Courtney Love shared some very interesting thoughts about her late husband Kurt Cobain in relation to the recent 30th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Love said that if “In Bloom” was the lead single from the album and not “Smells Like Teen Spirit,”, Nirvana wouldn’t have blown up like they did and Cobain would still be alive today.
As transcribed by Stereogum due to the article being behind a paywall, Love explains, “Life would have turned out simpler and better had I been heard. I’m not really a fan of the idea that it all ‘could have’ been that different, but ‘In Bloom’ might have shifted things. He might have survived had somebody else [gone first]. Like Eddie Vedder, somebody who had good infrastructure.”
She added, “We were in Salem, Ore., when ‘Nevermind’ went to No. 1. He cried. I cried. We were really scared. He loved what ‘Nevermind’ was. He licked his lips and was like ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ But he hid it really well, so he’s attributed these saintly qualities. He possessed modesty, and he put forth this public virtue persona, and he was good at that. But he worked it. He worked it like Kate Moss works her cheekbones.”
Nevermind has gone on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, with at least 10 million of those copies being sold in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) last certification of Nevermind came in March 1999 when it earned Diamond status of selling over 10 million copies. Considering that, there’s a very good chance the current sales tallies are significantly lower than they actually are.