In just three short albums, Kurt Cobains Nirvana changed the world. Of course, Cobain never really set out to do that. Nirvana is often seen as a reaction to the posh, overproduced hair metal and pop that dominated the music scene in the late-80s, making legions of fans and artists to quickly jump ship to the Nirvana style, following Cobains example of hook-based songwriting and wearing everyman attire. The band exploded and, by all accounts, Cobain was ill-equipped to handle the enormous exposure. In April 1994, after a long battle with heroin abuse, he ended his life with a shotgun, joining the 27 Club and bringing the term into widespread media attention. So passionate are fans about Cobains music and legacy that his death is one of the most hotly debated subjects in all of music. Conspiracy theories aside, what we do know is that when Cobain died, the phenomenon that was Nirvana died with him. Drummer Dave Grohl has enjoyed ongoing success with the Foo Fighters and bassist Krist Novoselic is still active in the music industry, but all we can do now with Cobain - the man who transformed popular music - is wonder just what else he may have had up his sleeve. Are there any we missed? Who are the greatest musical icons that bowed out way too soon in your opinion?
Kyle Schmidlin is a writer and musician living in Austin, TX. He manages the news blog at thirdrailnews.wordpress.com. Follow him at facebook.com/kyleschmidlin or twitter.com/kyleschmidlin1.
