Nirvana Discography
The discography of Nirvana, an American rock band, consists of three studio albums, twenty-one singles, five live albums, two extended plays, four compilation albums, and three box sets.
Nirvana was formed in 1987 by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, with the position of drummer being filled by various musicians. The band released its debut album, Bleach, in 1989 on independent label Sub Pop. After being joined by final drummer Dave Grohl and signing to Geffen Records subsidiary DGC Records, the band released its second studio album, Nevermind, which became one of the best selling alternative albums of the 1990s and popularized the Seattle grunge movement and alternative music. The band's third album, In Utero, was also a commercial and critical success, though it did not match the sales precedent set by Nevermind—as the members of the band expected. Nirvana disbanded in 1994 after the death of Cobain; since then several posthumous releases have been issued from the band, which once resulted in a legal conflict between Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, and the surviving members of the band over the release of the song "You Know You're Right". In 2006, Love sold a significant share of the rights to Cobain's song catalog to Primary Wave Music Publishing. Since its debut, the band has sold 27.6 million albums in the United States alone, and over 75 million records worldwide.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
AUT |
CAN |
FIN |
NLD |
NZ |
SWE |
SWI |
UK | ||||
| Bleach | 89 | 34 | 26 | — | 22 | — | 30 | — | — | 33 |
|
||
| Nevermind |
|
1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
|
|
| In Utero |
|
1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
|
|
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
AUT |
CAN |
FIN |
NLD |
NZ |
SWE |
SWI |
UK | ||||
| MTV Unplugged in New York |
|
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
|
|
| From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah |
|
1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
|
|
| Live at Reading |
|
37 | — | 28 | 17 | — | 64 | 33 | — | 97 | 32 |
|
|
| Live at the Paramount |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Live and Loud |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
AUT |
CAN |
FIN |
NLD |
NZ |
SWE |
SWI |
UK | ||||
| Incesticide |
|
39 | 22 | 10 | 21 | 16 | 31 | — | 27 | 18 | 14 |
|
|
| Nirvana |
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
|
|
| Sliver: The Best of the Box |
|
21 | 95 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | 87 | 56 |
|
|
| Icon |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Box sets
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUT |
CAN |
DEN |
FRA |
JPN |
NLD |
NZ |
SWI |
UK | ||||
| Singles |
|
— | — | — | 5 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 101 | ||
| With the Lights Out | 19 | 34 | 10 | — | 20 | 16 | 65 | 39 | 28 | 56 |
|
| |
| Nevermind: The Singles |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Extended plays
| Title | EP details | Chart positions | Comments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
JPN |
UK Indie | |||
| Blew | — | — | 15 | Blew was intended to be released to promote an upcoming European tour, but this plan was scrapped, and the EP ended up being released exclusively in the UK shortly after its completion. | |
| Hormoaning |
|
2 | 67 | — | Hormoaning was released only in Australia and Japan, with two different covers accompanying the release in each country, to promote the band's tour of the Pacific Rim. Hormoaning was re-released for Record Store Day 2011, as a limited edition. |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Singles
Retail singles
| Song | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
BEL |
FIN |
FRA |
IRE |
NZ |
PT |
SWE |
UK | ||||
| "Love Buzz" | 1988 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bleach | |
| "Sliver" | 1990 | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | 77 | Non-album single | |
| "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
|
Nevermind |
| "Come as You Are" | 1992 | 32 | 25 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 9 |
| |
| "Lithium" | 64 | 53 | 18 | 1 | — | 5 | 28 | 4 | — | 11 |
| ||
| "In Bloom" | — | 73 | — | 16 | — | 7 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 28 |
| ||
| "Heart-Shaped Box" | 1993 | — | 21 | 18 | 9 | 37 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 5 |
|
In Utero |
| "All Apologies"/ "Rape Me" |
— | 58 | 30 | — | 20 | 20 | 32 | — | — | 32 |
| ||
| "Pennyroyal Tea" | 1994 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 121 |
| |
| "About a Girl" | — | 4 | 12 | 8 | 23 | — | — | — | 20 | 185 |
|
MTV Unplugged in New York | |
| "You Know You're Right" | 2002 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Nirvana |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Notes
- ^ The "Love Buzz" single was limited to 1000 numbered retail copies and 200 promotional copies.
- ^ Though "Sliver" was initially released as a standalone single on Sub Pop in 1990, it did not chart in Ireland until after the success of the Nevermind album in 1992.
- ^ "Sliver" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 but charted at number 19 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in January 1993 following its appearance on the Incesticide compilation album which was released in December 1992.
- ^ "Sliver" did not chart on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart but charted at number 12 on the Australian ARIA Alternative Singles Chart.
- ^ "Lithium" did not chart on the French SNEP Singles Chart, but did chart at number 20 on the West Europe Airplay Chart which included France, Belgium (Wallonia), parts of Switzerland, and Monaco.
- ^ "Lithium" did not chart on the Swedish Singles Chart but did chart at number 10 on the Swedish Airplay Chart.
- ^ "In Bloom" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 due the lack of an American physical release, but it charted at number 5 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
- ^ "Heart-Shaped Box" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 due the lack of an American physical release, but it charted at number 1 on the US Billboard Alternative Airplay chart, and at number 4 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
- ^ "All Apologies" and "Rape Me" were released together as a double A-side single.
- ^ "All Apologies" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
- ^ "All Apologies" / "Rape Me" did not chart on the Portuguese AFP Singles Chart which was only a Top 10 chart at the time, but "Rape Me" did chart at number 15 on the Iberian Airplay Chart which included Portugal and Spain.
- ^ The "Pennyroyal Tea" single was cancelled after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but it charted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, when re-released for Record Store Day in 2014.
- ^ The "Pennyroyal Tea" single was cancelled after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, but it charted at number 4 on the UK Physical Singles Sales chart, and number 121 on the UK Singles Chart, when re-released for Record Store Day in 2014.
- ^ The "About a Girl" retail single was released only in Continental Europe and Australia, but the song was released to radio in the US.
- ^ "About a Girl" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 but peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.
- ^ "About a Girl" did not chart on the Portuguese AFP Singles Chart which had been discontinued in January 1994, but did chart at number 7 on the Iberian Airplay Chart which included Portugal and Spain.
- ^ The "About a Girl" single charted in the UK based solely on import sales and did not receive a UK release.
- ^ "You Know You're Right" was released as a promotional and downloadable single only at a time when there were no countries in the world including downloads in their music charts.
- ^ "You Know You're Right" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart because it was only released as a downloadable single and no physical single was released at a time when downloads were not being counted towards the UK Singles Chart, but it charted at number 85 on the UK Airplay Chart.
Promotional singles
| Song | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Air |
US Main |
US Alt |
BEL |
CAN |
EU Air |
FIN Air |
FRA Air |
SPN Air |
UK Rock | ||||
| "On a Plain" | 1991 | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Nevermind |
| "Molly's Lips" | 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Incesticide | |
| "Dumb" | 1994 | — | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
In Utero |
| "All Apologies" | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — |
|
MTV Unplugged in New York | |
| "Polly" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "The Man Who Sold the World" | 1995 | 39 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 22 | 29 | — | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| |
| "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Lake of Fire" | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Aneurysm" | 1996 | 63 | 11 | 13 | — | 49 | — | 40 | — | — | — | From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah | |
| "Drain You" | — | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Endless, Nameless" | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Nevermind | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Notes
- ^ Released only in the United States.
- ^ Released only in Brazil.
- ^ In 2021, "Endless, Nameless" was released as a 7-inch single included with the 30th-anniversary vinyl reissue of Nevermind.
Split singles
| Single | Year | Other artist | Peak positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Alt |
EU |
UK | |||||
| "Candy" / "Molly's Lips" | 1991 | The Fluid | — | — | — | ||
| "Here She Comes Now" / "Venus in Furs" | Melvins | — | — | — | |||
| "Puss" / "Oh, the Guilt" | 1993 | The Jesus Lizard | 3 | 36 | 12 | ||
| "About a Girl" / "Blind Man" | 1994 | Aerosmith | — | — | — | ||
| "The Man Who Sold the World" / "Walk on Water" | 1995 | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||
Notes
Other charted and certified songs
| Song | Year | Peak positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
CAN |
GRE |
HUN |
IRE |
LTU |
NZ |
UK |
WW | ||||
| "Been a Son" | 1989 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Blew |
| "Breed" | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Nevermind |
| "Polly" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Drain You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Lounge Act" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Something in the Way" | 46 | 22 | 34 | 8 | 25 | 47 | 34 | 40 | 76 | 23 |
| ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "In Bloom" (Sub Pop version) | 1990 | Steve Brown | Sub Pop Video Network Program 1 |
| "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 | Samuel Bayer | Nevermind |
| "Come as You Are" | 1992 | Kevin Kerslake | |
| "Lithium" | |||
| "In Bloom" | |||
| "Sliver" | 1993 | Incesticide | |
| "Heart-Shaped Box" | Anton Corbijn | In Utero | |
| "You Know You're Right" | 2002 | Chris Hafner | Nirvana |
| "Dumb" | 2023 | RuffMercy | In Utero |
Video albums
| Title | Video album details | Chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS |
UK | |||
| Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| |
| With the Lights Out | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| |
| Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind |
|
4 | 13 | 6 |
|
| MTV Unplugged in New York |
|
6 | 3 | 3 |
|
| Live at Reading |
|
1 | 4 | — |
|
| Live at the Paramount |
|
1 | 1 | 4 |
|
| Live and Loud |
|
1 | 2 | 7 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
Notes
Other appearances
| Song | Year | Album | US |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Spank Thru" | 1988 | Sub Pop 200 | — | A re-recording of a song first performed on the 1985 Illiteracy Will Prevail demo by members of Nirvana as Fecal Matter. |
| "Mexican Seafood" | 1989 | Teriyaki Asthma, Vol. 1 | — | Later released on Incesticide. |
| "Beeswax" | 1991 | Kill Rock Stars | — | |
| "Dive" | The Grunge Years | — | ||
| "Do You Love Me?" | 1990 | Hard to Believe: Kiss Covers Compilation | — | Cover of a 1976 Kiss song. |
| "Here She Comes Now" | Heaven & Hell: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground | — | Cover of a 1968 Velvet Underground song. Previously released on the split single "Here She Comes Now/Venus in Furs" in 1991, it was later released on With the Lights Out in 2004 and on the Nevermind 20th anniversary deluxe editions in 2011. | |
| "Return of the Rat" | 1993 | Eight Songs for Greg Sage and The Wipers | — | Cover of a 1979 Wipers song. Later released on With the Lights Out. |
| "Sappy" | No Alternative | 56 | Nirvana's contribution to the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series was an uncredited and a secret track. The song was originally titled "Sappy", but was renamed prior to release on No Alternative. It was later released on With the Lights Out in 2004 as "Sappy" and on the In Utero 20th anniversary deluxe editions as "Sappy" in 2013 . | |
| "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" | The Beavis and Butt-head Experience | 5 | The first song on The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience, it was recorded during the sessions for In Utero. This version of "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" was included as a B-side on the cancelled "Pennyroyal Tea" single but is different from the version found on With the Lights Out. | |
| "Pay to Play" | 1994 | DGC Rarities Vol. 1 | 139 | This is an early version of "Stay Away" which was a song on Nevermind. "Pay to Play" was later released on With the Lights Out in 2004 and on the Nevermind 20th anniversary deluxe editions in 2011. |
| "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" | 1996 | Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense | — | Live version from a Grenoble, France concert in 1994. It received some airplay on alternative and active rock radio. |
| "Rape Me" | 1999 | Saturday Night Live: The Musical Performances Vol. 2 | — | Live version from an appearance on Saturday Night Live. It was also released as a music video on MTV. |
Unreleased songs
Courtney Love stated in May 2002 that she owned 109 unreleased tapes made by Cobain, with or without the other members of Nirvana. Of these songs, many were released on the 61 song box set With the Lights Out in 2004, with three "freshly unearthed" songs appearing on the compilation Sliver: The Best of the Box in 2005. More unreleased Nirvana tracks were released on the deluxe and super deluxe 20th anniversary editions of the Nevermind and In Utero albums in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Many more unreleased songs were released on Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings in 2015 which was the companion soundtrack to the film Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. Brett Morgen stated that in Cobain's archive he discovered over 200 hours of audio on over 108 cassettes and that he thought the solo album "would be a nice complement to the film".