Bands like Nirvana: 15 artists to try if you love Nevermind
Love Nirvana? Here are the bands that influenced them, the bands that ran alongside them and the new artists carrying the sound forward.
Panacea
11/3/20262 min read
If you love Nirvana, the good news is that there is a whole world of music with the same raw energy. The best bands like Nirvana fall into three groups: the bands that inspired Kurt Cobain, the bands that shared the stage and the scene with Nirvana, and the newer artists who have taken the sound somewhere new. Here are 15 to try, with a song to start with for each.
The bands that inspired Nirvana
1. Pixies
Cobain openly said he was trying to write a Pixies song when he wrote Smells Like Teen Spirit. The loud-quiet-loud dynamic Nirvana made famous comes straight from Boston's Pixies. Start with Debaser.
2. Melvins
The Melvins' Buzz Osborne was a mentor to the young Cobain, and Melvins drummer Dale Crover briefly played with Nirvana. Slower and heavier than Nirvana, but the DNA is obvious. Start with Honey Bucket.
3. Sonic Youth
New York noise-rock heroes who championed Nirvana and helped them sign to a major label. Start with Teen Age Riot.
4. The Vaselines
A Scottish indie band Cobain adored. Nirvana covered their songs Molly's Lips and Son of a Gun, and played Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam at MTV Unplugged. Start with Molly's Lips.
5. Dinosaur Jr
J Mascis' massive, melodic guitar fuzz was a huge influence on the whole alternative scene. Start with Freak Scene.
Bands from the same scene
6. Mudhoney
Seattle's scuzziest band, signed to Sub Pop alongside Nirvana. If you love Bleach, this is your next stop. Start with Touch Me I'm Sick.
7. Soundgarden
Heavier and more complex than Nirvana, with one of rock's greatest voices in Chris Cornell. Start with Outshined.
8. Hole
Courtney Love's band matched Nirvana's rawness and fury. Live Through This is a grunge classic. Start with Violet.
9. Screaming Trees
Mark Lanegan, a close friend of Cobain, fronted this psychedelic grunge band. Start with Nearly Lost You.
10. L7
Loud, funny and fierce, L7 were a Los Angeles band at the heart of the grunge era. Start with Pretend We're Dead.
Bands that carried the sound forward
11. Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's band after Nirvana, more anthemic but with the same punk heart. Start with Everlong.
12. Bush
London's biggest grunge-era export, often compared to Nirvana for better and worse. Start with Glycerine.
13. Silverchair
Australian teenagers who sounded remarkably like a Seattle band on their debut. Start with Tomorrow.
New bands like Nirvana
14. Wolf Alice
The London band's heavier songs carry the loud-quiet dynamics and distortion of 90s alternative rock into the present. Start with Yuk Foo.
15. Panacea
Panacea is a Brighton grunge project built on Nirvana's template: distorted guitars, dual vocals and loud-quiet-loud songs, but about 2020s problems like rent, burnout and endless scrolling. Our debut album Remedies for nothing is 12 tracks of modern grunge. Start with Scroll damage, then stream the full album.
What makes a band sound like Nirvana?
Loud-quiet-loud dynamics, with soft verses that explode into huge choruses
Simple, catchy melodies hidden under heavy distortion
Raw, strained vocals that crack under pressure
Punk energy and short, direct songs
Lyrics about alienation, frustration and not fitting in
Frequently asked questions
What band is most similar to Nirvana?
Mudhoney is the closest in sound and spirit to early Nirvana, while the Pixies are the clearest influence on Nevermind.
Who influenced Nirvana?
The Pixies, the Melvins, Sonic Youth, The Vaselines and Black Sabbath are among the most important influences, along with punk bands like Black Flag.
Are there any modern bands like Nirvana?
Yes. Wolf Alice and a wave of new UK grunge bands, including Panacea from Brighton, carry the same raw, loud-quiet sound.
More grunge
Explore our full guide to grunge bands, or read what grunge music is and where it came from.
Contact
Get in touch about merch, press, playlists and collaborations, or just to chat
info@panaceamusic.website
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