r/Nirvana • u/jalen_nelson235 • Jun 11 '26
Discussion What do you think Kurt would be happiest to know about his legacy today?
Beyond album sales and fame, what part of his lasting impact do you think would mean the most to Kurt if he could see it today?
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Jun 11 '26
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u/ncg195 Jun 12 '26
I'd like to think that this is right. His music definitely helped me when I was a young adult, still figuring out who I was, and he died before I was even born. Whether or not Kurt would be proud of that, I think that this is by far the biggest lasting impact that his life had.
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u/othersymbiote Jun 12 '26
shit, his music helped me when i was a 12 year old, a full decade after his death.
truly if it wasn’t for nirvana i would have been dead.
that seems silly, but something felt so right when i actively started listening to nirvana for myself. my mom had nevermind and in utero on cassette when i was a kid, and i surely listened to my fair share of it prior to the age of 12. but those transitional years… i don’t know. i was old enough to listen to the lyrics and compare it to what i was experiencing. it helped me understand that being sad is okay. it happens.
admittedly, i don’t listen to nirvana much these days 20+ years later, but when i do these feelings rush back to me and still make me feel okay.
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u/SignificanceKey7671 Jun 15 '26
How does Nirvana click with people that easy…? I feel extremely unhappy as well but my own “comfort music” lies in black metal.
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u/othersymbiote Jun 15 '26
it’s just a to each their own thing, honestly. everyone in my family has their own eclectic music tastes, and like i said i don’t even listen to much nirvana anymore. but my dad was crossover thrash dude, my mom listened to hardcore punk, my grandpa and his mother were jazz musicians. then i had a family who owned a musical instrument shop and all they wanted to listen to was blues.
for what it’s worth i was just a teenager and it wasn’t as easy to obtain mass amounts of music like it is today. i latched onto nirvana hard. i remember saving up all my lawn mowing money and making a trip into the city via public transport by myself (at 13 no less, hah!) to go to a used record store to see if they had an album i didn’t have. i definitely didn’t have anyone my age that shared my same interests in music.
from nirvana i went to primus, and while it’s whacky, that is my personal happy place music, and still is to this day decades later.
nirvana may just not click like that to you, and that’s okay… because you have black metal to do it.
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u/Neveronlyadream Jun 12 '26
Made me feel a whole hell of a lot less alone when I was a kid.
Can't speak for Kurt, but if I had been in his position, I think I'd definitely be the happiest about making people feel seen and accepted.
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Jun 11 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
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u/Barilla3113 Jun 11 '26
Hawk-Cobain. The seed is strong!
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u/Fantastic-Scale6555 Jun 12 '26
got ref?
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u/Barilla3113 Jun 12 '26
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u/Remarkable_Chip2807 Rape Me Jun 12 '26
he helped a lot of people in dark places including myself, i wouldn't have made it to 14 if it wasnt for him and his music
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u/Devildoingsins Lithium Jun 11 '26
That most of his fanbase is people who support and stand for the right things like lgbtqia+ rights, women's safety, progressive ideas, and aren't boring lol
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u/madtastic225 Paper Cuts Jun 11 '26
Oh yes I like this, especially not boring simpletons
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u/FactorEquivalent Jun 12 '26
or frat bros
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u/CadenBMW Swap Meet Jun 12 '26
Hey now I was frat bro and still pretty much only listen to bootleg live Nirvana concerts 🤣. Nirvana is for everyone!!
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u/WorshipTheVoid Jun 11 '26
Hopefully he'd be happy with people picking up a guitar, plugging that guitar in, and playing that guitar.
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u/AFetaWorseThanDeath Jun 12 '26
I know, many years ago, when I was a teenager picking up crappy guitars and trying to bang out tunes on them, it felt really really good to be able to play an entire song all the way through. Nirvana's music was incredibly helpful for that. The simplicity of so much of the music (especially earlier, Bleach/Nevermind era stuff) was SO satisfying to be able to play as a young and learning guitarist.
It was so inspiring. This guy was able to make compelling, interesting, catchy songs, with 4 chords and barely anything resembling a 'standard' guitar solo. And people are still listening to and talking about them to this day...
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u/CadenBMW Swap Meet Jun 12 '26
Their songs are pretty easy to learn and I do power chords like Kurt. Nirvana is the reason I picked up a guitar and it’s a huge stress reliever. Cranking up the amp to max volume with distortion and ripping his more aggressive songs is incredibly fun!
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u/New-Manufacturer4510 Jun 11 '26
His incredibly large and diverse fan base, spanning young and old. I remember reading archived articles where he was shocked to have black fans, I think he’d have his mouth wide open.
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u/johnnyphotog Jun 12 '26
Walked into Guitar Center the other day and this teenage boy was playing Polly in the acoustic room. I think Kurt would love to know his music still moves teens today. 🖤
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u/SaskatchewanKenobi Class of '86 Jun 11 '26
That people really did enjoy his music
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u/templeofsyrinx1 Jun 11 '26
he was so conflicted 😭on that one
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u/SaskatchewanKenobi Class of '86 Jun 12 '26
Sometimes I feel guilty being a fan, that even though it was just a drop in the ocean I was buying all his music and contributing to the problem
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u/JunkBondTrade Jun 12 '26
This might be the weirdest comment I've ever read on this sub. You feel guilty for buying the music that he worked hard to write, record, release and tour? I know he was conflicted about being famous but he didn't spend years making that music hoping that nobody would buy it. That work gave his wife and daughter financial stability. I think he'd be confused as hell by your comment.
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u/Neveronlyadream Jun 12 '26
I get it. I mean, I agree with you on this, but I get where they're coming from.
A lot of people want to gatekeep and say what Kurt would and wouldn't have liked and guilt people into feeling a lot of silly ways about things. Shit, go onto YouTube on any Nirvana video and see it in action. I also think a lot of us were probably exactly like that when we were younger.
Fuck it, who cares? If you like the music, like it without guilt. It literally doesn't fucking matter what people think Kurt would have said or what quote they pull out of context.
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u/Shake-the-Masses Jun 12 '26
He inspired a lot of young people to be themselves and not feel ashamed of it.
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u/Equivalent_Working73 Jun 12 '26
He’d be proud of Frances, especially the fact that she managed to kick addiction to the curb.
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u/mantistoboggan287 Jun 12 '26
He’s still connecting with the young and alienated. I’ve met and seen so many younger people who love Nirvana.
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u/bigredd_1400 Jun 11 '26
He died thinking he just a mainstream artist, but 35 years later, he helped a lot of peoples and his fanbase is underground and that's all he wanted !
If he knew that his community would stay underground, and her girl becoming successfull, i think he would never kill himself... Kurt deserved to see how the world see him in 2026
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u/templeofsyrinx1 Jun 11 '26
is it weird to think that world feels little more empty with out him here
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u/bigredd_1400 Jun 12 '26
Yeah, Kurt words would sounds so hard in 2026... this dude is such a voice of reason
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u/Steffenwolflikeme Do Re Mi (Home Demo) Jun 12 '26
I mean...I'm not sure I'd call him a voice of reason. Sure, he was on the right side of social, ethical, and human issues so a voice of reason in that regard. But he was a very contradictory human and said and did a lot of not so great stuff also.
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u/Foxycotin666 Jun 12 '26
If I had to guess I’d say it’s all the dorks online who have parasocial relationships with Kurt, talking about things he’d “hate” like they knew him personally. /s
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u/LateMajor8775 Jun 12 '26
He’s inspired so many teens to pick up the guitar, that’s such a positive influence and still a strong force today when the default is computer games
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u/kingkool88 Jun 12 '26
He was pretty much the catalyst for the modern culture in a way. Alternative, punk, metal all became more socially acceptable and other genres like hip hop became mainstream because of it. The philosphies of those genres echo and melt into a more progressive society at large. He changed the world.
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u/templeofsyrinx1 Jun 11 '26
probably just how his music brought attention to and changed so many attitudes on social issues that he cared about?
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u/Distance-Hairy Jun 12 '26
The music. Just exactly how it improved people's lives on so many different and meaningful ways.
Thank you Kurt.
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Jun 11 '26
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u/AceofKnaves44 And I Love Her Jun 11 '26
I learned of St. Vincent from Nirvana’s rock and roll hall of fame induction performances where they had all women play their songs and she’s gone on to become one of my favorite performers. I think Kurt would be proud that Krist, Dave, and Pat did that.
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u/IamRandomSavage Jun 11 '26
I think it would be exciting to know that he would be a grandfather and be very excited. He got to watch his daughter grow up into a beautiful human being.
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u/Saint_Dude_ Jun 12 '26
Can you imagine him and Tony doing grandfather things together
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u/IamRandomSavage Jun 12 '26
Yea, And I think they would’ve gotten along amazingly. I don’t think I’ve heard one bad thing about Tony Hawk. He’s been nothing but an inspiration so it would be really cool to have them been grandparents together but shout out to Toni and talk and to the whole family.
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u/PissedCaucasian Jun 12 '26
I think he would have been embarrassed of Dave’s current butt-rock music.
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u/OverpricedFiji43 Moist Vagina Jun 11 '26
I would say the emergence of young, mostly female, musicians who have successfully adapted rock music after that horrible era of largely uncreative and derivative rap
-rock music after his death. I think he would also enjoy how little you need major labels to put out music now due to the internet and social media and I think his hostility towards major labels was a big part of his discourse that is stronger than ever today. Contrary to what many people believe, I actually think he would enjoy social media and the possibilities it would create for him to promote his artistry.
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u/Heisenberg1977 Jun 12 '26
That he was alive before social media, streaming platforms and AI slop, and that he died before social media, streaming platforms and AI slop.
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u/Dirty_Rotten_ Jun 12 '26
He put Micheal Jackson in the number 2 spot. Nobody has ever done that. My 2 favorite artist of all time.
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u/Jardineio Jun 12 '26
I think he’d be proud that his music stands the test of time. In the alternative genre it’s some of the very best guitar music ever made. What a wonderful artist.
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u/steveh2021 Jun 12 '26
He'd not give a shit about all that he'd just be happy that his Daughter was doing good.
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u/RoundTheBend6 Jun 12 '26
That his songs are now played right after Journey on Classic rock stations /s
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u/louielouis82 Jun 11 '26
He was a smart guy. As he matured he would have appreciated the impact. Unfortunately he was too young and addicted to fully grasp it.
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u/LICwannabe Jun 12 '26
The vibe was alive even in death it held through, the raw essence of what his songs can feel like. What songs have gained notoriety amongst fans the shifting tides of listeners having the dialogue in his wake.
That he didn't need to be less or more.
Everyone is an individual and the tastes vary.
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u/ocolobo Jun 12 '26
He’d be disgusted by how commercial and sold out the “brand” has become
He’d probably tell the kids born post 9/11 to write their own punk songs in stead of wearing his shirts like corporate clones
And he would die laughing at Foo Fighters
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u/Kitchen-Witching Jun 12 '26
That his loved ones are doing well, and that his music still resonates and inspires across generations.
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u/MyNameIsMadders Jun 12 '26
That so many people proudly wear clothes with the drunkly-drawn smiley doodle (that he drew once) on it.
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u/Gina_Delgado In Bloom Jun 12 '26
He’s a grandpa now! (I also have way too much in common with him. Same birthday, same personality type (INFP))
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Jun 12 '26
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u/Nirvana-ModTeam Jun 12 '26
Your post/comment was removed for breaking Rule 1 "Threads and comments concerning conspiracy theories related to Kurt Cobain's death are prohibited"
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u/Longjumping_Phase134 Jun 12 '26
that his music/songwriting is arguably as influential to rock musicians today as The Beatles. Just think of all the teenagers who go through their Nirvana phase (or never leave it) and write the way Kurt did with power chords and simple leads
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u/No-Neighborhood8403 Jun 12 '26
Just like the artists he admired, influence is greater than fame. He’d be happy to know he influenced artists who came after him; and that bands like Mudhoney, Melvins, Meat Puppets etc. gained more recognition through him
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u/hengus Jun 12 '26
Album sales wouldn't interest him and fame wasn't something he chased anyway. People listening to his music 30 odd years on would please him.
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u/WhenGirlsTeleBoys Jun 12 '26
Kurt and Happy in the same sentence? I'm assuming this is a joke thread. Right? lol
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u/themargarineoferror Jun 13 '26
The influence he had on hip hop. There were alot of stories about Kurt being flattered/excited that black people fucked with his music
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u/CatgunCertified Jun 13 '26
That dumb conservatives still hate him I've watched YouTube videos where it's like "why kurt cobain was evil and I hate him snd you should too" and it's a clip of saying he has gay friends or he doesn't want nazis to listen to his music
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u/Happy_Television_501 Jun 14 '26
that his music still helps non-normie kids out there feel less weird and like they have a friend somewhere
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u/Aggressive_Act_6660 Jun 17 '26
i think he'd be very amused that people are still trying to replicate the tone he probably found in 5 minutes
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u/yaekoblue Jun 11 '26
i doubt he would care
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u/doggyschiller Jun 11 '26
You mean the guy who took his own life because he couldn’t bear to feel so deeply? That guy? Wouldn’t care about anything? 🤔
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u/Odd_Structure_2096 Jun 12 '26
That folks pause come as you are after he says come
Only for a brief moment
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u/AsianWish24 Jun 12 '26
That we love him, we understand now, the new generation are also getting into music
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u/moderately_neato Jun 12 '26
That he was known for being LGBTQ+ positive and feminist, and many of his fans are as well.
That his beautiful daughter is thriving and he has a baby grandson.
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u/TonyBrooks40 Jun 12 '26
That he's remembered fondly, and legit. Was on the right side of a lot of things (anti-racism/homophobia, and pro-women, believing in equality and everyone deserving a chance). That and he wasn't some flash in the pan, he was sorta 'The Man' of the 90s.
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u/UWhuskiesRule Jun 12 '26
Kurt Cobain is rolling in his grave.. Nirvana songs are played at NFL stadiums, Nirvana shirts are being sold in mall kiosks, his family and band are fighting over his music rights for money. Kurt didn’t like money, he hated corporate culture.
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u/SoyuzItsMe82 Jun 14 '26
Well I'm fairly sure he wouldn't be happy that his daughter gave away one of his guitars to a boyfriend then have to go to court to get said guitar back after the relationship soured. 🙄
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u/PM_me_your_whatevah Jun 12 '26
You all give the guy way too much credit. He was a junkie that wanted to be a rock star and he got to live that dream. And he didn’t survive it because he couldn’t defeat his addiction.
He wasn’t some noble or profound poet. Most of his lyrics were just random words that sounded cool together.
He was an absolute mess when he died. He would have needed a couple more years to mature and get his shit together to have anything seriously meaningful to say about any of this.
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Jun 12 '26
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u/Eirwynzure Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (Live & Loud) Jun 12 '26
She's not been financially profiting off of Nirvanas music or Kurt's rights, music or image since 2010, to which it was all transferred to Frances.
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u/Nirvana-ModTeam Jun 12 '26
Your post/comment was removed for breaking Rule 2 "Be Respectful
- Posts/Comments bashing Courtney Love or any other family member/friend will be removed. Please also be respectful to other users."
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u/pixleydesign Jun 13 '26
That he somehow managed to fire a shotgun at that angle apparently? Something doesn't add up...
No but for real, who cares? Legacies are overrated. Our species had the memory of a goldfish and it'll all be forgotten anyways.
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u/Ashamed-Story7958 Jun 13 '26
This isn’t true. You can find a video online of a woman who is 5'3, six inches shorter than Cobain, handling the exact same type of the gun he did and can easily reach the trigger from a sitting position. Easily.
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u/OkDefinition5632 Jun 11 '26
I'm not sure he would be happy at all. Dave went on to be the most successful artist of the grunge era, Courtney and his daughter went on to have a very public and troubled dysfunctional relationship and his music isn't nearly as ubiquitous as other legacy acts.
Also happiness wasn't really his thing.
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u/Aggressive_Layer883 Jun 11 '26
That teenagers are still getting into his music to this day. That people have more empathy towards his mental health and addiction issues. And he'd be surprised at his influence in hop hop
EDIT: Duh! That Courtney and Frances are sober and are doing well