Kurt Cobain

Only a select few can claim to have completely changed the trajectory of music and culture, with the late Kurt Cobain one of the most crucial of this hallowed set. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20th, 1967, he would grow up to become the voice of his time, packaging the confusion and anger of Generation X into the music of Nirvana. With bassist Krist Novoselic and drummers Dave Grohl and Chad Channing, Cobain captured lightning in a bottle over the band’s short career.

Widely hailed as the definitive grunge icon, in addition to his unapologetically dark lyrics, Cobain struck gold by blending the visceral sounds of the underground – hardcore punk, noise, and others – with sugary pop melodies à la The Beatles. In combination with the structural form of quiet-loud-quiet, which he may or may not have pinched from Pixies, this expert fusion produced a string of era-defining hits, including ‘Smells Like Teen Sprit’, ‘Come as You Are’ and ‘Heart-Shaped Box’.

In many ways the ultimate outsider artist, Cobain was an unassuming character and wasn’t in the music business for fame or glory, but a love of the craft that stretched back to early childhood. A double-edged sword, this gave his art the authenticity that millions worldwide have latched onto, but tragically, would hasten his premature death aged 27 by suicide on April 5th, 1994, as the trappings of superstardom were not what he or his bandmates wanted.

The atypical rockstar, this total inversion of the worn, narcissistic trope that dominated headlines for decades before his arrival was utterly refreshing. Seemingly overnight, his sneering irony, sincerity and fury did away with the hair metal bands of the 1980s that represented everything he hated. Rock ‘n’ roll for the modern age had arrived.

Whether it be the sludge fest of Nirvana’s 1989 debut album, ‘Bleach’, or the grunge refinement of their second effort, 1991’s ‘Nevermind’ and the 1993 swan song ‘In Utero’, in Cobain’s short time in the limelight, he laid a blueprint for alternative rock that changed the form completely. As a testament to his work, his influence permeates popular culture nearly 30 years after his death. He is survived by his widow, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, and their daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.