7. Nirvana's Smiley Face Is From A Seattle Strip Club
The Nirvana smiley face is one of those logos that is instantly recognizable and incredibly iconic, yet nobody ever really questions what it actually means. Perhaps it's because this simplicity demands individual interpretation: one person may look at it and see someone high on drugs, another might think it evokes the feeling of listening to the band's music. Whatever your interpretation, the logo does actually have a history and an intention. Drawn by Kurt Cobain, it first appeared on a flyer for the release party of Nevermind in 1991. It was inspired by a logo on the marquee of a Seattle-based strip club called The Lusty Lady. The bottom of the marquee had a small, dazed-looking smiley face next to the phrase Have an erotic day!. So there you go. The iconic Nirvana smiley has just as goofy and fun an origin as you'd expect from Kurt Cobain. Clearly Kurt intended the band's music to act as a kind of aphrodisiac.
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
See more from
Brian