Nirvana are finally Rock and Roll Hall of Famers!

Pictured above are the two surviving members of Nirvana: Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. PHOTO from www.newindianexpress.com

To finally have Nirvana inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first year that they became eligible speaks of the enormous and enduring legacy that Nirvana has left behind. Without doubt, the committee behind the selection process realized that it was indeed imperative to include this legendary band right away to be a part of this year’s esteemed class of inductees.

Ask any fan and all would say, “It is high time that Nirvana took their rightful place in Rock and Roll history alongside all the other greats!”

The fact that two decades later we still talk about them and end up even discussing among ourselves everything that this legendary band has accomplished; the “barriers” they have broken down; and the incomparable kind of music they have brought to the table are significant reasons enough to remember the powerful impact that Nirvana has made.

The recent induction ceremony of Nirvana into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was on April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Nirvana really changed the entire music landscape and practically overnight “sparked” a whole revolution in the minds and the hearts of the youth during that time from the world over.

Indeed, that wasn’t only a music-changing phenomenon but it was also a pop-culture one which altered the way people dressed up and carried themselves, and even to a certain degree in how they viewed  the “machine” behind the music industry and how it operates. The name of that phenomenon was called none other than the “Grunge Movement.”

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A passionate and gifted singer-songwriter gone too soon!

Let me tell you this. When the devastating and shocking news came out that Kurt Cobain had died, it was such a surreal moment that you just couldn’t believe it at first and you kept asking yourself questions like: “Why?” and “Is this for real?”.

Kurt Cobain took his life on April 5, 1994. That became a date which was forever etched in stone as one of the most tragic days in the history of Rock and Roll. It also became a stark and grim reminder that not all artists can handle properly the sudden onset of global fame and everything else that comes with it!

Even to this day, I can’t but help feel the residual effect of Cobain’s sudden loss. And as I try to collect my thoughts for this article, all those memories that had been laying dormant at the back of my head for many years are now suddenly coming back to me.

I recall it was such a sad, sad day for us very young music aficionados then when Kurt Cobain was proclaimed dead due to a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

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“Know-it-all’s” trying to rewrite the history of Nirvana ?

Only a person who knows nothing about the history of Rock and Roll and all its important eras would even try to argue and say that Nirvana wasn’t a legendary band!

Because I find it so laughable to hear some teenager say that Nirvana wasn’t legendary–or a great band at the very least–when he wasn’t even alive in the first place to make a proper ruling of the said band when Nirvana was still active and releasing records.

While varying opinions coming from different music groups can lead to debates and even heated ones when the topic revolves around a band like Nirvana, I can’t help but question their sense of logic and where exactly are their points of arguments coming from?

I hate to say this–and I never thought I would be saying it ever–but at times these unnecessary and pointless debates are already caused by a generation gap!

However, instead of making that “rift” even bigger than it already is I think it would be much better for the older ones to be more understanding. That is why it is so important– and a necessity in this instance–that the youth now who want to learn more about a band should be asking music aficionados who were actually real fans and followers of of it when they were still around. It would be a great way of sharing with them so that–in the very least–teens now would have a better understanding of truly great bands such as Nirvana that they didn’t have the good fortune of first discovering during their run.

And this applies for everyone. For example, if I wanted to learn more about another legendary band like The Beatles, I wouldn’t be asking someone in my age group or someone younger than me. Rather, I would first ask my parents who were around and who themselves fell under the spell of “Beatlemania” when the four members of The Beatles were all still alive and at the height of their fame.

There are just the proper ways and order of doing things. And it goes without saying that showing respect to the “greats” of each era is a value that should not be lost with each coming generation.

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Final thoughts on the legacy of Nirvana

I have learned much listening to the music of Nirvana when I was still a kid approaching my teenage years.

Learning about a band always begins with listening to the music and not doing research first to fill in those “blanks” and lingering questions in your head.

I was fortunate enough to have first heard Nirvana’s immortal and truly classic song called “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when it was first played on groundbreaking FM radio stations like that of the original format of Nu107.

I end this article with a final thought.

There are bands that are good. Then, there are bands that are great. And once in a blue moon, a legendary band comes along… and nothing is ever the same in the music industry after that.

Nirvana is such a band and rightfully so!