10 Albums That Changed Rock History
2. Nevermind - Nirvana
Anyone who grew up in the late '80s knows that this was a dark time for rock and roll. Though stuff like hair metal still populated the charts and bands like Nine Inch Nails were getting bits of airplay, the rest of the community had gotten way too stale for the public at large to care anymore. The charts really needed a kick in the ass...and that's exactly what they were given on Nirvana's Nevermind.
Coming virtually out of nowhere in the Pacific Northwest, Kurt Cobain created some of the most disaffected pop songs known to man on this album, fitting somewhere between metal, rock, and pop all at the same time. One minute there would be some disquieting ballad like Polly, and the next you'll be singing along to the nonsense chorus happening in the middle of Lithium.
Granted, the inclusion of Smells Like Teen Spirit would be enough to warrant a spot on this list by itself. Being one of the first alternative videos to receive widespread acclaim, this is the song that shifted the cultural zeitgeist overnight and converted many rock fans to the new wave. Hair metal was officially dead. The age of irony was about to get underway.