Kurt Cobain’s musical influences were shaped by the limitations of his time. Unlike today’s instant access to virtually any music through streaming services, Kurt Cobain’s exposure was limited to what he could find on the radio and what he saw on MTV (back when the channel was in its prime). Friends and family gave him the records he couldn’t afford to buy. By 1991, his record collection was gathered from thrift stores and garage sales. This eclectic mix spanned blues from the ’50s to alternative rock of the early ’90s.
Among his collection were two of Kurt Cobain’s favorite albums from the ’60s: Meet The Beatles! and Philosophy Of The World.
The Beatles – Meet The Beatles! (1964)
Kurt Cobain loved The Beatles and was exposed to their songs by his relatives early on. He recalled that his Aunt Mari left a lasting impact on his musical development by giving him three Beatles albums. Among these was Meet the Beatles! This album and others like A Hard Day’s Night and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band stood out in his eclectic collection.
Cobain was forever grateful for this early exposure to The Beatles’ music. Still, he also experienced one of his first disappointments when he discovered in 1976 that The Beatles had dissolved six years earlier. Despite this setback, their influence remained a cornerstone of his musical identity. In particular, the Beatles and this album shaped his understanding and appreciation of classic songwriting and melody, key aspects that surfaced in Nirvana’s music.
When Kurt Cobain decided to write his first attempt at a pure pop song, he turned to Meet the Beatles! for inspiration. He played it repeatedly, letting the melodies and songwriting style soak in. On the day he wrote “About a Girl,” Cobain told Steve Shillinger that he listened to Meet the Beatles! for three hours straight to get in the right mood. The song became a significant milestone in Kurt’s development as a songwriter. Its straightforward melody and structure were so reminiscent of The Beatles that audiences initially mistook it for a Beatles cover during Nirvana’s early live performances.
This approach showcased Kurt Cobain’s ability to blend pop sensibilities with the raw energy that defined Nirvana. His extensive study of The Beatles, starting as a toddler, was evident in “About a Girl” and other Nirvana tracks like “Pennyroyal Tea.”
The Shaggs – Philosophy Of The World (1969)
Another Kurt Cobain favorite album from the ’60s was Philosophy Of The World by The Shaggs. Released in 1969, this record was not widely known or appreciated, but it became an underground classic for its raw and unpolished sound. For Kurt Cobain, the album represented something more than just music; it was a testament to authenticity and the beauty of imperfection.
The Shaggs consisted of three sisters who created an album that defied conventional music norms despite having little formal musical training. Their offbeat rhythms, out-of-tune instruments, and earnest lyrics impacted Cobain’s ethos that music didn’t have to be perfect to be impactful.
The album’s tracks found a special place in Cobain’s musical landscape with their childlike innocence and sincerity. He was drawn to songs like “My Pal Foot Foot” and “Who Are Parents?” for their earnestness and the sisters’ genuine approach to songwriting. With its raw playing style and mostly nonsensical lyrics, the album gained popularity among collectors and has even been described as “proto-punk” by some critics.
Kurt Cobain’s 50 Favorite Albums
- Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power (1973)
- Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)
- The Breeders – Pod (1990)
- The Vaselines – Dying for It (1988, listed as Pink EP)
- The Shaggs – Philosophy of the World (1969)
- Fang – Landshark! (1982)
- MDC – Millions of Dead Cops (1981)
- Scratch Acid – Scratch Acid (1984, listed as 1st EP)
- Saccharine Trust – Paganicons (1981, listed as 1st EP)
- Butthole Surfers – Pee Pee the Sailor (1983)
- Black Flag – My War (1984)
- Bad Brains – Rock for Light (1983)
- Gang of Four – Entertainment! (1979)
- Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)
- The Frogs – It’s Only Right and Natural (1989)
- PJ Harvey – Dry (1992)
- Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)
- The Knack – Get the Knack (1979)
- The Saints – Know Your Product (1978)
- Kleenex – “anything by:” (1978–1983, collected on 1993’s Kleenex/LiLiPUT anthology)
- The Raincoats – The Raincoats (1979)
- Young Marble Giants – Colossal Youth (1980)
- Aerosmith – Rocks (1976)
- Various Artists – What Is It. (1982, erroneously listed as What Is This?)
- R.E.M. – Green (1988)
- Shonen Knife – Burning Farm (K Records version, 1985)
- The Slits – Cut (1979, listed as Typical Girls)
- The Clash – Combat Rock (1982)
- The Faith/Void – The Faith/Void (1982)
- Rites of Spring – Rites of Spring (1985)
- Beat Happening – Jamboree (1988)
- Tales of Terror – Tales of Terror (1984)
- Leadbelly – Leadbelly’s Last Sessions Volume One (1953)
- Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff (1988)
- Daniel Johnston – Yip/Jump Music (1983)
- Flipper – Album – Generic Flipper (1982)
- The Beatles – Meet the Beatles! (1964)
- Half Japanese – We Are They Who Ache with Amorous Love (1990)
- Butthole Surfers – Locust Abortion Technician (1987)
- Black Flag – Damaged (1981)
- Fear – The Record (1982)
- Public Image Ltd – The Flowers of Romance (1981)
- Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
- Marine Girls – Beach Party (1981)
- David Bowie – The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
- Wipers – Is This Real? (1980)
- Wipers – Youth of America (1981)
- Wipers – Over the Edge (1983)
- Mazzy Star – She Hangs Brightly (1990)
- Swans – Young God (1984, erroneously listed as Raping a Slave)