Editing Nevermind (section)

==Release and sales==
[[File:NevermindRIAAcertification.png|alt=|left|thumb|300x300px|Certified sales of ''Nevermind'' in the United States in the 1990s, according to the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] database. The album went both [[RIAA certification|Gold]] and Platinum on November 27, 1991, and was certified Diamond on March 24, 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/ |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=RIAA |language=en-US}}</ref>]]
''Nevermind'' was released on September 24, 1991. American record stores received an initial shipment of 46,251 copies,<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 196</ref> while 35,000 copies were shipped in the United Kingdom, where ''Bleach'' had been successful.<ref name="BerkCross113">Berkenstadt; Cross, p. 113</ref> The lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had been released on September 10 with the intention of building a base among alternative rock fans, while the next single "[[Come as You Are (Nirvana song)|Come as You Are]]" would possibly garner more attention.<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 227</ref> Days before the release date, the band began a short American tour in support of the album. Geffen hoped that ''Nevermind'' would sell around 250,000 copies, matching sales of Sonic Youth's Geffen debut ''[[Goo (album)|Goo]]''.<ref>Wice, Nathaniel. "How Nirvana Made It". ''Spin''. April 1992.</ref> The most optimistic estimate was that ''Nevermind'' could be [[RIAA certification|certified gold]] (500,000 copies sold) by September 1992.<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 193</ref>

''Nevermind'' debuted at number 144 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 198</ref> Geffen shipped about half of the initial U.S. pressing to the American Northwest, where it sold out quickly and was unavailable for days. Geffen put production of all other albums on hold to fulfill demand in the region.<ref>Berkenstadt; Cross, p. 119</ref> Over the next few months, sales increased significantly as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" unexpectedly increased in popularity. The song's video had received a world premiere on [[MTV]]'s late-night alternative show ''[[120 Minutes]],'' and soon became popular enough for the network to start broadcasting it during the daytime.<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 199</ref> "Smells Like Teen Spirit" reached number 6 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="Hall of Fame 1997">{{cite web|url=http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/|title=The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll|publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=October 7, 2013|archive-date=May 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509180015/http://rockhall.com/exhibits/one-hit-wonders-songs-that-shaped-rock-and-roll/|url-status=live}}</ref> The album was soon certified gold, but the band was relatively uninterested. Novoselic recalled, "Yeah I was happy about it. It was pretty cool. It was kind of neat. But I don't give a shit about some kind of achievement like that. It's cool—I guess."<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 202</ref>

As the band set out for their European tour at the start of November 1991, ''Nevermind'' entered the ''Billboard'' Top 40 for the first time at number 35. By this point, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had become a hit and the album was selling so fast none of Geffen's marketing strategies could be enacted. Geffen president Ed Rosenblatt told ''[[The New York Times]]'', "We didn't do anything. It was just one of those 'Get out of the way and duck' records."<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 228</ref> Nirvana found as they toured Europe during the end of 1991 that the shows were dangerously oversold, television crews became a constant presence onstage, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was almost omnipresent on radio and music television.<ref>Azerrad 1993, p. 203</ref>

''Nevermind'' became Nirvana's first number-one album on January 11, 1992, replacing [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]'' at the top of the ''Billboard'' charts. By this time, ''Nevermind'' was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week.<ref name="NevermindNo1USA">Azerrad 1993, p. 229</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/08/arts/the-pop-life-nirvana-s-nevermind-is-no-1.html |title=The Pop Life; Nirvana's 'Nevermind' Is No. 1 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 8, 1992 |access-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426163610/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/08/arts/the-pop-life-nirvana-s-nevermind-is-no-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It returned for a second week at number one in February.<ref>{{cite web |title=January 11, 1992 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1992-01-11 |work=[[Billboard 200]]}}</ref> "Come as You Are" was released as the second single in March 1992; it reached number 9 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number 32 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart.<ref name="billboard">[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nirvana-mn0000357406/awards Nirvana – Awards] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229232159/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nirvana-mn0000357406/awards |date=December 29, 2017 }}". ''[[AllMusic]]''. Retrieved on 14 July 2013.</ref> Two more singles, "Lithium" and "In Bloom", reached number 11 and 28 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="occ">[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/nirvana/ "Nirvana – Artist Chart History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002162723/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/nirvana/ |date=October 2, 2013 }}". [[Official Charts Company]]. Retrieved on July 14, 2013.</ref>

''Nevermind'' was certified gold and platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) in November 1991 and certified Diamond in March 1999.<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH RIAA Searchable Database] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |date=June 26, 2007 }}. RIAA.com. Retrieved on March 10, 2007. NB user needs to enter "Nirvana" in "Artist" and click "search".</ref> It was also certified Diamond in Canada (1,000,000 units sold) by the [[Canadian Recording Industry Association]] in March 2001<ref>[http://www.cria.ca/gold/0301_g.php Gold &amp; Platinum&nbsp;– March 2001] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019170700/http://www.cria.ca/gold/0301_g.php |date=October 19, 2010 }}. CRIA.ca. March 2001. Retrieved on September 27, 2007.</ref> and [[BPI certification|6x platinum]] in the United Kingdom.<ref>[http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx Certified Award Search&nbsp;– Nirvana&nbsp;– Nevermind] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124005813/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx |date=January 24, 2013 }}. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved on August 3, 2011. NB user needs to enter "Nirvana" in the field "Search", select "Artist" in the field "Search by", and click "Go".{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |title=Unknown |access-date=December 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202052642/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx |archive-date=February 2, 2016  }}</ref> It has gone on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the [[List of best-selling albums|best-selling albums of all time]].<ref name="wwsales">{{Cite web |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Friday essay: Nevermind 30 years on – how Nirvana's second album tilted the world on its axis |url=https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-nevermind-30-years-on-how-nirvanas-second-album-tilted-the-world-on-its-axis-167108 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=Theconversation.com}}</ref><!-- Archive.org citations do not work -->