Editing Nevermind (section)

{{Short description|1991 studio album by Nirvana}}
{{about|the album by Nirvana|other uses|Nevermind (disambiguation)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox album
| name         = Nevermind
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| cover        = NirvanaNevermindalbumcover.jpg
| alt          = A nude infant swimming in blue-tinted water toward a dollar bill which is attached to a fishhook on a string.
| released     = {{start date|1991|9|24}}
| recorded     = May 2–28, 1991<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/may-june-1991.php|title=Live Nirvana &#124; Sessions History &#124; Studio Sessions &#124; May 2–28, 1991 - Sound City Studios, Van Nuys & Devonshire Studios, Burbank, CA, US|website=Livenirvana.com|access-date=May 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/spotlight-0502-2011.aspx |title=This Day in Music Spotlight: Nirvana Begins Recording 'Nevermind' |publisher=.gibson.com |access-date=April 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407092426/http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/spotlight-0502-2011.aspx |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />June 1–9, 1991 (mixing)<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Borzillo-Vrenna | first1 = Carrie | title = Nirvana - The Day to Day Illustrated Journals | edition = 1st | publisher = [[Barnes & Noble]] | year = 2003 | pages = 71 | isbn = 0-7607-4893-4}}</ref><br />April 1990 ("Polly")
| studio       = *[[Sound City Studios|Sound City]] (Van Nuys)
*[[Smart Studios|Smart]] (Madison)
| genre        = {{hlist|[[Grunge]]|[[alternative rock]]}}<!--DO NOT CHANGE WITHOUT FORMING A CONSENSUS-->
| length       = 42:36 (49:07 with hidden track)
| label        = 
*[[DGC Records|DGC]]
*[[Sub Pop]]
| producer     = {{hlist|[[Butch Vig]]|Nirvana}}<!--See Personnel section-->
| prev_title   = [[Blew]]
| prev_year    = 1989
| next_title   = [[Nevermind It's an Interview]]
| next_year    = 1992
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Nevermind
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]
 | single1date = September 10, 1991
 | single2     = [[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]
 | single2date = March 2, 1992 
 | single3     = [[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]
 | single3date = July 13, 1992
 | single4     = [[In Bloom]]
 | single4date = November 30, 1992
}}
}}
'''''Nevermind''''' is the second studio album by the American rock band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], released on September 24, 1991, by [[DGC Records]]. It was Nirvana's first release on a [[Record label#Major versus independent record labels|major label]] and the first to feature drummer [[Dave Grohl]]. Produced by [[Butch Vig]], ''Nevermind'' features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rolli |first=Bryan |date=November 12, 2021 |title=Nirvana, 'Nevermind (30th Anniversary Edition)': Album Review |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nirvana-nevermind-30th-anniversary-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418083807/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/nirvana-nevermind-30th-anniversary-review/ |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |access-date=August 5, 2024 |website=[[Townsquare Media|Ultimate Classic Rock]]}}</ref> It was recorded at [[Sound City Studios]] in [[Van Nuys]], California, and [[Smart Studios]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin]], in May and June 1991, and [[audio mastering|mastered]] that August at the Mastering Lab in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], California.

Written primarily by frontman [[Kurt Cobain]], ''Nevermind'' is noted for channeling a range of emotions, being noted as dark, humorous, and disturbing. Its themes include [[anti-establishment]] and anti-sexism views, [[frustration]], alienation, and troubled love inspired by Cobain's broken relationship with [[Bikini Kill]]'s [[Tobi Vail]]. Contrary to the popular [[Hedonism|hedonistic]] themes of drugs and sex at the time, writers have observed that ''Nevermind'' promoted the image of the sensitive artist in mainstream rock.<ref name="Goodman-2016">{{Cite magazine |last=Goodman |first=William |date=September 23, 2016 |title=Nirvana's 'Nevermind' Turns 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/nirvana-nevermind-anniversary-track-by-track-7518725/ |access-date=April 3, 2022 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> According to Cobain, the sound of the album was influenced by bands such as [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]], [[R.E.M.]], [[the Smithereens]], and [[Melvins]]. Though the album is considered a cornerstone of the [[grunge]] genre, it is noted for its [[Eclecticism in music|musical diversity]], which includes acoustic ballads ("[[Polly (Nirvana song)|Polly]]" and "[[Something in the Way]]") and [[Punk rock|punk]]-influenced [[hard rock]] ("Territorial Pissings" and "Stay Away").<ref>{{cite web |last=School |first=GABRIELLE ZEVIN, Spanish River High |title=NIRVANA'S 'NEVERMIND' UNCONVENTIONAL HEAVY METAL |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-02-14-9201080709-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924181819/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/ |archive-date=September 24, 2021 |access-date=September 27, 2020 |website=Sun-Sentinel.com |date=February 14, 1992 |language=en-US}}</ref>

''Nevermind'' became an unexpected critical and commercial success, reaching the top 10 on charts across the world. On January 11, 1992, it replaced [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]'' on the number one spot of the US [[US Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week. The lead single, "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]", reached the Top 10 of the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and went on to be inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]]. Its music video was also heavily rotated on [[MTV]]. Three other successful singles were released: "[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]", "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]", and "[[In Bloom]]". The album was voted the best album of the year in [[Pazz & Jop]] critics' poll, while "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped the single-of-the-year and video-of-the-year polls. The album also garnered the band three [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] nominations in total across the [[34th Annual Grammy Awards|34th]] and [[35th Annual Grammy Awards|35th Grammy Awards]], including [[Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album|Best Alternative Music Album]].

''Nevermind'' propelled Nirvana into worldwide superstardom, with Cobain being dubbed the "voice of his generation". It brought grunge and [[Alternative rock#Popularization in the 1990s|alternative rock]] to a mainstream audience while accelerating the decline of [[hair metal]], drawing similarities to the early 1960s [[British Invasion]] of [[American popular music]]. It is also often credited with initiating a resurgence of interest in [[punk culture]] among teenagers and young adults of [[Generation X]]. It has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling albums of all time]]. In March 1999, it was certified [[RIAA certification|Diamond]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA). Among the most acclaimed and influential albums in the history of music, ''Nevermind'' was added by the [[Library of Congress]] to the [[National Recording Registry]] in 2004 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", and is frequently ranked highly on lists of the greatest albums of all time, including being ranked number six on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 2020 and 2023 lists of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]". The album has since been reissued with alternate takes and live performances.