Nirvana changed the face of music

The other day I was packing up my CDs. My wife and I are moving, and we needed to get all of my CDs into boxes.

There are so many, the boxing turned into a pretty big chore. Thank goodness my brother-in-law was available to help.

As we sifted through the likes of Tori Amos, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, the Doors, Killing Joke, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails. . . . I paused when I came to Nirvana.

I used to have "Bleach," "Nevermind" and "In Utero" on vinyl, but someone ripped them off. That's a shame, because they were first-pressings, and they are now collectors' items. (Whoever has them better be happy.)

Anyway, the only Nirvana CDs I own are "MTV Unplugged," "From the Muddy Banks of Wishka" and the band's self-titled compilation that was released in 2002. (No one borrows those.)

But I digress.

When Nirvana hit the mainstream back in 1991, "Nevermind" became the first punk album to hit the No. 1 slot on Billboard's Top 200. In fact, it was that album that shook up the record companies and brought a fresh sound to the tired world of hair-metal ballads.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" touched a nerve with music fans who were tired of the droning pomp clones that filled the airwaves at the time.

Nirvana — singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer David Grohl — were the Beatles of the New Generation. This trio changed the face of music forever.

With Nirvana, the whole Seattle underground scene erupted in what some critics called a musical revolution.

With the grungy sound of Nirvana out in the forefront — and the band constantly appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone, Billboard, Spin and other music-industry publications — other Seattle Bands began to get ink in the press: Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, 7 Year Bitch, Mudhoney, Tad, Candlebox, Bikini Kill, Green Apple Quick Step, the Screaming Trees, Sunny Day Real Estate and MXPX. They all received notice, whether they started before or after Nirvana.

The bottom line is, Nirvana opened up music fans' ears to tunes that didn't necessarily appear on the Top 40. Even bands from other parts of the country began capitalizing on the whole grunge sound: Stone Temple Pilots, Seven Mary Three, L7, early Veruca Salt and Collective Soul. All of them hit the big time thanks to some grinding guitars and, with the exception of Veruca Salt, gravely vocals.