Kurt Cobain died 15 years ago this week, but let’s not get too crazy about it, ‘kay? He would have made fun of us for doing so. He would have made fun of us, anyway, probably. Here are five of the best Nirvana songs that aren’t “Smells Like Teen Spirit”—plus five bands inspired by Nirvana.
1. “Rape Me.” Cobain changed the title to “Waif Me” at Geffen (and Walmart’s) request—way before changing lyrics to satisfy the label and Walmart was cool.
2. “Sappy” (aka “Laundry Room”) Recorded during the 1993 *In Utero* studio sessions with Steve Albini, the song didn’t make the album but was released as “Verse Chorus Verse” on the 1993 No Alternative AIDS benefit compilation and eventually in the 2004 box set With the Lights Out.
3. “Love Buzz” Released in 1988, this is the first song on the first record in Sub Pop’s Single of the Month 7” club (B-side: “Big Cheese)”). A test pressing of the record sold on eBay in 2007 for $3,450.
4. “Sliver” Recorded in two takes in about an hour, it came out in 1990 as a Sub Pop single. Also, that’s Dan Peters from Mudhoney on drums, not Dave Grohl.
5. “Molly’s Lips” Kurt Cobain could do more with two chords—and let’s be clear, this song is exactly two chords, no more—than most bands could do with their entire catalog…
But here are five deliciously derivative new bands that come close:
1. Violent Soho
2. Dead Confederate
3. Brakes Brakes Brakes
4. The Sips
5. Butcher Birds