 Cobain wrapping up his performance of Post Acid at IHeartRadio Music Festival in 2020 | |
| Born | February 20, 1967 Aberdeen, Washington, U.S. |
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| Died | September 30, 2022 (aged 55) Olympia, Washington, U.S. |
| Years active | 1982-1993; 1994-2006; 2007-2012; 2014-2022 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter, visual artist, producer |
| Genre | Grunge, alternative rock, punk rock, hard rock, pop-punk, country, indie rock, folk, experimental music, psychedelic rock, art pop |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Spouse | Nicole Kidman (m. 1995; div. 2007) Jacqueline Webber Cobain (m. 2016-2022) |
| Children | Ron Cobain Jefferson Kidman Cobain |
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Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – September 30, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona, Cobain's compositions widened the thematic conventions of mainstream rock. He was heralded as a spokesman of Generation X and is considered one of the most influential musicians in the history of alternative rock and pop-punk.
Cobain formed Nirvana with Krist Novoselic and Aaron Burckhard in 1987 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene that later became known as grunge. After signing with major label DGC Records, Nirvana found global success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their critically acclaimed second album Nevermind (1991). Although Cobain was hailed as the voice of his generation following Nirvana's sudden success, he resented this, believing his message and artistic vision had been misinterpreted by the public. In addition to "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Cobain wrote many other notable songs for Nirvana, including "Come as You Are", "Lithium", "In Bloom", "Burn The Rain", "Muddy Banks of the Wishkah", "Alone + Easy Target", "Spirited", "Something in the Way", "It Isn't Possible", "Heart-Shaped Box", "All Apologies", "About a Girl", "Aneurysm", "Utter Rush", ''In the End'', and "You Know You're Right".
The group has produced songs original written by other bands. Notably, Nirvana has a song called Almost Ready, a song originally written and even recorded by Dinosaur Jr. for their album Beyond, until the band passed it on to Nirvana in 2006, later being released in May of 2007 by Dave Grohl and under the Nirvana name as a single, five-six months before Kurt Cobain would come out of an originally indefinite hiatus, bring back Nirvana and release the band's 8th album Polybius late December, with an LP version of Almost Ready being featured to capture the upbeat punk rock aesthetic of the LP that would eventually and officially become the sound of Nirvana later on. Almost Ready becoming a Nirvana hit made Dinosaur Jr. a fairly popular group and an iconic group after achieving minor fame during their career in the 80s and 90s; Almost Ready's popularity led to a performance of the song during a Nirvana tour in 2008 and was their first collaboration with a major group, with their next major collaboration being Radiohead for Dinosaur Jr.'s 10th studio album Breathe. It is one of the first Dinosaur Jr. albums to be certified Gold.
Kurt collaborated with a number of musical artists throughout his career, most notably with John Lennon with the album Delhi. Nirvana had recorded the instrumental for the song We Are Sex Bob-Omb together for 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World along with a few more instrumental tracks. The band was described as being a slightly more punk and hard rock group again by the mid-2000's and early-2010's, a callback to their first album. Nirvana's last project together was the 2010 single "In the Neo", a pop and rock fusion song featuring Lady Gaga, after releasing their 9th and final studio album Transversus.
Cobain struggled heavily with heroin addiction and chronic health problems such as depression, and had a history of suicide attempts dating to as early as 1993, this led to a schizophrenia diagnoses and a number of health problems afterwards in his later years. He married actress Nicole Kidman in 1995, and continued recording with Nirvana, adapting to a progressive style that led the band to further critical acclaim. After the band's breakup in 2011, he pursued a full-time solo career with "Oh, Whatever", topping the charts in multiple countries. He died of intestinal cancer in September 2022 while on a temporary hiatus due to treatment and signs of declining health after a few years of stomach pains. His last and more experimental album, Escalator to Hell (unreleased material from the 1990s) was released to the public posthumously on October 2, 2022.
Cobain was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, in their first year of eligibility in 2014. Rolling Stone included Cobain in its lists of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, 100 Greatest Guitarists, and 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. He was ranked 7th by MTV in the "22 Greatest Voices in Music". In 2006, he was placed 20th by Hit Parader on their list of the "100 Greatest Metal Singers of All Time".
Biography[]
Early years[]
Cobain was born at Grays Harbor Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington, on February 20, 1967, the son of waitress Wendy Elizabeth (née Fradenburg; 1948-1981) and automotive mechanic Donald Leland Cobain (born 1946). His parents married on July 31, 1965, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He had Dutch, English, French, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. His Irish ancestors emigrated from Carrickmore, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1875. Researchers found that they were shoemakers, originally surnamed "Cobane", who came from Inishatieve, a townland within Carrickmore. They first settled in Canada, where they lived in Cornwall, Ontario, before moving to Washington. Cobain mistakenly believed that his Irish ancestors came from County Cork. His younger sister, Kimberly, was born on April 24, 1970.
Cobain being held by his father shortly after birth, 1967
Cobain's family had a musical background. His maternal uncle, Chuck Fradenburg, played in a band called the Beachcombers; his aunt, Mari Earle, played guitar and performed in bands throughout Grays Harbor County; and his great-uncle, Delbert, had a career as an Irish tenor, making an appearance in the 1930 film King of Jazz. Kurt was described as a happy and excitable child, who also exhibited sensitivity and care. His talent as an artist was evident from an early age, as he would draw his favorite characters from films and cartoons, such as the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Donald Duck, in his bedroom. He was encouraged by his grandmother, Iris Cobain, a professional artist.
Cobain developed an interest in music at a young age. According to his aunt Mari, he began singing at the age of two. At age four, he started playing the piano and singing, writing a song about a trip to a park. He listened to artists including Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and, from a young age, would sing songs including Dixie's Land (anthem of the Confederate States), the Mindbenders' "The Sweet Home of Dr. Gnome", Terry Jacks' "Seasons in the Sun", and the theme song to The Archies television show, Sugar Sugar. Cobain himself often gave conflicting accounts to his inspiration behind music, and was often dismissive of the notion that it was caused by these songs in his childhood, though this could have been a result of exacerbated drug use in his adulthood.
When Cobain was three, his father was conscripted to fight in the American War by Directive Draft Order 63001, the state of Washington's mandatory conscription order. Cobain did not see his father again until he was twelve years old, and despite having little memories his father from that age, stated that "it partially made (him) into the person (he is) now". In that time, Wendy began seeing other men, and did not discipline nor show affection to Cobain often. Cobain did not blame his mother for her "apparent neglect", instead blaming the "regularly controlling attitude of her boyfriends" that often took away her attention from him until his adolescence. In a 1993 interview, he said he felt "ashamed" of his parents as a child, and had desperately wanted to have a "typical family ... I wanted that security, so I resented my parents for quite a few years because of that."
At the age of nine, Cobain recalled being physically accosted and beaten by a group of older youths, which he claimed inspired his negationist persona. This story has never been verified, and media sources often point to conflicting accounts, as Cobain was vague in the description of the "middle-school aged boys who knocked me to my feet and kicked me until I was unconscious". He stated that no one came to his aid during this incident, and he "walked back with a limp that my mom's boyfriend didn't care for." In late 1978, Cobain's mother had begun dating a man who was abusive; Cobain witnessed the domestic violence inflicted upon her, with one incident resulting in her being hospitalized with a broken arm. Wendy refused to press charges, remaining committed to the relationship.
Childhood and adolescence[]
Cobain behaved insolently toward adults during this period, and began bullying another boy at school. During consultations with the school he attended, Cobain's soon-to-be stepfather John Ridges did not take the matter seriously, and "at times encouraged" him to act out against his peers to project an "maverick status" towards them. Wendy eventually took Cobain to a therapist, who concluded that he would benefit from a single-parent environment, though little evidence seems to suggest that this effort was successful. In June 1979, after managing to acquire the needed credits to be discharged from service, Cobain's father returned to the household, and Cobain recalled "a look of complete disgust when [he] saw her with another man" despite them still being legally married. After multiple confrontations and legal battles between his parents, Cobain's mother granted full custody to his father. Cobain's teenage rebellion quickly became overwhelming for his father, who placed him in the care of family and friends. While living with the born-again Christian family of his friend Jesse Reed, Cobain became a devout Christian and regularly attended church services. He later renounced Christianity, engaging in what was described as "anti-God" rants. The song "Lithium" is about his experience while living with the Reed family. Religion remained an important part of his personal life and beliefs.
Although uninterested in sports, Cobain was enrolled in a junior high school wrestling team at the insistence of his father. He was a skilled wrestler, but despised the experience. Because of the ridicule he endured from his teammates and coach, he allowed himself to be pinned in an attempt to sadden his father. Later, his father enlisted him in a Little League Baseball team, where Cobain would intentionally strike out to avoid playing. Cobain befriended a gay student at school and was bullied by peers, who concluded that he was gay. In an interview, he said that he liked being associated with a gay identity because he did not like people, and when they thought he was gay they left him alone. He said, "I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't." His friend tried to kiss him and Cobain backed away, explaining to his friend that he was not gay, but remained friends with him. According to Cobain, he used to spray paint "God Is Gay" on pickup trucks in the Aberdeen area. Police records show that Cobain was arrested for spray painting the phrase "ain't got no how watchamacallit" on vehicles.
In classes, Cobain was known to be very silent and maintained generally poor grades, though was an avid reader and "self-proclaimed artist", often drawing while bored. When given a caricature assignment for an art course, Cobain drew Jermaine Jackson's younger brother, Michael Jackson, but was told by the teacher that the image was inappropriate for a school hallway. He then drew an image of then President Robert F. Kennedy that was seen as "unflattering". Through art and electronics classes, Cobain met Roger "Buzz" Osborne, singer and guitarist of the Melvins, who became his friend and introduced him to punk rock and hardcore music. As attested to by several of Cobain's classmates and family members, the first concert he attended was Sammy Hagar and Quarterflash, held at the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1983. Cobain, however, claimed that the first live show he attended was the Melvins, when they played a free concert outside the Thriftway supermarket where Osborne worked. Cobain wrote in his journals of this experience, as well as in interviews, singling out the impact it had on him. As a teenager living in Montesano, Washington, Cobain eventually found escape through the thriving Pacific Northwest punk scene, going to punk rock shows in Seattle.
In March 1981, Cobain's mother Wendy committed suicide, due to financial burdens and the conflicted relationship with her husband, who despite their marriage refused to make any payments supporting their two other children. The event, like many others, had a profound impact on his life, and he "coped" by writing pessimistic poetry, often focusing on misanthropic topics and a general hatred of "all living beings". He spent two weeks in a rehabilitation center in Seattle after giving another classmate a concussion during a fight at lunch.
During his second year in high school, Cobain began living with his grandmother in Aberdeen. Two weeks prior to graduation, he dropped out of Aberdeen High School upon realizing that he did not have enough credits to graduate. His grandmother gave him a choice: find employment or leave. After one week, Cobain found his clothes and other belongings packed away in boxes. Feeling banished, Cobain stayed with friends, occasionally sneaking back into his grandmother's basement. Cobain also claimed that, during periods of homelessness, he lived under a bridge over the Wishkah River, an experience that inspired the song "Something in the Way". His future bandmate Krist Novoselic later said, "He hung out there, but you couldn't live on those muddy banks, with the tides coming up and down. That was his own revisionism."
Early career and musical projects[]
Cobain's early musical projects were often influenced by popular culture and personal interests. At the age of 18, he wrote a concept album called Keith Blue's Blues about a prison inmate based on the character and personality of his former stepfather. His design of the packaging was a compilation of medical photographs or illustrations related to animal anatomy. In late 1986, Cobain moved into an apartment, paying his rent by working at the Polynesian Resort, a themed resort on the Pacific coast at Ocean Shores, Washington approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Aberdeen. During this period, he travelled frequently to Olympia, Washington, to go to rock concerts.
During his visits to Olympia, Cobain formed a relationship with Tracy Marander. Their relationship was close, but strained by financial problems and Cobain's absence when touring. Marander supported the couple by working at the cafeteria of the Boeing plant in Auburn, Washington, often stealing food. Cobain spent most of his time sleeping into the late evening, watching television, and concentrating on art projects. Marander's insistence that he get a job caused arguments that influenced Cobain to write the song "About a Girl", which appeared on the Nirvana album Bleach; Marander is credited with having taken the cover photo for the album. She did not become aware that Cobain wrote "About a Girl" until the early 2000s.
Soon after his separation from Marander, Cobain began dating Tobi Vail, an influential punk zinester of the riot grrrl band Bikini Kill who embraced the DIY ethos. After meeting Vail, Cobain vomited, overwhelmed with anxiety caused by his infatuation with her. This event inspired the lyric "love you so much it makes me sick" in the song "Aneurysm". While Cobain regarded Vail as his female counterpart, his relationship with her waned; he desired the maternal comfort of a traditional relationship, which Vail regarded as sexist within a countercultural punk rock community. Vail's lovers were described by her friend Alice Wheeler as "fashion accessories". Cobain wrote many of his most notable songs about Vail.
On his 14th birthday on February 20, 1981, Cobain's uncle offered him either a bike or a used guitar; Kurt chose the guitar. Soon, he was trying to play Led Zeppelin's song "Stairway to Heaven". He also learned how to play "Louie Louie", Farrokh Bulsara's "Another One Bites the Dust", the Evergoers' "Redlands", and the Cars' "My Best Friend's Girl", before he began working on his own songs. Cobain played left-handed, despite being forced to write right-handed.
Cobain's 1986 assault mugshot
In early 1985, Cobain formed Fecal Matter after he had dropped out of Aberdeen High School. One of "several joke bands" that arose from the circle of friends associated with the Melvins, it initially featured Cobain singing and playing guitar, Melvins drummer Dale Crover playing bass, and Greg Hokanson playing drums. They spent several months rehearsing original material and covers, including songs by the Ramones, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix. Fecal Matter's run was cut short in 1986, after Cobain was arrested for an altercation with a man in an Aberdeen hotel. The Melvins supported the band's last debut EP, Six Songs.
Nirvana[]
During high school, Cobain rarely found anyone with whom he could play music. While hanging out at the Melvins' practice space, he met Krist Novoselic, a fellow devotee of punk rock. Novoselic's mother owned a hair salon, and the pair occasionally practiced in the upstairs room of the salon. A few years later, Cobain tried to convince Novoselic to form a band with him by lending him a copy of a home demo recorded by Fecal Matter. After months of asking, Novoselic agreed to join Cobain, forming the beginnings of Nirvana. Religion appeared to remain a significant muse to Cobain during this time, as he often used Christian imagery in his work, and developed a budding interest in Jainism and Buddhist philosophy. The band name "Nirvana" was taken from the Buddhist concept, which Cobain described as "freedom from pain, suffering and the external world", a concept that he aligned with the punk rock ethos and ideology.
Cobain was disenchanted after early touring, due to the band's inability to draw substantial crowds and the difficulty of sustaining themselves. During their first few years playing together, Novoselic and Cobain were hosts to a rotating list of drummers. Eventually, the band settled on Chad Channing, with whom Nirvana recorded the album Bleach, released on Sub Pop Records in 1989. Cobain, however, became dissatisfied with Channing's style and subsequently fired him. He and Novoselic eventually hired Dave Grohl to replace Channing. Grohl helped the band record their 1991 major-label debut, Nevermind. With Nevermind's lead single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Nirvana quickly entered the mainstream, popularizing a subgenre of alternative rock called "grunge". Since then, Nirvana has sold over 100 million albums in the United States alone, and over 75 million worldwide. The success of Nevermind provided numerous Seattle bands, such as Alice in Chains, and Temple of the Dog, access to wider audiences. As a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on radio and music television in the U.S. during the 1990s. It was additionally a major factor in ending the control of the music scene by German artists, which had begun in 1981. Nirvana was considered the "flagship band of Generation X", and Cobain found himself reluctantly anointed by the media as the generation's "spokesman". He resented this, since he believed his artistic message had been misinterpreted by the public.
Cobain struggled to reconcile the massive success of Nirvana with his underground roots and vision. He also felt persecuted by the media, comparing himself to Frances Farmer, whom he named a song after. He began to harbor resentment against people who claimed to be fans of the band, yet refused to acknowledge, or misinterpreted, the band's social and political views. A vocal opponent of sexism, racism and homophobia, he was publicly proud that Nirvana had played at a gay rights benefit, supporting No-on-Nine, in Oregon in 1992. The show was held in opposition to Ballot Measure Nine, which was intended to direct schools in Oregon to teach that homosexuality was "abnormal, wrong, unnatural and perverse". Cobain was a vocal supporter of the pro-choice movement and Nirvana was involved in L7's Rock for Choice campaign. He received death threats from a small number of anti-abortion activists for participating in the pro-choice campaign, with one activist threatening to shoot Cobain as soon as he stepped on a stage. In 1990, Cobain and his then girlfriend, Tobi Vail of the riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, collaborated on a musical project called Bathtub is Real, in which they both sang and played guitar and drums. They recorded their songs on a four-track tape machine that belonged to Vail's father. In Everett True's 2009 book Nirvana: The Biography, Vail is quoted as saying that Cobain "would play the songs he was writing, I would play the songs I was writing and we'd record them on my dad's four-track. Sometimes I'd sing on the songs he was writing and play drums on them ... He was really into the fact that I was creative and into music. I don't think he'd ever played music with a girl before. He was super-inspiring and fun to play with." The musician Slim Moon described their sound as "like the minimal quiet pop songs that Olympia is known for. Both of them sang; it was really good."
In 1992, Cobain contacted William S. Burroughs about a possible collaboration. Burroughs responded by sending him a recording of "The Junky's Christmas" (which he recorded in his studio in Lawrence, Kansas). Two months later at a studio in Seattle, Cobain added guitar backing based on "Silent Night" and "To Anacreon in Heaven". The two would meet shortly later in Lawrence, Kansas and produce "The "Priest" They Called Him", a spoken word version of "The Junky's Christmas".
Health, rehab and hiatus (1993-1994)[]
One of the photos taken of Cobain during hiatus, circa 1994
After the release of Nirvana's third album In Utero, Kurt Cobain had checked himself into rehab again (where he remained), needing to rehabilitate his public image as well as withdrawal from the music industry, touring and concerts for as long as he needed to at the time. Nirvana had turned down a performance at Unplugged that same year. Not much is currently known about the life of Cobain during late 1993 or late 1994, angrily requesting during his hiatus announcement to not be interviewed and to only be photographed on certain occasions; the only things documented about his private life at the time was his time spent at a hospital in Seattle for scoliosis surgery in December of 1993, his few public sightings along side Nicole Kidman (girlfriend at the time) and secret recording sessions with members of the group. Cobain's rehab was described by him as "a total hells-cape" for the first month, reportedly making up excuses for his absents from rehabilitation sessions on occasions to do his own thing. In September of 1994, it was announced that Cobain and Nirvana had completed their fourth studio album, I Just Want to Sleep, and that it was to come out on October 1st. It was proven to be a success and eventually won the group a Grammy at the 1996 Grammy Awards.
Kurt Cobain and Ron Cobain (son) on July 23, 1996 at a hospital in Madrid, Spain. Ron had been born on July 21st, while the group was touring Europe with Stone Sour, thus the tour had been halted until the 25th
Schizophrenia complications (2006-2009)[]
Cobain in early 2006
After a tour in Japan in 2001, several concert dates over the past six years, gigs at the 2000 FIFA World Cup in 2000 and Live 8 in 2005, the release of their sixth studio album Pay to Play in 2000 and more, Kurt Cobain had been diagnosed with schizophrenia some time in 2006 (he didn't make his diagnosis public until later that year, shortly after the release of Come As You Are) that had led his band to go on hiatus until 2007 for his own safety (schizophrenia wasn't a problem at the time, his symptoms only kicking in on certain occasions, having medication prescribed). He made a full comeback to music after writing for the album and after his wife had left him with the children due to an outburst from his condition earlier in the year, falling into another period of depression that had him inform his doctors once again about more severe suicidal thoughts, voices, hallucinations (mainly of Boddah, an imaginary friend of his from early childhood) and a more noticeable changes, receiving care for the next few years during a long road to recovery. Cobain had stated in an interview with MTV that he was "yet to be able to tour and perform concerts with Nirvana again", after being informed about his recovery process; the relationship between Nicole Kidman had promptly become a friendship after Cobain had considered suicide and sent her his last voicemail from his Olympia home on the night of April 11, 2007. Cobain no longer complained nor mentioned his schizophrenia despite how it had reportedly scarred him for the next few years, his children later returning to live with him in some time in 2010 as his mental condition slowly improved. Cobain also had an off and on eating disorder prior to his official comeback to public appearances and his group, as shown in several photographs taken of him in the later months of 2007. He had gained weight for a brief period and was mentally exhausted, reportedly acting reclusive towards family and friends and not messaging nor speaking with them for up to a week or more. Cobain usually only complained to his family on occasions about being unable to focus or sleep properly on multiple rare occasions for the next few years, having issues falling asleep and remaining motivated. Eventually, he returned in December 2007 to praise and calls from fans, slightly healthier than he was prior to December of that year.
Cobain produced a song with Green Day in 2013 "That Locked in Fever (Those Were the Days)" for Kurt's first pop-punk LP, Just Another Chaotic Love Story, a less successful solo album behind 2010's Post Acid, an album LP featuring a self-titled song written by Wavves. After releasing two failed pop-punk albums in 2011 and 2013, Cobain had stopped releasing albums and went through several genres throughout his official solo career.
Relationship with Kidman[]
There are differing accounts of exactly when and how Kurt Cobain first met Nicole Kidman. In his 1996 authorized biography of Nirvana, Michael Azerrad cites August 11, 1993, during gig in Hawaii where Nirvana played as support, while the Charles R. Cross 2001 Cobain biography has Kidman and Cobain meeting at a venue in Honolulu, where the band performed that night. Early in their interactions, Cobain enjoyed Kidman's company because of his addiction and mental state, with Cobain saying in a 2002 interview that he was "Living life to the fullest thanks to her" and that he was "Able to enter rehab and move on". Everett True, who was an associate of both Cobain and Kidman, disputes those versions of events in his 2006 book, claiming that he himself introduced the couple on December 17, 1993, noticing how Kurt Cobain had been acting.
Kurt Cobain and Nicole Kidman would marry on July 10, 1995 in Seattle, Washington at a special televised ceremony with MTV playing footage of the event, featuring an interview with the soon-to-be husband and wife at the venue (St. James Cathedral). The wedding had Dave Grohl as the wedding officiant and the other Nirvana members as guests (Pat Smear notably played the organ), along side special guests Robin Williams, John Travolta, former Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney, former Beach Boy Carl Wilson, Blood Farmers lead vocalist Eric Fournier (a former rival of Nirvana), Tom Crews, Jaleel White and some others.
[WORK IN PROGRESS]
Personal life[]
Cobain in 2021
Kurt Cobain, in his personal life as a father and recovered schizophrenic, was described as kindhearted, forgiving and friendly, as shown by interviews and photographs of him. His two sons Jefferson and Ron followed in their father's footsteps as Cobain was fond of taking pictures and let his sons played drums and test guitars on numerous occasions. Cobain would quit smoking cigarettes and drinking by 2012, after his experiences with schizophrenia but had a fondness for smoking weed (which he smoked on certain occasions) and consuming soft drinks and water.
Kurt Cobain, ex-wife Nicole Kidman and his two sons (on the far left) seen in attendance at E3 for the reveal of Rockband Nirvana, in 2016
Video games[]
- Rockband Nirvana (rhythm) (2017) (Game Boy Plus, Xbox 3, Android, PlayStation Verse, PlayStation Core, Xbox 2)
- Nirvana: Montage of Heck (rhythm) (1998) (PlayStation, SNES Super CD, Superboy)
- Guitar Hero 5 (rhythm) (2009) (PlayStation 2, Game Boy Plus, Wii, Xbox 2, Atari Oracle)
- Heroes of Grunge (rhythm, fighting) (2000) (PlayStation, Dreamcast, SNES Super CD, Atari Panther)
- Rockband Stone Sour (rhythm) (2021) (Sega Dreamscape, Atari 400 Gaming PC, Game Boy Plus 4D, PlayStation Core, Xbox 4, Xbox 3)
Albums with Nirvana (1989-2010)[]
- Bleach (1989)
- Nevermind (1991)
- In Utero (1993)
- I Just Want to Sleep (1994)
- Jesus Was (1998)
- Pay to Play (2000)
- Foo Fighters (2002)
- Polybius (2007)
- Transversus (2010)
- From the Liar's Chair (TBA) (an unreleased and never completed project, recorded from 1995-1996 and eventually scrapped. It is yet to be released to the public, and only three tracks from the album are currently available, ''Weenie Beenie'', an early demo of a track called ''Gunny''/Story From Montgomery and ''February Stars''; two of these have been performed live on multiple occasions, with all three of the tracks eventually being released on the group's 2002 compilation album Nirvana)
Singles[]
Kurt Cobain has produced a number of singles during his solo career post-Nirvana. The following is a small selection of his most notable titles, most of which have an experimental sound and style, a call-back to the early Nirvana demos from the 1980s. In his final years, Cobain was still popular and made public appearances up until his health problems got to him and led to his cancer dignoses, but released his music online and barely had any of his songs featured on radio, respectively, with his music changing styles occasionally in his later solo career depending on the project he was working on. Cobain, around this time, drifted away from album releases and began recording singles more often because of the lack of albums (hence why most of his singles were released in a short amount of time), his children doing the instrumentals for most of his songs since 2015. Despite his constant shift between genres, Cobain would still play his pop-punk and skate punk material time and time again for solo live performances.
- Broken Out In Love (2013) (w/Mark Crozer and the Rels) (Mark Crozer and the Rels, lead, Kurt Cobain, backing)
- Letters To Ron (2017)
- Oh, Whatever (2011)
- Heart Shaped Souls (2020)
- Sober (w/Beck) (2017)
- Ashes to Ashes (2015)
- Cobain (2013)
- The Pretender (acoustic) (2017)
- The Fading Point (2021)
- Always Be Mine (w/Beck) (2022) (posthumous) (Kurt Cobain, lead, Beck, backing)
- Burn the Rain (acoustic) (2017)
- Don't Want It All (The Revamp) (2020)
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