10 Musical Shifts That No One Saw Coming

3. In Utero - Nirvana

At the start of 1993, Nirvana could have put out almost anything and it would have sold well. Considering that they were becoming one of the biggest bands of their generation off of Nevermind alone, fans were clamoring for anything that Kurt Cobain had coming down the pipeline next. The problem was...Kurt Cobain wanted to leave the sound of Nevermind in the dust.

Working with Steve Albini on In Utero, Nirvana set out to make a far more caustic experience than the radio rock sound that you got from songs like In Bloom. From the opening grittiness of Heart Shaped Box, you knew that this was going to be a much different beast, having a far moodier tone and Kurt reaching the top of his register for his screams.

When you picked up the rest of the album though, this was a far more artistic record than anyone expected, having radio-friendly songs that were more raw like Serve the Servants alongside some of the most eclectic songs they had ever made like Radio Friendly Unit Shifter. Since the album was so dark though, no one could have predicted that this was going to be the end, with Kurt Cobain passing away a few months after the record hit shelves. Still, this is a damn fine album to wrap a career on. It's just part of the legacy now...a dark, tortured legacy.