Kurt Cobain’s musical tastes were full of contradictions. He despised the glam rock scene, refusing to be associated with bands like Poison or Warrant, yet he couldn’t deny his love for classic rock icons like The Beatles.
Cobain even learned his first guitar chords by playing along to AC/DC and Aerosmith songs in his basement. But everything changed when he discovered the underground music scene, and particularly, The Vaselines.
For Cobain, bands like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith came with baggage. While their riffs were undeniable, the misogynistic lyrics in many of their songs kept him at a distance.
Punk rock, however, was different. It gave Cobain a sense of rebellion against the commercial side of rock that he despised. But even in the punk world, The Vaselines stood out as something altogether unique.
The Scottish duo didn’t have the raw aggression of most punk bands. Instead, they played jangly guitar pop that felt more suited for a commercial than a gritty rock show. Their music was light, playful, and almost whimsical. They even borrowed elements from hymns, which felt like the antithesis of the punk ethos.
But Cobain didn’t care. He was drawn to their sound, just like he had been with REM’s jangly melodies. He even counted Terry Jacks’ “Seasons in the Sun” among his favorite songs, despite its saccharine sweetness.
In a promotional interview for Nevermind, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic mentioned, “Kurt and I were totally into The Vaselines,” to which Cobain responded, “They’re definitely our number-one favorite band.”
For those familiar with Nirvana’s raw and abrasive tracks like “Paper Cuts” and “Territorial Pissings,” Cobain’s obsession with such twee, gentle music might seem surprising. However, it makes sense when considering how Nirvana approached recording Nevermind. Dave Grohl once described their goal as creating “children’s songs,” emphasizing simplicity even in their heaviest moments.
Nirvana’s love for The Vaselines didn’t just stay in the realm of fandom—they covered several of their songs. Their version of “Son of a Gun” on Incesticide had a gritty energy that the original never quite reached, and their haunting take on “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For a Sunbeam” during their MTV Unplugged* performance—with the addition of an accordion—was one of the most unique interpretations ever seen from a grunge band.
Cobain’s admiration for The Vaselines reveals a lot about how he viewed music. For him, a great song was a great song, no matter the genre. While The Vaselines might have seemed lightweight in their time, their influence lived on.
Modern bands like The Lemon Twigs owe much of their aesthetic to the sweet, jangly sounds of The Vaselines, showing that Cobain’s taste, as contradictory as it seemed, was always ahead of the curve.
