10 Perfect Rock Albums For Pop Fans

In the grand tradition of rock and roll gatekeeping, there has always been a question as to what genre Nirvana actually fit into. They may have had the kind of hooks that got millions hooked on them, but they also had the kind of riffs that put them in the same category as punk and grunge, while also making heavy sections that could have turned up on a Black Sabbath project. So are they grunge, pop, or metal? The answer to that question is all of them, and Nevermind has a good helping of just about everything.

While it's easy to just call this album a classic based on the power behind Smells Like Teen Spirit alone, the rest of the album really capitalizes on the promises set out in that song, willing to entertain in some of the most ferocious ways possible. Long before bands like Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam became legendary in their own right, songs like In Bloom and Lithium had the same kind of fire under its belly, along with amazing hooks and a touch of ironic attitude to make you want to spin it again and again.

Though Kurt Cobain made it a point not to make things too complicated on this project, having the barebones structure behind these cuts makes you feel them that much more, like the simple punk rock thrashing of Breed or the pure melancholy that comes out of just an acoustic guitar and his voice on Something in the Way. Some of the biggest bands at the time like Metallica and Guns N Roses may have been able to play circles around each other, but no one could mess with songs that cut to the bone this deeply.