150-466: Nevermind is a 1991 album by American rock band Nirvana. Nevermind or Never mind may also refer to: Nevermind Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana , released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records . It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl . Produced by Butch Vig , Nevermind features
300-601: A Blu-ray of Live in Amsterdam . Generation X Generation X (often shortened to Gen X ) is the demographic cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials . Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the late 1970s as its ending birth years, with the generation being generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. By this definition and U.S. Census data, there are 65.2 million Gen Xers in
450-502: A Small Clone chorus. Novoselic and Grohl finished their tracks in days, while Cobain worked longer on guitar overdubs, vocals, and lyrics. He sometimes finished lyrics minutes before recording. Vig recalled that Cobain was often reluctant to record overdubs , but he was persuaded to double-track his vocals when Vig told him that John Lennon did it. Though the sessions generally went well, Vig said Cobain would become difficult at times: "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in
600-463: A boombox , plus two BBC session recordings. The "Super Deluxe Edition" also includes Vig's original mix of the album and CD and DVD versions of Live at the Paramount . IFPI reported that as of 2012, the 20th anniversary formats of the album that were released in 2011 had sold nearly 800,000 units. In June 2021, Novoselic revealed that he and Grohl were compiling the 30th-anniversary edition of
750-470: A work-life balance . The Longitudinal Study of Youth is an NIH - NIA funded study by the University of Michigan which has been studying Generation X since 1987. The study asked questions such as "Thinking about all aspects of your life, how happy are you? If zero means that you are very unhappy and 10 means that you are very happy, please rate your happiness." LSA reported that " mean level of happiness
900-530: A 1950s-era 'cult of the child' to what Landon Jones called a 1970s-era 'cult of the adult'". The Generation Map , a report from Australia's McCrindle Research Center writes of Gen X children: Boomer parents were the most divorced generation in Australian history". According to Christine Henseler in the 2012 book Generation X Goes Global: Mapping a Youth Culture in Motion , "We watched the decay and demise (of
1050-482: A 1969 Mustang , the latter of which Cobain cited as his favorite due to its design flaws. For the album, Cobain bought a rackmount system featuring a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp, a Crown power amp, and Marshall cabinets. He also used a Vox AC30 and a Fender Bassman . Vig preferred not to use pedals, but he allowed Cobain to use a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, which Cobain considered a key part of his sound, as well as an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz pedal and
1200-470: A 1991 novel written by Canadian author Douglas Coupland ; however, the definition used there is "born in the late 1950s and 1960s", which is about ten years earlier than definitions that came later. In 1987, Coupland had written a piece in Vancouver Magazine titled "Generation X" which was "the seed of what went on to become the book". Coupland referenced Billy Idol's band Generation X in
1350-756: A 2012 article for the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University , George Masnick wrote that the "Census counted 82.1 million" Gen Xers in the U.S. Masnick concluded that immigration filled in any birth year deficits during low fertility years of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jon Miller at the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the University of Michigan wrote that "Generation X refers to adults born between 1961 and 1981" and it "includes 84 million people". In their 1991 book Generations , authors Howe and Strauss indicated that
1500-593: A corner and say nothing for an hour." Vig and the band were unhappy with Vig's initial mixes and decided to bring in someone else to oversee the mixing . DGC supplied a list of options, including Scott Litt (known for his work with R.E.M. ) and Ed Stasium (known for his work with the Ramones and the Smithereens ). Cobain was concerned about bringing in well known producers, and instead chose Andy Wallace , who had co-produced Slayer 's 1990 album Seasons in
1650-451: A cultural revolution across the globe". Speaking to the BBC , Brazilian cultural studies academic Moyses Pinto stated that he was struck by Nevermind , saying "I thought: 'this is perfect'; it sounded like a bright synthesis of noise and pop music." In similar praise, Kgomotso Neto says that the impact of Nirvana, as well as MTV, during the time of Nevermind , caused a new youth who listened to
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#17327727194091800-410: A fishhook just out of his reach. According to Cobain, he conceived the idea while watching a television program on water births . Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director Robert Fisher. Fisher found some stock footage of underwater births, but they were too graphic for the record company to use. Furthermore, the stock house that controlled the photo of a swimming baby that they chose wanted $ 7,500
1950-484: A generation—a nation of teens suddenly turned punk—and such a catastrophic effect on its main creator." Gary Gersh, who signed Nirvana to Geffen Records, added that "There is a pre-Nirvana and post-Nirvana record business...' Nevermind ' showed that this wasn't some alternative thing happening off in a corner, and then back to reality. This is reality." The album had an enormous impact towards youth culture . Goodman says that Nevermind "killed off hair metal, and sparked
2100-487: A half dozen of his most memorable songs, all of them about Tobi Vail." "Drain You" begins with the line, "One baby to another said 'I'm lucky to have met you,'" quoting what Vail had once told Cobain, and the line "It is now my duty to completely drain you" refers to the power Vail had over Cobain in their relationship. According to Novoselic, "'Lounge Act' is about Tobi," and the song contains the line "I'll arrest myself, I'll wear
2250-415: A half steps to D flat "to get this fat-ass sound". After the release of Nevermind , members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the production for its perceived commercial sound. Cobain said, "I'm embarrassed by it now. It's closer to a Mötley Crüe record than it is a punk rock record." In 2011, Vig said that Nirvana had "loved" Nevermind when they finished it. He said Cobain had criticized it in
2400-440: A hoot what others think of them. Or whether others think of them at all." Furthermore, guides regarding managing multiple generations in the workforce describe Gen Xers as: independent, resilient, resourceful, self-managing, adaptable, cynical, pragmatic, skeptical of authority, and as seeking a work-life balance. Individualism is one of the defining traits of Generation X, and is reflected in their entrepreneurial spirit. In
2550-468: A hostile social climate to reverse abysmal trends". He described them as the hardest-working group since the World War II generation . He reported Gen Xers' entrepreneurial tendencies helped create the high-tech industry that fueled the 1990s economic recovery. In 2002, Time magazine published an article titled Gen Xers Aren't Slackers After All , reporting that four out of five new businesses were
2700-413: A judge ruled against Elden, saying he had waited too long to file the suit and cited a 10-year statute of limitations from the date the plaintiff becomes an adult at age 18, meaning Elden needed to file before he turned 28 (around 2019). In addition, the judge blocked any additional filings in the future, bringing the case to a "final" close at the district court level. On September 6, 2022, Elden appealed
2850-471: A key to let themselves in. This was a result of what is now called free-range parenting , plus increasing divorce rates, and increased maternal participation in the workforce prior to widespread availability of childcare options outside the home. As adolescents and young adults in the 1980s and 1990s, Xers were dubbed the " MTV Generation " (a reference to the music video channel ), sometimes being characterized as slackers , cynical, and disaffected. Some of
3000-426: A large government bailout, which placed further strain on the budget. Furthermore, three decades of growth came to an end. The social contract between employers and employees, which had endured during the 1960s and 1970s and was scheduled to last until retirement, was no longer applicable. By the late 1980s, there were large-scale layoffs of Boomers, corporate downsizing, and accelerated offshoring of production. On
3150-509: A major label, and the producers suggested by DGC wanted percentage points . Instead, the band held out for Vig, with whom they felt comfortable collaborating. With a budget of $ 65,000, Nirvana recorded Nevermind at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys , California, in May and June 1991. To earn gas money to get to Los Angeles, they played a show where they performed " Smells Like Teen Spirit " for
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#17327727194093300-794: A more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work. It was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys , California , and Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin , in May and June 1991, and mastered that August at the Mastering Lab in 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 views, anti-sexism, frustration , alienation, and troubled love inspired by Cobain's broken relationship with Bikini Kill 's Tobi Vail . Contrary to
3450-501: A multinational professional services network headquartered in London, describes Generation X employees as those born from 1965 to 1980. On the basis of the time it takes for a generation to mature, U.S. authors William Strauss and Neil Howe define Generation X as those born between 1961 and 1981 in their 1991 book titled Generations , and differentiate the cohort into an early and late wave. Jeff Gordinier , in his 2008 book X Saves
3600-567: A period effect, not a cohort effect . In other words, adults of all ages were more cynical and disaffected in the 1990s, not just Generation X. In a 2023 interview with television host Bill Maher on the podcast Club Random with Bill Maher , vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan hinted at how the Smashing Pumpkins spoke to the disillusionment felt by many Gen Xers as they reached adulthood, noting: At least generationally, I think that's why I connected with so many people—because I
3750-466: A poem. A year later, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the artwork for his album Off the Deep End , replacing the baby with himself wearing a hidden bathing suit, and the dollar with a donut. He would later jokingly state "I never really anticipated going full-frontal on any of my album covers." In August 2021, Elden filed a lawsuit against Weddle, Cobain's estate, Grohl and Novoselic, claiming that
3900-443: A sex worker—grabbing for a dollar bill that is positioned dangling from a fishhook in front of his nude body with his penis explicitly displayed". Attorney Jamie White criticized the lawsuit as "frivolous" and "really offensive to the true victims" of child sexual abuse . Fordham Law School professor James Cohen said the context of the cover did not suggest pornography. White and Cohen concluded that Elden intended to make money with
4050-411: A shield," referring to Cobain having the K Records logo tattooed on his arm to impress Vail. Though "Lithium" had been written before Cobain knew Vail, the lyrics of the song were changed to reference her. Cobain also said in an interview with Musician that "some of my very personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships, feeling that death void that the person in
4200-468: A statement in a way. I had to write a pop song and release it on a single to prepare people for the next record. I wanted to write more songs like that." Grohl said that the band at that point likened their music to children's music, in that they tried to make their songs as simple as possible. Cobain fashioned chord sequences using primarily power chords and wrote songs that combined pop hooks with dissonant guitar riffs. His aim for Nevermind 's material
4350-462: A sticker covering the penis reading: "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile." The cover has since been recognized as one of the most famous album covers in popular music . A few months after the original baby shot, Weddle also photographed the entire band underwater for a promotional poster. The back cover features a photograph of a rubber monkey in front of a collage created by Cobain. The collage features photos of raw beef from
4500-404: A supermarket advertisement, images from Dante 's Inferno , and pictures of diseased vaginas from Cobain's collection of medical photos. Cobain noted, "If you look real close, there is a picture of Kiss in the back standing on a slab of beef." The album's liner notes contain no complete lyrics; instead, the liner contains random song lyrics and unused lyrical fragments that Cobain arranged into
4650-492: A time when society was less focused on children and more focused on adults. Xers were children during a time of increasing divorce rates, with divorce rates doubling in the mid-1960s, before peaking in 1980. Strauss and Howe described a cultural shift where the long-held societal value of staying together for the sake of the children was replaced with a societal value of parental and individual self-actualization . Strauss wrote that society "moved from what Leslie Fiedler called
Nevermind (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4800-941: A week. It returned for a second week at number one in February. "Come as You Are" was released as the second single in March 1992; it reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Two more singles, "Lithium" and "In Bloom", reached number 11 and 28 on the UK Singles Chart. Nevermind was certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 1991 and certified Diamond in March 1999. It
4950-404: A whole into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability and leading to an alternative rock boom in the music industry. Though a short tenure from the album's release to the death of Cobain , the album's and singles' successes propelled Nirvana to being regarded by the media as the biggest band in the world—especially throughout 1992. As a grunge act, the band's success over
5100-438: A year for its use. Instead, Fisher sent a photographer, Kirk Weddle, to a pool for babies to take pictures. Five shots resulted and the band settled on the image of four-month-old Spencer Elden, the son of a friend of Weddle. Geffen was concerned that the infant's penis , visible in the photo, would cause offense, and prepared an alternate cover without it; they relented when Cobain said the only compromise he would accept would be
5250-785: Is 59 years old and the youngest is, or is turning, 43 years old in 2024. The Brookings Institution , another U.S. think-tank, sets the Gen X period as between 1965 and 1981. The U.S. Federal Reserve Board uses 1965–1980. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) uses 1965 to 1980. In their 2002 book When Generations Collide , Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman use 1965 to 1980, while in 2012 authors Jain and Pant also used parameters of 1965 to 1980. U.S. news outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post describe Generation X as people born between 1965 and 1980. Gallup , Bloomberg , Business Insider , and Forbes use 1965–1980. Time magazine states that Generation X
5400-743: Is "roughly defined as anyone born between 1965 and 1980". George Masnick of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies puts this generation in the time-frame of 1965 to 1984, in order to satisfy the premise that boomers, Xers, and millennials "cover equal 20-year age spans". In Australia, the McCrindle Research Center uses 1965–1979. In the UK, the Resolution Foundation think-tank defines Gen X as those born between 1966 and 1980. PricewaterhouseCoopers ,
5550-403: Is also often credited with initiating a resurgence of interest in punk culture among teenagers and young adults of Generation X , becoming seminal to the counterculture of the decade. It has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time . In March 1999, it was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Among
5700-561: Is more sophisticated and carefully produced than anything peer bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney have yet offered." Entertainment Weekly gave Nevermind an A− rating. The reviewer, David Browne , wrote that Nirvana "never entertain the notion" of wanting to sound "normal", compared to other contemporary alternative bands. Concluding his enthusiastic review for the British Melody Maker , Everett True wrote that "When Nirvana released Bleach all those years ago,
5850-473: Is the demographic cohort following the post–World War II baby-boom , representing a generational change from the baby boomers. Many researchers and demographers use dates that correspond to the fertility-patterns in the population. For Generation X, in the U.S. (and broadly, in the Western world), the period begins at a time when fertility rates started to significantly decrease, following the baby boom peak of
6000-614: The Friends generation: rather self-involved and perhaps aimless...but fun". Gen Xers were often portrayed as apathetic or as " slackers ", lacking bearings, a stereotype which was initially tied to Richard Linklater 's comedic and essentially plotless 1991 film Slacker . After the film was released, "journalists and critics thought they put a finger on what was different about these young adults in that 'they were reluctant to grow up' and 'disdainful of earnest action'". Ben Stiller 's 1994 film Reality Bites also sought to capture
6150-711: The B-side to " Sliver "), " In Bloom ", "Pay to Play" (later renamed "Stay Away"), " Sappy ", " Lithium ", " Here She Comes Now " (released on Heaven & Hell: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground ), and " Polly ". On April 6, Nirvana played a local show in Madison with the Seattle band Tad . Vig began to mix the recordings while the band gave an interview to Madison's community radio station WORT on April 7. Cobain strained his voice, forcing Nirvana to end
Nevermind (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6300-548: The United States as of 2019. Most of Generation X are the children of the Silent Generation and early Baby Boomers; Xers are also often the parents of Millennials and Generation Z . As children in the 1970s and 1980s, a time of shifting societal values, Gen Xers were sometimes called the " Latchkey Generation", which stems from their returning as children from school to an empty home and needing to use
6450-662: The dot-com bubble eventually burst in 2000, early Gen Xers who had embarked as entrepreneurs in the IT industry while riding the Internet wave, as well as newly qualified programmers at the tail-end of the generation (who had grown up with AOL and the first Web browsers ), were both caught in the crash. This had major repercussions, with cross-generational consequences; five years after the bubble burst, new matriculation of IT Millennial undergraduates fell by 40% and by as much as 70% in some information systems programs. However, following
6600-403: The zeitgeist of the generation with a portrayal of the attitudes and lifestyle choices of the time. Negative stereotypes of Gen X young adults continued, including that they were "bleak, cynical, and disaffected". In 1998, such stereotypes prompted sociological research at Stanford University to study the accuracy of the characterization of Gen X young adults as cynical and disaffected. Using
6750-481: The "baby busters" generation rather than as Generation X . In Canada, professor David Foot describes Generation X as late boomers and includes those born between 1960 and 1966, whilst the "Bust Generation", those born between 1967 and 1979, is considered altogether a separate generation, in his 1996 book Boom Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift . People born in
6900-552: The "once pitied but now envied group of self-employed workers whose income is reported to the Internal Revenue Service not on a W-2 form , but on Form 1099 ". Consumer access to the Internet and its commercial development throughout the 1990s witnessed a frenzy of IT initiatives. Newly created companies, launched on stock exchanges globally, were formed with dubitable revenue generation or cash flow. When
7050-446: The 1985 scheme Plan Informatique pour Tous (IPT) . In the U.S., Generation X was the first cohort to grow up post-integration after the racist Jim Crow laws. They were described in a marketing report by Specialty Retail as the kids who "lived the civil rights movement ". They were among the first children to be bused to attain integration in the public school system. In the 1990s, Strauss reported Gen Xers were "by any measure
7200-620: The 1987 article and again in 1989 in Vista magazine. In the book proposal for his novel, Coupland writes that Generation X is "taken from the name of Billy Idol’s long-defunct punk band of the late 1970s". However, in 1995 Coupland denied the term's connection to the band, stating that: The book's title came not from Billy Idol's band, as many supposed, but from the final chapter of a funny sociological book on American class structure titled Class , by Paul Fussell . In his final chapter, Fussell named an 'X' category of people who wanted to hop off
7350-531: The 2008 book X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft but Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking , author Jeff Gordinier describes Generation X as a " dark horse demographic" which "doesn't seek the limelight". Gordiner cites examples of Gen Xers' contributions to society such as: Google , Misplaced Pages , Amazon.com , and YouTube , arguing that if Boomers had created them, "we'd never hear
7500-493: The 20th century. On the other hand, Nevermind was voted the "Most Overrated Album in the World" in a 2005 BBC public poll. Rock Hard ranked the album at number 88 on their list of the "500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". In 2006, readers of Guitar World ranked Nevermind 8th on a list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Recordings. Entertainment Weekly named it the 10th best album of all time on their 2013 list. It
7650-541: The 90s", on its 2006 list of "The All-TIME 100 Albums". Pitchfork named the album the sixth best of the decade, noting that "anyone who hates this record today is just trying to be cool, and needs to be trying harder." In 2004, the Library of Congress added Nevermind to the National Recording Registry , which collects "culturally, historically or aesthetically important" sound recordings from
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#17327727194097800-483: The Abyss . Novoselic recalled, "We said, 'right on,' because those Slayer records were so heavy." Wallace's mixes most notably altered the drum and guitar sounds. According to Wallace and Vig, the band loved the results. However, they criticized it after the album was released. Steve Albini , who engineered Nirvana's next album, In Utero (1993), said Vig's initial mix "sounded maybe 200 times more ass-kicking" than
7950-465: The Seattle area. The unexpectedly positive feedback from critics who had received the album convinced the label to consider increasing the album's original print run. At first, Nevermind did not receive many reviews, and many publications ignored the album. Months after its release and after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" garnered airplay, print media organizations were "scrambling" to cover the phenomenon
8100-677: The Top 10 of the US 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 ", " 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
8250-461: The UK (1967), France (1975), West Germany (1976), New Zealand (1977), Italy (1978), and the Netherlands (1980). From 1973 to 1980, the abortion rate per 1,000 US women aged 15–44 increased from 16% to 29% with more than 9.6 million terminations of pregnancy practiced. Between 1970 and 1980, on average, for every 10 American citizens born, 3 were aborted. However, increased immigration during
8400-577: The United Kingdom. In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released Nevermind on vinyl as part of its ANADISQ 200 series, and as a 24- karat gold CD. The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless". The LP version quickly sold out its limited pressing but the CD edition stayed in print for years. In 2009, Original Recordings Group released Nevermind on limited edition 180g blue vinyl and regular 180g black vinyl mastered and cut by Bernie Grundman from
8550-541: The Way ") and punk -influenced hard rock ("Territorial Pissings" and "Stay Away"). Nevermind became an unexpected critical and commercial success, reaching the top 10 on charts across the world. On January 11, 1992, it knocked Michael Jackson 's Dangerous out of the number one spot on the US Billboard 200 and was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week. The lead single, " Smells Like Teen Spirit ", reached
8700-434: The Western world, a similar time period was defined by a dominance of conservatism and free market economics. In their midlife during the early 21st century, research describes Gen Xers as active, happy, and achieving a work–life balance. The cohort has also been more broadly credited as entrepreneurial, and productive in the workplace. The term Generation X has been used at various times to describe alienated youth. In
8850-419: The World , include those born between 1961 and 1977 but possibly as late as 1980. George Masnick of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies puts this generation in the time-frame of 1965 to 1984, in order to satisfy the premise that boomers, Xers, and millennials "cover equal 20-year age spans". In 2004, journalist J. Markert also acknowledged the 20-year increments but goes one step further and subdivides
9000-538: The aftermath of the album's breakthrough: "Suddenly, all bets are off. No one has the inside track on which of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ornery, obstreperous, unkempt bands might next appeal to the mall-walking millions." Record company executives offered large advances and record deals to bands, and replaced their previous strategies of building audiences for alternative bands with the attempts to achieve mainstream popularity quickly. Nevermind has continued to garner critical praise, having been ranked highly on lists of
9150-597: The album liner notes as the last word in a paragraph of lyric fragments that ends with "I found it hard, it was hard to find, oh well, whatever, nevermind" from " Smells Like Teen Spirit ". The word "nevermind" also echoes the Sex Pistols ' Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols , one of Cobain's favorite albums. The album cover shows a naked baby boy swimming underwater with a U.S. dollar bill on
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#17327727194099300-406: The album "proves that Nirvana truly belong in such high company." Some reviews were not entirely positive. Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars. Reviewer Ira Robbins wrote, "If Nirvana isn't onto anything altogether new, Nevermind does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio's high-octane hits." The Boston Globe
9450-423: The album had become. However, by that point, much of the attention fell on Cobain rather than the album itself. The reviews that did initially appear were largely positive. Karen Schoemer of The New York Times wrote, "With Nevermind , Nirvana has certainly succeeded. There are enough intriguing textures, mood shifts, instrumental snippets and inventive word plays to provide for hours of entertainment ... Nevermind
9600-449: The album. In September 2021, it was announced that BBC Two in the United Kingdom would celebrate the 30th anniversary with a documentary titled When Nirvana Came to Britain , which featured contributions from Noveselic and Grohl. That same month, a 30th-anniversary edition of Nevermind was announced, which became available in eight-LP and five-CD editions and contained 70 previously unreleased live songs. The CD edition also included
9750-433: The appointed time in the studio; by the time Nirvana, Andy Wallace, and Gary Gersh arrived, he had mastered most of the album. A hidden track , "Endless, Nameless", intended to appear at the end of "Something in the Way", was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. Weinberg recalled, "In the beginning, it was kind of a verbal thing to put that track at the end. (...) Maybe I didn't write it down when Nirvana or
9900-458: The band three Grammy Award nominations in total across the 34th and 35th Grammy Awards , including 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 to a mainstream audience while accelerating the decline of hair metal , drawing similarities to the early 1960s British Invasion of American popular music . It
10050-435: The band worked eight to ten hours a day. Despite receiving a $ 287,000 advance upon signing with Geffen, Cobain retained a preference for inexpensive equipment—particularly Japanese-made Fender guitars, due to their skinny necks and wider availability in lefthanded orientation. These included several Stratocasters fitted with humbucker pickups in the bridge positions, as well as a 1965 Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups and
10200-447: The child having a limited or severed relationship with one parent following divorce, often the father, due to differing societal and legal expectations. In the 1970s, only nine U.S. states allowed for joint custody of children, which has since been adopted by all 50 states following a push for joint custody during the mid-1980s. Kramer vs. Kramer , a 1979 American legal drama based on Avery Corman 's best-selling novel, came to epitomize
10350-867: The cohort became socially and politically conscious during the Reagan Era . President Ronald Reagan , voted in office principally by the Boomer generation, embraced laissez-faire economics with vigor. His policies included cuts in the growth of government spending, reduction in taxes for the higher echelon of society, legalization of stock buybacks , and deregulation of key industries. The early 1980s recession saw unemployment rise to 10.8% in 1982; requiring, more often than not, dual parental incomes. One in five American children grew up in poverty during this time. The federal debt almost tripled during Reagan's time in office, from $ 998 billion in 1981 to $ 2.857 trillion in 1989, placing greater burden of repayment on
10500-438: The cover instead "evokes themes of greed, innocence, and the motif of the cherub in western art". After Elden's lawyers did not file an opposition, the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge on January 3, 2022. However, the judge did allow for future lawsuits. Elden refiled again on January 14, 2022, amending the original suit by removing charges of child sex trafficking while arguing it was child pornography. On September 2, 2022,
10650-424: The crisis, sociologist Mike Males reported continued confidence and optimism among the cohort. He reported "surveys consistently find 80% to 90% of Gen Xers self-confident and optimistic". Males wrote "these young Americans should finally get the recognition they deserve", praising the cohort and stating that "the permissively raised, universally deplored Generation X is the true 'great generation', for it has braved
10800-531: The date-range selected. In the U.S., using Census population projections, the Pew Research Center found that the Gen X population born from 1965 to 1980 numbered 65.2 million in 2019. The cohort is likely to overtake Boomers in 2028. A 2010 Census report counted approximately 84 million people living in the US who are defined by birth years ranging from the early 1960s to the early 1980s. In
10950-483: The delay in naming this demographic cohort saying, "Over 30 years after their birthday, they didn't have a name. I think that's germane." Previously, the cohort had been referred to as Post-Boomers, Baby Busters (which refers to the drop in birth rates following the baby boom in the western world, particularly in the U.S. ), New Lost Generation , latchkey kids , MTV Generation , and the 13th Generation (the 13th generation since American independence ). Generation X
11100-579: The demand via 8-bit and 16-bit machines . This in turn stimulated the software industries with corresponding developments for backup storage, use of the floppy disk , zip drive , and CD-ROM . At school, several computer projects were supported by the Department of Education under United States Secretary of Education Terrel Bell 's "Technology Initiative". This was later mirrored in the UK's 1982 Computers for Schools programme and, in France, under
11250-637: The dismissal of his case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit heard oral argument on Elden's appeal on October 18, 2023. The court ruled in favor of Elden in December 2023, reversing the lower court's ruling and allowing the suit to continue. The court determined that the special republication of the album on its 30th anniversary constituted a new claim that Elden could pursue in court. Nevermind
11400-454: The early 1950s, Hungarian photographer Robert Capa first used Generation X as the title for a photo-essay about young men and women growing up immediately following World War II . The term first appeared in print in a December 1952 issue of Holiday magazine announcing their upcoming publication of Capa's photo-essay. From 1976 to 1981, English musician Billy Idol used the moniker as the name for his punk rock band . Idol had attributed
11550-620: The elderly were not tied to economic need. Congressman David Durenberger criticized this political situation, stating that while programs for poor children and for young families were cut, the government provided "free health care to elderly millionaires". Gen Xers came of age or were children during the 1980s crack epidemic , which disproportionately impacted urban areas as well as the African-American community. The U.S. Drug turf battles increased violent crime. Crack addiction impacted communities and families. Between 1984 and 1989,
11700-475: 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. Nevermind became Nirvana's first number-one album on January 11, 1992, replacing Michael Jackson 's Dangerous at the top of the Billboard charts. By this time, Nevermind was selling approximately 300,000 copies
11850-558: The end of it". In the book, Gordinier contrasts Gen Xers to Baby Boomers, saying Boomers tend to trumpet their accomplishments more than Gen Xers do, creating what he describes as "elaborate mythologies" around their achievements. Gordiner cites Steve Jobs as an example, while Gen Xers, he argues, are more likely to "just quietly do their thing". In a 2007 article published in the Harvard Business Review , authors Strauss and Howe wrote of Generation X: "They are already
12000-399: The family), and grew callous to the loss." The Gen X childhood coincided with the sexual revolution of the 1960s to 1980s, which Susan Gregory Thomas described in her book In Spite of Everything as confusing and frightening for children in cases where a parent would bring new sexual partners into their home. Thomas also discussed how divorce was different during the Gen X childhood, with
12150-452: The federal budget for supply-reduction efforts. Fear of the impending AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s loomed over the formative years of Generation X. The emergence of AIDS coincided with Gen X's adolescence, with the disease first clinically observed in the U.S. in 1981. By 1985, an estimated one-to-two million Americans were HIV-positive. This particularly hit the LGBT community. As
12300-508: The final version of Nevermind and that Nirvana referred to it while working on In Utero. He said that Vig was an excellent engineer who "had a good, sympathetic relationship with all the noisy bands he recorded in the 80s", which was why Nirvana had hired him. Nevermind was mastered by Howie Weinberg on the afternoon of August 2 at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California. Weinberg started working alone when no one else arrived at
12450-564: The first time. The band sent Vig rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured songs recorded previously at Smart Studios, plus new songs including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and " Come as You Are ". Nirvana arrived in California and spent a few days rehearsing and working on arrangements. The only recording carried over from the Smart Studios sessions was "Polly", including Channing's cymbal crashes. Once recording commenced,
12600-698: The generation into two 10-year cohorts with early and later members of the generation. The first begins in 1966 and ends in 1975 and the second begins in 1976 and ends in 1985; this thinking is applied to each generation (Silent, boomers, Gen X, millennials, etc.). Based on external events of historical importance, Schewe and Noble in 2002 argue that a cohort is formed against significant milestones and can be any length of time. Against this logic, Generation X begins in 1966 and ends in 1976, with those born between 1955 and 1965 being labelled as "trailing-edge boomers". The 1994 book Baby Busters: The Disillusioned Generation by George Barna refers to those born 1965–1983 as
12750-448: The greatest albums of all time. The album was ranked number 17 on Rolling Stone ' s list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time , maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, and upgrading to number 6 in the 2020 and 2023 revisions. In 2019, Rolling Stone also ranked Nevermind number one on its list of the 100 Best Albums of the '90s, calling it the "album that guaranteed the nineties would not suck." Also in 2019, Nevermind
12900-477: The homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 17 doubled in the U.S., and the homicide rate for black males aged 18 to 24 increased almost as much. The crack epidemic had a destabilizing impact on families, with an increase in the number of children in foster care. In 1986, President Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act to enforce strict mandatory minimum sentencing for drug users. He also increased
13050-462: The hours between the end of the school day and when a parent returned home from work in the evening, and for longer periods of time during the summer. Latchkey children became common among all socioeconomic demographics, but this was particularly so among middle- and upper-class children. The higher the educational attainment of the parents, the higher the odds the children of this time would be latchkey children, due to increased maternal participation in
13200-420: The incoming generation. Government expenditure shifted from domestic programs to defense. Remaining funding initiatives, moreover, tended to be diverted away from programs for children and often directed toward the elderly population, with cuts to Medicaid and programs for children and young families, and protection and expansion of Medicare and Social Security for the elderly population. These programs for
13350-522: 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. 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
13500-400: The job market at the end of the 1980s, economic conditions were challenging and did not show signs of major improvements until the mid-1990s. In the U.S., restrictive monetary policy to curb rising inflation and the collapse of a large number of savings and loan associations (private banks that specialized in home mortgages ) impacted the welfare of many American households. This precipitated
13650-577: The late 1950s, until an upswing in the late 1970s and eventual recovery at the start of the 1980s. In the U.S., the Pew Research Center , a non-partisan think-tank, delineates a Generation X period of 1965–1980 which has, albeit gradually, come to gain acceptance in academic circles. Moreover, although fertility rates are preponderant in the definition of start and end dates, the center remarks: "Generations are analytical constructs, it takes time for popular and expert consensus to develop as to
13800-533: The late 1960s when state laws were amended and reduced the age of majority from 21 to ages 18–20. These policies are commonly referred to as the Early Legal Access (ELA) laws. Another major factor was abortion , only available in a few states until its legalisation in a 1973 US Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade . This was replicated elsewhere, with reproductive rights legislation passed, notably in
13950-715: The latter half of the Baby Boomers from the early 1960s to the early years of Generation X are sometimes called Generation Jones . People born in the Generation X / millennial cusp years of the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s are sometimes called Xennials . Other names include the Star Wars Generation, Generation Catalano, and the Oregon Trail Generation. These "microgenerations" share characteristics of both generations. There are differences in Gen X population numbers depending on
14100-419: The lawsuit. In December, lawyers for the defendants sought to dismiss the lawsuit, saying it was filed too late and that its claim that the image depicts sexual abuse was "not serious". They noted that Elden had "spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed 'Nirvana Baby ' ", having recreated the artwork several times, and that he had the album title tattooed on his chest. They argued that
14250-481: The least racist of today's generations". In the U.S., Title IX , which passed in 1972, provided increased athletic opportunities to Gen X girls in the public school setting. Roots , based on the novel by Alex Haley and broadcast as a 12-hour series, was viewed as a turning point in the country's ability to relate to the Afro-American history. In the U.S., compared to the Boomer generation, Generation X
14400-406: The left of the political spectrum, the disappointments with the previous Boomer student mobilizations of the 1960s and the collapse of those movements towards a consumerist " greed is good " and " yuppie " culture during the 1980s felt, to a greater extent, hypocrisy if not outright betrayal. Hence, the preoccupation on "authenticity" and not "selling-out". The Revolutions of 1989 and the collapse of
14550-437: The many cultural influences on Gen X youth included a proliferation of musical genres with strong social-tribal identity such as alternative rock , hip hop , punk , post-punk , rave , and heavy metal , in addition to later forms developed by Gen Xers themselves (e.g., grunge , grindcore and related genres). Film, both the birth of franchise mega-sequels and a proliferation of independent film (enabled in part by video ),
14700-447: The merry-go-round of status, money, and social climbing that so often frames modern existence. Author William Strauss noted that around the time Coupland's 1991 novel was published the symbol "X" was prominent in popular culture, as the film Malcolm X was released in 1992, and that the name "Generation X" ended up sticking. The "X" refers to an unknown variable or to a desire not to be defined. Strauss's coauthor Neil Howe noted
14850-595: The military to fight the War on Terror . The Jury Expert , a publication of The American Society of Trial Consultants, reported: "Gen X members responded to the terrorist attacks with bursts of patriotism and national fervor that surprised even themselves." In 2011, survey analysis from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth found Gen Xers (defined as those who were then between the ages of 30 and 50) to be "balanced, active, and happy" in midlife and as achieving
15000-413: The more sussed among us figured they had the potential to make an album that would blow every other contender away. My God have they proved us right." Spin gave Nevermind a favorable review stating that "you'll be humming all the songs for the rest of your life—or at least until your CD-tape-album wears out." Select compared the band to Jane's Addiction , Sonic Youth , and Pixies , stating that
15150-638: 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 " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ". The album has since been reissued with alternate takes and live performances. In early 1990, Nirvana began planning their second album for their record company Sub Pop , tentatively titled Sheep . At
15300-481: The music and image of hair metal acts: "Instead of the chest-beating, coke-blowing, women-objectifying macho rock star of the ’80s, Cobain popularized (or re-invigorated) the image of the sensitive artist, the pro-feminism, anti-authoritarian smart alec punk with a sweet smile and gentle soul." In its citation placing it at number 17 in its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time , Rolling Stone said, "No album in recent history had such an overpowering impact on
15450-402: The name of his band to the book Generation X , a 1964 book on British popular youth culture written by journalists Jane Deverson and Charles Hamblett —a copy of which had been owned by Idol's mother. These uses of the term appear to have no connection to Robert Capa's photo-essay. The term acquired a modern application after the release of Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture ,
15600-544: The national General Social Survey , the researchers compared answers to identical survey questions asked of 18–29-year-olds in three different time periods. Additionally, they compared how older adults answered the same survey questions over time. The surveys showed 18–29-year-old Gen Xers did exhibit higher levels of cynicism and disaffection than previous cohorts of 18–29-year-olds surveyed. However, they also found that cynicism and disaffection had increased among all age groups surveyed over time, not just young adults, making this
15750-438: The network to start broadcasting it during the daytime. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 . 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." As the band set out for their European tour at
15900-482: The original analog tapes. In September 2011, the album's 20th anniversary, Universal Music Enterprises reissued Nevermind in a two-CD "deluxe edition" and a four-CD/one-DVD "Super Deluxe Edition". The first disc on both editions features the original album with studio and live B-sides. The second discs feature early session recordings, including the Smart Studio sessions and some band rehearsals recorded with
16050-464: The other hand, Grohl has said that Cobain told him, "Music comes first and lyrics come second," and Grohl believes that above all Cobain focused on the melodies of his songs. Cobain was still working on the album's lyrics well into the recording of Nevermind . Additionally, Cobain's phrasing on the album is often difficult to understand. Vig asserted that clarity of Cobain's singing was not paramount, saying that "Even though you couldn't quite tell what he
16200-612: The political front, in the U.S. the generation became ambivalent if not outright disaffected with politics. They had been reared in the shadow of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal . They came to maturity under the Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidencies, with first-hand experience of the impact of neoliberal policies. Few had experienced a Democratic administration and even then, only, at an atmospheric level. For those on
16350-437: The popular hair metal acts of the time drew similarities to the early 1960s British Invasion of American popular music. The album also initiated a resurgence of interest in punk culture among teenagers and young adults of Generation X . Journalist Chuck Eddy cited Nevermind ' s release as roughly the end of the "high album era ". Billboard writer William Goodman lauds the album, particularly in comparison to
16500-465: The popular hedonistic themes of drugs and sex at the time, writers have observed that Nevermind promoted the image of the sensitive artist in mainstream rock. According to Cobain, the sound of the album was influenced by bands such as Pixies , R.E.M. , the Smithereens , and Melvins . Though the album is considered a cornerstone of the grunge genre, it is noted for its musical diversity , which includes acoustic ballads (" Polly " and " Something in
16650-413: The precise boundaries that demarcate one generation from another." Pew takes into account other factors, notably the labor market as well as attitudinal and behavioral trends of a group. Writing for Pew 's Trend magazine in 2018, psychologist Jean Twenge observed that the "birth year boundaries of Gen X are debated but settle somewhere around 1965–1980". According to this definition, the oldest Gen Xer
16800-553: The press "because you can't really go, 'Hey, I love our record and I'm glad it sold 10 million copies.' That's just not cool to do. And I think he felt like he wanted to do something more primal." The album is dark, humorous, and disturbing. It includes anti-establishment views, and explores sexism, frustration, loneliness, sickness and troubled love. Cobain said that the lyrics were taken from two years of poetry which he had accumulated, and then cut up, choosing lines he preferred, noting that they're "not usually thematic at all". On
16950-484: The previously reported negative stereotypes and reported positive accomplishments. The article cited Gen Xers' tendency to found technology startup companies and small businesses, as well as their ambition, which research showed was higher among Gen X young adults than older generations. Yet, the slacker moniker stuck. As the decade progressed, Gen X gained a reputation for entrepreneurship . In 1999, The New York Times dubbed them "Generation 1099", describing them as
17100-493: The record company said to do it. So, when they pressed the first twenty thousand or so CDs, albums, and cassettes, it wasn't on there." Cobain called Weinberg and demanded he rectify the mistake. At the time of writing Nevermind , Cobain was listening to bands such as Melvins , R.E.M. , the Smithereens , and Pixies , and was writing songs that were more melodic. A key development was the single "Sliver", released on Sub Pop in 1990 before Grohl joined, which Cobain said "was like
17250-449: The recording. On April 8, they travelled to Milwaukee to begin an extensive midwest and east coast tour of 24 shows in 39 days. The drummer Chad Channing left after the tour, putting additional recording on hold. During a show by the hardcore punk band Scream , Cobain and the bassist Krist Novoselic were impressed by their drummer Dave Grohl . When Scream unexpectedly disbanded, Grohl contacted Novoselic, travelled to Seattle, and
17400-463: 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 . The most optimistic estimate was that Nevermind could be certified gold (500,000 copies sold) by September 1992. Nevermind debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 144. Geffen shipped about half of
17550-459: The rock-and-roll explosion in the 1950s and the end of the dominance of the baby boomer generation on popular music. Azerrad wrote, " Nevermind came along at exactly the right time. This was music by, for, and about a whole new group of young people who had been overlooked, ignored, or condescended to." The success of Nevermind surprised Nirvana's contemporaries, who felt dwarfed by its influence. Fugazi frontman Guy Picciotto later said: "It
17700-495: The same music and dressed similarly ( grunge fashion ). Neto further remarks that "there was a cultural homogeneity probably never experienced before" and that "grunge culture became dominant very quickly; all that had been 'cool' suddenly became ugly and exaggerated, and Kurt [Cobain] was the symbol of transgression." Michael Azerrad argued in his Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana (1993) that Nevermind marked an epochal generational shift in music similar to
17850-459: The same period of time helped to partially offset declining birth-rates and contributed to making Generation X an ethnically and culturally diverse demographic cohort. Generally, Gen Xers are the children of the Silent Generation and older Baby Boomers. Strauss and Howe, who wrote several books on generations, including one specifically on Generation X titled 13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail? (1993), reported that Gen Xers were children at
18000-465: The single of the year and video of the year polls. Nevermind topped the poll by a large majority, and Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote in his companion piece to the poll, "As a modest pop surprise they might have scored a modest victory, like De La Soul in 1990. Instead, their multi-platinum takeover constituted the first full-scale public validation of the Amerindie values—the noise,
18150-561: The socialist utopia with the fall of the Berlin Wall , moreover, added to the disillusionment that any alternative to the capitalist model was possible. In 1990, Time magazine published an article titled "Living: Proceeding with Caution", which described those then in their 20s as aimless and unfocused. Media pundits and advertisers further struggled to define the cohort, typically portraying them as "unfocused twentysomethings ". A MetLife report noted: "media would portray them as
18300-464: The song is feeling—very lonely, sick". The tentative title Sheep was something Cobain created as an inside joke directed towards the people he expected to buy the album. He wrote a fake advertisement for Sheep in his journal that read "Because you want to not; because everyone else is." Novoselic said the inspiration for the title was the band's cynicism about the public's reaction to Operation Desert Storm . As recording ended, Cobain grew tired of
18450-426: The songs written for Nevermind were about Cobain's dysfunctional relationship with Tobi Vail . After their relationship ended, Cobain began writing and painting violent scenes, many of which revealed a hatred for himself and others. Songs written during this period were less violent, but still reflected anger absent from Cobain's earlier songs. Cross wrote, "In the four months following their break-up, Kurt would write
18600-506: 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." Nirvana found as they toured Europe during
18750-463: The struggle for child custody and the demise of the traditional nuclear family. The rapid influx of Boomer women into the labor force that began in the 1970s was marked by the confidence of many in their ability to successfully pursue a career while meeting the needs of their children. This resulted in an increase in latchkey children , leading to the terminology of the "latchkey generation" for Generation X. These children lacked adult supervision in
18900-559: The suggestion of Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt , Nirvana selected Butch Vig as producer. The band particularly liked Vig's work with Killdozer . They traveled to Vig's Smart Studios in Madison , Wisconsin, and recorded from April 2 to 6, 1990. Most of the basic arrangements were complete, but the songwriter Kurt Cobain was still working on lyrics and the band was unsure of which songs to record. Ultimately, eight were recorded, some of which were later rerecorded for Nevermind : "Imodium" (later renamed " Breed "), " Dive " (later released as
19050-433: The tape was circulating amongst major labels. A number of labels courted them; Nirvana signed with Geffen Records imprint DGC Records based on recommendations from Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and their management company. After Nirvana signed to DGC, a number of producers were suggested, including Scott Litt , David Briggs , Don Dixon , and Bob Mould . Novoselic said the band had been nervous about recording under
19200-543: The terrorist attacks. Gen X survey respondents reported that they no longer wanted to live alone. In October 2001, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote of Gen Xers: "Now they could be facing the most formative events of their lives and their generation." The Greensboro News & Record reported members of the cohort "felt a surge of patriotism since terrorists struck" by giving blood, working for charities, donating to charities, and by joining
19350-467: The title and suggested to Novoselic that the album be named Nevermind . Cobain liked the title because it was a metaphor for his attitude on life and because it was grammatically incorrect. Sacagawea , after the Native American , was briefly considered so to reference the band's intentions for a more widespread impact compared to their previous studio album Bleach . "Nevermind" appears on
19500-404: The tone for Nineties rock music." Cobain played a 1960s Fender Mustang , a Fender Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups, and a few Fender Stratocasters with humbucker bridge pickups. He used distortion and chorus pedals as his main effects, the latter used to generate a "watery" sound on "Come as You Are" and the pre-choruses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Novoselic tuned down his bass guitar one and
19650-533: The toons, the 'tude—the radder half of the [Pazz & Jop poll] electorate came up on." In the United Kingdom, the album was ranked number one on NME 's Best Fifty LPs of 1991. The album garnered the band three Grammy Award nominations in total at the 34th and 35th Grammy Awards . Among the nominations was the Best Alternative Music Album award. Nevermind popularized the Seattle grunge movement and brought alternative rock as
19800-464: The total number of Gen X individuals in the U.S. was 88.5 million. The birth control pill , introduced in 1960, was one contributing factor of declining birth rates. Initially, the pill spread rapidly amongst married women as an approved treatment for menstrual disturbance. However, it was also found to prevent pregnancy and was prescribed as a contraceptive in 1964. "The pill", as it became commonly known, reached younger, unmarried college women in
19950-414: The use of his likeness on the album cover was made without his consent or that of his legal guardians, that it violated federal child pornography statutes, and that it resulted in "lifelong damages". Elden said that, by refusing to censor the artwork with a sticker, Nirvana had failed to protect him from child sexual exploitation. The lawsuit also stated that "Cobain chose the image depicting Spencer—like
20100-529: The virus spread, at a time before effective treatments were available, a public panic ensued. Sex education programs in schools were adapted to address the AIDS epidemic, which taught Gen X students that sex could kill them. Gen Xers were the first children to have access to personal computers in their homes and at schools. In the early 1980s, the growth in the use of personal computers exploded. Manufacturers such as Commodore , Atari , and Apple responded to
20250-550: The work of Gen Xers. In the U.S., Gen Xers were described as the major heroes of the September 11 terrorist attacks by author William Strauss. The firefighters and police responding to the attacks were predominantly from Generation X. Additionally, the leaders of the passenger revolt on United Airlines Flight 93 were also, by majority, Gen Xers. Author Neil Howe reported survey data which showed that Gen Xers were cohabiting and getting married in increasing numbers following
20400-461: The workforce at a time before childcare options outside the home were widely available. McCrindle Research Centre described the cohort as "the first to grow up without a large adult presence, with both parents working", stating this led to Gen Xers being more peer-oriented than previous generations. Some older Gen Xers started high school in the waning years of the Carter presidency, but much of
20550-446: Was 7.5 and the median (middle score) was 8. Only four percent of Generation X adults indicated a great deal of unhappiness (a score of three or lower). Twenty-nine percent of Generation X adults were very happy with a score of 9 or 10 on the scale." In 2014, Pew Research provided further insight, describing the cohort as "savvy, skeptical and self-reliant; they're not into preening or pampering, and they just might not give much of
20700-547: Was also a notable cultural influence. Video games, both in amusement parlours and in devices in Western homes, were also a major part of juvenile entertainment for the first time. Politically, Generation X experienced the last days of communism in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries of Central and Eastern Europe , witnessing the transition to capitalism in these regions during their youth. In much of
20850-657: Was also certified Diamond in Canada (1,000,000 units sold) by the Canadian Recording Industry Association in March 2001 and six times platinum in the United Kingdom. It has gone on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time . Geffen's press promotion for Nevermind was lower than that typical of a major record label. The label's publicist primarily targeted music publications with long lead times for publication as well as magazines in
21000-545: Was an increase of 53%, effectively a doubling in student intake. As the 1990s progressed, Gen X college enrollments continued to climb, with increased loan borrowing as the cost of an education became substantially more expensive compared to their peers in the mid-1980s. By 1998, the generation's last year of college enrollment, those entering the higher education sector totaled 14.3 million. In addition, unlike Boomers and previous generations, women outpaced men in college completion rates. For early Gen Xer graduates entering
21150-403: Was invited to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that, with Grohl, everything "fell into place". By the 1990s, Sub Pop was having financial problems. With rumors that they would become a subsidiary of a major record label, Nirvana decided to "cut out the middleman" and look for a major record label. Nirvana used the recordings as a demo tape to shop for a new label. Within a few months,
21300-606: Was less enthusiastic about the album; reviewer Steve Morse wrote, "Most of Nevermind is packed with generic punk-pop that had been done by countless acts from Iggy Pop to the Red Hot Chili Peppers ," and added "the band has little or nothing to say, settling for moronic ramblings by singer-lyricist Cobain." Nevermind was voted the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll; "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped
21450-545: Was like our record could have been a hobo pissing in the forest for the amount of impact it had ... It felt like we were playing ukuleles all of a sudden because of the disparity of the impact of what they did." Karen Schoemer of the New York Times wrote that "What's unusual about Nirvana's Nevermind is that it caters to neither a mainstream audience nor the indie rock fans who supported the group's debut album." In 1992, Jon Pareles of The New York Times described
21600-439: Was more educated than their parents. The share of young adults enrolling in college steadily increased from 1983, before peaking in 1998. In 1965, as early Boomers entered college, total enrollment of new undergraduates was just over 5.7 million individuals across the public and private sectors. By 1983, the first year of Gen X college enrollments (as per Pew Research's definition), this figure had reached 12.2 million. This
21750-515: Was ranked number one on Rolling Stone 's 50 Greatest Grunge Albums list. The magazine ranked the album number 10 in its list of 40 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time too. In 2001, VH1 conducted a poll of more than 500 journalists, music executives and artists which judged Nevermind the second-best album in rock 'n' roll history, behind the Beatles ' Revolver . Time placed Nevermind , which writer Josh Tyrangiel called "the finest album of
21900-435: Was released on September 24, 1991. American record stores received an initial shipment of 46,251 copies, while 35,000 copies were shipped in the United Kingdom, where Bleach had been successful. 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 " would possibly garner more attention. Days before
22050-455: Was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell." Cobain later complained when rock journalists attempted to decipher his singing and extract meaning from his lyrics, writing: "Why in the hell do journalists insist on coming up with a second-rate Freudian evaluation of my lyrics, when 90 percent of the time they've transcribed them incorrectly?" Charles R. Cross asserted in his 2001 biography of Cobain, Heavier Than Heaven , that many of
22200-461: Was speaking the patois of: Gilligan's Island meets 'What the fuck happened in my life?' By the mid-late 1990s, under Bill Clinton 's presidency, economic optimism had returned to the U.S., with unemployment reduced from 7.5% in 1992 to 4% in 2000. Younger members of Gen X, straddling across administrations, politically experienced a "liberal renewal". In 1997, Time magazine published an article titled "Generation X Reconsidered", which retracted
22350-597: Was to sound like " the Knack and the Bay City Rollers getting molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath ". Many songs feature shifts in dynamics, whereby the band changes from quiet verses to loud choruses. Grohl said this approach originated during a four-month period prior to the recording of the album, when the band would experiment with extreme dynamics during regular jam sessions. Guitar World wrote, "Kurt Cobain's guitar sound on Nirvana's Nevermind set
22500-539: Was voted number 17 in the third edition of Colin Larkin 's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). Christgau named it among his 10 best albums from the 1990s and said in retrospect it is an A-plus album. In 2017, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . In October 2023, the Official Charts Company revealed that Nevermind was the fourth most streamed album from the 1990s in
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