Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, and then recruited Dave Grohl in 1990. The band's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referred to as the breakthrough band of Generation X. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

In the late 1980s, Nirvana established themselves as part of the Seattle grunge scene and released their first album, Bleach, for the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. They developed a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and heavy choruses. After signing to the DGC Records label in 1991, Nirvana found unexpected commercial success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", the first single from their landmark second album Nevermind (1991). A cultural phenomenon of the 1990s, Nevermind was certified Diamond by the RIAA and is credited with ending the dominance of hair metal.1