Our society is in the midst of a complete paradox of perception. Everyone is entitled to their own system of beliefs, yet the majority of these beliefs are adulterated by the conformity to societies standards. History proves that most any attempt to stray from the norm and venture into a realm of nonconformity is soon detected, tainted, and followed in masses. Kurt Cobain was born in 1967, just twenty-two years before he inadvertently spawned the movement that would revolutionize the identities of millions of struggling teens across America.
He spent the majority of his adolescent years in the small town of Aberdine Oregon, were he battled depression as he dealt with such issues as his parents separation, infamy of peers, and poverty (Kurt, web). At the age of thirteen, Cobain found solace in his ability to express his torment in poetry (Bozza). He was introduced to music shortly there after, and quickly became lost in it. Although Cobain approached high school with an antisocial demeanor, he managed to meet two very significant people. In his senior year, Cobain auditioned with bassist, Krist Novoselic, and drummer, Dave Grohl, and hastily formed a band (Kurt, web).
Soon after forming Nirvana, Cobain dropped out of school and was kicked out of the house by his mother. As Cobain spent weeks under the small bridge just miles from Seattle that was then his home, his sense of frustration and alienation from society was epitomized. It was this raw emotion that fueled his ballads of angst and aggression that would soon give a whole new perspective to the idea of grunge. In March of 1991, four fuzzy power chords, a raw, penetrating drumline, and a tormented raspy voice spouting undecipherable words, invaded the homes of teenagers nationwide and marked the beginning of what would soon become the grunge movement.
The single, Smells like Teen Spirit, took Cobains small underground band from Seattle and cast them into the mainstream spotlight. This movement could not have been sparked at a better time. The Billboard Charts had been previously saturated with candy coated and shrink wrapped pop music such as Milli Vanilli, MC Hammer and Paula Abdul (Billboard). Nirvana entered the music world like a red-headed stepchild with their distortion driven guitar riffs and anthems of social dissidence. They were embraced by a mob of rebellious teenagers who felt that they had finally found music to which they could relate.
Ironically, Nirvanas success was also fueled by a popular culture that viewed the bands abnormal acts as a novelty. They were drawn to Nirvanas antics much like passing motorists who stop to observe a gruesome car wreck. By the end of 1991 Nirvanas presence had left a pungent taste in the mouth of society. Nirvanas influence became evident in a certain group of young seditious teenagers. Like a virus, their lyrics have infected a generation with a disposition that is, at best, sullen, melancholic, and somber, and at worst, suicidal (Zouhary).
These teens truly empathized with Cobains emotion, and lived his philosophy. This subculture enacted Cobains ideal of an anti-fashion, anti-sex symbol, slacker lifestyle. This was evident in their blatant disregard for popular standards. No longer were they tempted to spend hundreds of dollars on name brand clothes, or countless hours in front of a mirror. These concepts seemed ridiculous to young teens that had no desire to conform to a society that did not accept them. This subculture was at the heart of Cobains ideology, and was the essence of the grunge movement.
Like any up and coming band making steps in a new direction of music, Nirvana would soon be exploited by the music industry, and dragged into the arena of pop culture. Once Nirvana was commercialized, essentially anyone could take part in their movement, considerably compromising the integrity of their cause. The same type of youth who once ostracized Cobain in his adolescent years were now looking to him as a status symbol. More and more, teens in designer clothes could be seen probing the aisles of the local thrift store in search of fashion.
Inadvertently, Media and the music industry had successfully turned a legitimate following based on self-expression, into a bastard subculture fed by conformity. Cobain soon became aware that the music industry was capitalizing on his iconoclastic philosophy and grew even more discontent with his circumstances. Although his record label was making him millions of dollars, it was also materializing his emotions, selling him out to the wrong crowd, and therefore negating everything that he originally stood for.
The music industry was Nirvanas ticket to stardom, unfortunately Cobain was always scared of heights. Cobain, never one to self-promote, was once quoted as saying, Id rather be in pain than fame. (Kurt, web) Needless to say, Cobains life was filled with malaise. Nothing could compare to the realization that the society he protested was using his struggles as entertainment. He essentially could not handle the mainstream attention. On April 5, 1994 his inner demons conquered, and Kurt Cobain took his own life (Greil, 1999).
Six years later, Cobain would be thrilled to know that his original anthem of angst and rebellion would be labeled as the number three pop song of all time (Top 100, MTV). The power of music is unparalleled. It has the ability to start trends, break stereotypes, and build entire subcultures. It is a potent art form that portrays emotion in its finest state (DeCurtis, 76). This brilliant vehicle of expression is able to cross boundaries that were previously insurmountable by other means. A small-town teen with a pessimistic worldview was able to harness the power of music and influence an entire generation.
