4 Excellent Nirvana Covers

Between 1989 and 1993, Nirvana released three studio albums.

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In just a few years, the Seattle group forever changed music. But it wasn’t only rock music. Kurt Cobain’s songwriting has inspired several generations of artists across many genres.

Nirvana became a touchstone of Generation X youth culture, and Cobain, like Bob Dylan before him, unwillingly became the voice of his generation.

To hear his band’s continuing influence, here are four excellent Nirvana covers.

“All Apologies” by Sinéad O’Connor from Universal Mother (1994)

Sinéad O’Connor’s gorgeous cover gives us a glimpse of what it may have sounded like when Kurt Cobain wrote the song. With a soft voice and an acoustic guitar, O’Connor’s resignation is the other side of her powerful anthems like “Mandinka” and “Drink Before the War.” Many were offended and outraged by her outspokenness. But her protests have aged better than the public’s indignation. Also, notice how she adds an extra “all” to Cobain’s repeated hook. As if to emphasize the collective “we.” All in all is all we all are.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Tori Amos from “Crucify” (Single, 1992)

When Tori Amos released Little Earthquakes in 1992, she created the kind of ripple her debut album title implies. Nirvana had changed pop culture with “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” A Gen X Beatlemania. But grunge dominated MTV with loud guitars and (mostly) male angst. Hearing Amos give the anthem a female perspective, using a grand piano instead of an electric guitar and a fuzz pedal, was boldly and beautifully defiant. One could argue Amos gave pop music a tectonic shift equal to Nirvana’s impact.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Patti Smith from Twelve (2007)

Patti Smith’s reading of Cobain’s defining tune removes the jarring transition between a quiet verse and a loud chorus. Cobain wanted to write a Pixies song and borrowed the form from Black Francis. However, Smith opts for a slow build. Driven by a banjo, fiddle, and acoustic instrumentation, Smith’s folk version increases its tempo and volume midway through the recording. Then she adds her poetry to the track, connecting the punk rock pioneer to one of her descendants.  

“In Bloom” by Sturgill Simpson from A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)

“I remember in seventh or eighth grade, when [Nevermind] dropped, it was like a bomb went off in my bedroom.” That’s how Sturgill Simpson described hearing Nirvana for the first time. He wasn’t alone. Simpson said he “wanted to make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt.” Cobain wrote “In Bloom” when he noticed jocks showing up at Nirvana concerts. As Nirvana grew in popularity, many in the audience didn’t understand the irony in the lyrics. Taking this song to a country music audience gives new life to Cobain’s inside joke.

He’s the one who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means

Photo by: Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images