Kurt Cobain celebrated 25 years after his death: Classic quotes from the Nirvana legend's favourite artists

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Jochan Embley8 April 2019

Today, April 5, marks 25 years since the death of Kurt Cobain.

In the quarter of a century since then, the Nirvana frontman’s legacy has teetered on the brink of mythology. The seismic effect of his songwriting, brought viciously to life with the help of bandmates Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, scorched a new path for the American rock scene and, in time, turned him into a pop culture icon.

His shrieking vocals, uncompromisingly brutal guitar playing and peculiarly magnetic persona were the forces that made swept away many of the bloated hangers-on of the day — Guns N' Roses, then the biggest band in the country, were effectively killed off by Nirvana's acerbic grunge.

In 2003, a number of pages from his personal diaries and were published. Included among them was a list of his 50 favourite albums and the artists behind them, ranging from the Beatles and the Clash to Butthole Surfers and Beat Happening.

Here, we have collected tributes, memories and anecdotes from 10 of those musicians, many of whom knew him personally. They muse on the tragedy of his untimely demise, his shy but commanding presence and his preternatural ability as a songwriter.

Iggy and the Stooges

Raw power: Iggy Pop
Getty Images

Kurt’s favourite album:

Raw Power

What they said about him:

“I went to see Nirvana at a small club called the Pyramid on Avenue A in New York City. It was hard to hear the guitar, but the guy playing and singing had a vibe; he hopped around like a muppet or an elf or something, hunched over his guitar, hop hop hop, hippety hippety hop, I loved that.

“When he sang, he put his voice in this really grating place, and it was kind of devilish sounding. At the end of the set he attacked the drum kit and threw cymbals, other bits, and finally himself into the audience.

“Later I saw the same guy passing the bar. He was little, with stringy blond hair and a Stooges T-shirt. I felt proud.” Iggy Pop, Spin, 1995

Sonic Youth

Daydreamer: Thurston Moore (Getty Images)

Kurt’s favourite album:

Daydream Nation

What they said about him:

“We did this show with Nirvana at the Warfield, in San Francisco. They plugged in, and from the first chord, Kurt flew into the audience. He was surfing over the crowd while playing the song. The crowd threw him back onto the stage, and [snaps his fingers] he hit the first line of the vocal. I was like, "F*** it, there is no way we can beat that." Thurston Moore, Rolling Stone, 1994

“Kurt was a wee little man, with these big piercing blue eyes and this tremendous smile — and that's one thing that nobody can replicate.” Kim Gordon, MTV, 2005

David Bowie

Kurt’s favourite album:

The Man Who Stole the World

What they said about him:

“I was simply blown away when I found out that Kurt Cobain liked my work, and I always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering Man Who Sold the World. It was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest. It would have been real nice to have worked with him, but just talking would have been real cool.” David Bowie, Spin, 1995

Aerosmith

Old guard: Steven Tyler
Getty Images for Celebrity Fight

Kurt’s favourite album:

Rocks

What they said about him:

“Kurt's wounds were so deep that when the music floated to the surface after being filtered through his soul, it was incorporeal.” Steven Tyler, Spin, 1995

PJ Harvey

Kurt’s favourite album:

Dry

What they said about him:

“I met him a few times. As a writer I had enormous respect for him. He was an incredible writer and an incredible singer. And when I met him I found him to be a very special person. He was one of those special people. There was a light inside him that you could see. He had a charisma that went beyond his physical presence.” PJ Harvey, Rock’s Backpages Audio, 2004

Black Flag

At war: Henry Rollins
Getty Images

Kurt’s favourite albums:

My War and Damaged

What they said about him:

“Kurt Cobain and the Seattle scene tapped into a vast chunk of American youth who were depressed, bummed out, and here is a guy who looks like them, comes from them, sings for them about them, and to them. He was a brilliant musician and a very talented, honest voice, in a very corrupt media. Nirvana is a band in my mind that never compromised, they said here it is and we’re always ready for you to leave it.” Henry Rollins

The Vaselines

Kurt’s favourite album:

Pink EP

What they said about him:

“I feel sad that I never got the chance to speak to Kurt and express how grateful we are. But you can never say ‘we don’t want to talk about it’. It’s a magic thing to happen to any musician, that some other musician likes your stuff enough to play it live and then record it – and, of course, they became one of the biggest bands in the world. I always want to say thank you.” Eugene Kelly, Glasgow Live, 2018

The Beatles

Ringo Starr
Getty Images

Kurt’s favourite album:

Meet the Beatles

What they said about him:

“Kurt Cobain was really powerful. He had great songs that were about the time he lived in. And that attitude… Though he was this kid, this angry motherf*****, I never felt that. I always felt that inside he was a really loving guy.” Ringo Starr, Rolling Stone, 2007

R.E.M.

Kurt’s favourite album:

Green

What they said about him:

“I was in Krist [Novoselic]'s basement in Seattle — he and Courtney had moved into the house next door to my former guitar player Peter Buck. The first time I looked into [Cobain’s] eyes I just went: 'I get it. He is all that. He is a very special person.’” Michael Stipe, MTV, 2014

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