The Ultimate Nirvana Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Ultimate Nirvana Quiz
Image: Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Nirvana set fire to '80s hair rock and blazed a trail through rock history. How much do you know about the band? Get a little grungy, and take this quiz to find out!
Before Dave Grohl, how many drummers were there in the band?
two
four
five
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There were five drummers before Dave Grohl. The band struggled to find a talented (and stable) drummer.

Which song was originally supposed to have an animated music video?
"Polly"
"Lithium"
"I Hate Myself and Want to Die"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The band gave up on the idea to animate the video for "Lithium" when they realized it would take months to create.

What was Kurt Cobain's job after he dropped out of high school?
janitor
waiter
construction worker
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was a janitor at his own high school.

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With which rock icon did Cobain publicly clash?
Axl Rose
George Harrison
Nick Cave
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He thought Rose's outlook was racist and homophobic.

Which major label first signed the band?
DGC Records
Sub Pop Records
Sony Music
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nirvana first signed to Sub Pop but later switched to DGC.

How much did the band spend to record its first album?
$12,000
$8,000
$600
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sub Pop Records paid Nirvana an advance of $600 when it signed the band. The money went toward recording the album "Bleach."

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The video for "In Bloom" is set in which city?
San Francisco
Seattle
New York
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It shows the band in New York, playing music and goofing around in public places.

What other band name did Cobain consider before settling on Nirvana?
Pen Cap Chew
Happy Happy
Aberdeen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In addition to Pen Cap Chew, he considered Skid Row and Fecal Matter.

As a child, family turmoil caused a judge to give custody of Cobain to whom?
Cobain's father
Cobain's mother
Cobain's grandmother
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cobain's father eventually sent his son to live with a family friend.

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What is the name of the band's first single?
"About a Girl"
"Love Buzz"
"Blew"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Love Buzz" is a cover song originally by a Dutch band named Shocking Blue.

How old was the baby on the cover of "Nevermind"?
6 months old
3 months old
8 months old
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 3-month-old baby couldn't crawl, but he could swim.

Which instrument did Cobain's ex-girlfriend Tobi Vail play?
keyboard
bass guitar
drums
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Vail played drums and was the inspiration for some of the songs Cobain wrote.

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Approximately how many albums has the band sold worldwide?
110 million
90 million
75 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nirvana has sold about 75 million albums worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

What year did Kurt Cobain die?
1994
1995
1996
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cobain died in 1994, only four years after Dave Grohl joined the band.

Who found Cobain's lifeless body?
Courtney Love
an electrician
a sound techician
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An electrician found Cobain's body. The coroner estimated he'd been dead for a few days.

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How many copies of "Bleach" did the band sell before "Nevermind" was released?
40,000
9,000
900
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nirvana initially sold 40,000 copies of "Bleach," but sales skyrocketed with the success of their sophomore disc.

What percentage of royalties did Cobain receive retroactively for "Nevermind"?
40 percent
60 percent
75 percent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fact that Cobain received 75 percent of royalties caused a rift in the band.

Which artist did Nirvana's album "Nevermind" dethrone from the top of the Billboard charts?
Guns N' Roses
Michael Jackson
Aerosmith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jackson's album "Dangerous" was No. 1 until "Nevermind" knocked it off the top.

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In what year did the band record its first demo tracks?
1990
1989
1988
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1988 the band recorded its first demos, which helped the members score a deal with the Sub Pop label.

Members of which band joined the Nirvana onstage for "MTV Unplugged"?
The Jesus Lizard
Meat Puppets
Pearl Jam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Meat Puppets also covered three of Nirvana's songs.

How long was Cobain's last stint in rehab?
one month
two months
one week
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One week after he entered the facility, he escaped. He was found dead the next week.

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What did Cobain famously wear on an episode of MTV's "Headbangers Ball"?
a yellow ball gown
a banana costume
a trash can
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cobain wore a yellow ball gown on "Headbangers Ball," and his dark sunglasses really pulled the outfit together.

What is the middle name of Cobain's daughter?
Bean
Moon
River
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She apparently looked like a bean when she was in the womb.

Who did the drumming on Nirvana's demo tracks?
Chad Channing
Aaron Burckhard
Dale Crover
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crover currently drums for the Melvins.

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How long did the band take to record the album "In Utero"?
six months
two weeks
one year
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It only took two weeks and $25,000 to record the album.

What did Cobain say was the least important part of a song?
lyrics
drums
guitar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He often did not care about the words at all.

What was the cause of Cobain's death?
hanging
overdose
gunshot wound
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The gunshot wound was ruled to have been self-inflicted.

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Who did the drumming on the album "Bleach"?
Chad Channing
Krist Novoselic
Aaron Burckhard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Channing was with the band for about two years.

Which band did drummer Dave Grohl form after Nirvana?
Foo Fighters
Filter
Bush
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Foo Fighters have created a legacy of their own.

Where did Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love get married?
Waikiki Beach, Honolulu
Malibu, California
Santa Rosa, California
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kurt wore pajamas to the ceremony on Waikiki Beach.

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You Got:
/30
Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images