodily fluids. Unafraid to criticise the so-called greats, Cobain named a pair of artists who many fans of the genre might consider to sit alongside him at the top.
While Phil Collins has been lauded for his prog-rock pioneering work with Genesis and an impressive solo career, and Jerry Garcia received acclaim for his counter-cultural impact with the Grateful Dead, it’s safe to say that Cobain was not a fan of either of their work. To do so might be an understatement, as he began his commentary about them with the words, “You know what I hate about rock?” during an interview with Melody Maker in 1992.
“Cartoons and horns,” he continued, “I hate Phil Collins, all of that white male soul.”
Alongside his work with Genesis, Collins embarked upon more soulful ventures in his solo endeavours, spawning future hits like ‘In the Air Tonight’ and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ in the early 1980s. Perhaps expectedly, Cobain was not a fan of this sound, nor was he a fan of the tie-dye merch that became the Grateful Dead’s signature.
“I hate tie-dyed tee-shirts, too,” he declared, “You know there are bootleg tie-dyed tee-shirts of Nirvana. I hate that. I wouldn’t wear a tie-dyed tee-shirt unless it was dyed with the urine of Phil Collins and the blood of Jerry Garcia.” It’s a damning statement – one evidenced by the fact that Cobain went on to declare that no one ever prints it.
It’s no surprise that people weren’t willing to print the grotesque comment, which even earned Cobain the shock of Courtney Love, who declared his comments “fifth grade” and “so boy!” But it’s also unsurprising that the pioneering frontman would make such an outspoken comment.
