The punk bands that shaped Kurt Cobain
Although he manifested it into an entirely different proponent of rock and roll, punk was completely essential to Kurt Cobain. It was his oxygen, his lifeblood, the thing that inspired him to start writing music – and ultimately carry on. In many ways, there was no bigger champion of the punk cause than him. The reasons for this were varied, ranging from lifestyle to romance, but the facet that always lay at the beating heart of this was the bands he worshipped.
Of course, over time, Nirvana themselves came to be seen as the voice of a generation. But equally in this vein, you’d be hard-pressed to find an occasion whether either Cobain, Krist Novoselic, or Dave Grohl would ever not attribute a huge chunk of their stratospheric success to the litany of artists who inspired them, such was the band’s reverence – and sometimes imitation – of their rock heroes.
As such, it’s really no surprise that there’s a whole lineup of pivotal punk bands who all had their hand in shaping Cobain into the musician he was, whether in style or in sonics. One of the biggest leading forces was Buzzcocks; a surprising addition to some in terms of the pop-punk fusion they offered, but one that was entirely integral to Cobain. After all, it was this precise spearhead he would use to make his charge into the music industry and change its entire fabric – but if it wasn’t for the Mancunian band laying that roadmap first, it may never have come to be.
This said, Cobain also had an unshakable knack for instantly boosting the status of any band he orbited around, as often the smaller outfits from his native Washington were his biggest inspirations. The Melvins were the exact epitome of this – a band who indelibly imprinted the genesis of Nirvana, but who, in the process, were infinitely elevated by Cobain’s presence around them.
Similar can be said of Wipers, an Oregon band who may not have enjoyed the same soaring fame as their biggest fan, but nevertheless were instrumental in carving Coban into the rock icon he was. As much as the frontman may have had the occasional penchant for directly lifting sonics from his heroes – Wipers included – he was, at least, forthright in proclaiming his undying love for the group.
He explained previously: “The first two [albums] were totally classic and influenced the Melvins and all the other punk rock bands. They’re another band I tried to assimilate. Their songs were so good.” There was also a certain affinity with the band’s leader, Greg Sage, as “[He] was pretty much the romantic, quiet, visionary kind of guy,” Cobain admitted. “What more can I say about them? They started Seattle grunge rock in Portland, 1977.”
This is certainly not an attempt to shatter the illusion of Cobain being the godfather of grunge, punk, and every version of rock music that came in between. But it was still the case that his range of inspirations was steadfast and, in some respects, all-consuming, as they were the driving force in channelling his sonic visions. When ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hit the waves of MTV, to most, it felt like the fabric of rock had been forever changed. But to Cobain himself, he was simply continuing a trajectory – one that had been so carefully, blazingly created by the punk rockers he idolised.
