Editing Nirvana (band) (section)

=== 1991–1992: ''Nevermind'' and mainstream breakthrough ===
Disenchanted with Sub Pop, and with the Smart Studios sessions generating interest, Nirvana sought a deal with a major record label since no indie label could buy them out of their contract.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 136–37</ref> Cobain and Novoselic consulted [[Soundgarden]] and [[Alice in Chains]] manager [[Susan Silver]] for advice.<ref name="etruebio">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=byoPYMdJ150C&pg=PA191 |title=Nirvana: The Biography |first=Everett |last=True |publisher=Da Capo Press |pages=191–192 |date=March 13, 2007 |isbn=9780786733903 |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422200921/https://books.google.com/books?id=byoPYMdJ150C&pg=PA191 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="crcross">{{cite book|first=Charles R.|last=Cross|author-link=Charles R. Cross|title=Heavier Than Heaven|publisher=[[Hachette Books|Hyperion Books]]|location=New York City|date=August 15, 2001|isbn=0-7868-6505-9 |pages=486–488}}</ref> They met Silver in Los Angeles and she introduced them to agent Don Muller and music business attorney Alan Mintz, who was specialized in finding deals for new bands. Mintz started sending out Nirvana's demo tape to major labels looking for deals.<ref name="etruebio"/><ref name="crcross"/> Following repeated recommendations by Sonic Youth's [[Kim Gordon]], Nirvana signed to [[DGC Records]] in 1990.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 162</ref> When Nirvana was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2014, Novoselic thanked Silver during his speech for "introducing them to the music industry properly".<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/read-nirvanas-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech-242181/ |title=Read Nirvana's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech |date=April 11, 2014 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115095336/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/read-nirvanas-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech-20140411 |url-status=live }}</ref>

After signing, the band began recording its first major label album, ''[[Nevermind]]''. The group was offered a number of producers, but held out for Vig.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 164–65</ref> Rather than record at Vig's Madison studio as they had in 1990, production shifted to [[Sound City Studios]] in [[Van Nuys, Los Angeles]], California. For two months, the band worked through a variety of songs. Some, such as "[[In Bloom]]" and "Breed", had been in Nirvana's repertoire for years, while others, including "[[On a Plain]]" and "Stay Away", lacked finished lyrics until midway through the recording process.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. pp. 176–77</ref> After the recording sessions were completed, Vig and the band set out to [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mix]] the album. However, the recording sessions had run behind schedule and the resulting mixes were deemed unsatisfactory. [[Slayer]] mixer [[Andy Wallace (producer)|Andy Wallace]] was brought in to create the final mix. After the album's release, members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the polished sound that Wallace had given ''Nevermind''.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. pp. 179–80</ref>

[[File:CastingCallSmellsLikeTeenSpirit.jpg|left|thumb|Announcement from the band encouraging people to participate in the making of the music video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit"]]
Initially, DGC Records was hoping to sell 250,000 copies of ''Nevermind'', the same they had achieved with Sonic Youth's ''[[Goo (album)|Goo]]''.<ref>Wice, Nathaniel. "How Nirvana Made It". ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. April 1993.</ref> However, the first single, "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]", quickly gained momentum, boosted by major airplay of the music video on [[MTV]]. As it toured Europe during late 1991, the band found that its shows were dangerously oversold, that television crews were becoming a constant presence onstage, and that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was almost omnipresent on radio and music television.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 203</ref> By Christmas 1991, ''Nevermind'' was selling 400,000 copies a week in the US.<ref>Lyons, James. ''Selling Seattle: Representing Contemporary Urban America''. Wallflower, 2004. {{ISBN|1-903364-96-5}}, p. 120</ref> In January 1992, the album displaced [[Michael Jackson]]'s ''[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]'' at number one on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' album charts, and topped the charts in numerous other countries.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 239</ref> The month ''Nevermind'' reached number one, ''Billboard'' proclaimed, "Nirvana is that rare band that has everything: critical acclaim, industry respect, pop radio appeal, and a rock-solid college/alternative base."<ref>"Nirvana Achieves Chart Perfection!" ''Billboard''. January 25, 1992.</ref> The album eventually sold over seven million copies in the United States<ref name="SoundScan sales">Basham, David. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451583/got-charts-no-doubts-christmas-gift.jhtml "Got Charts? No Doubt's Christmas Gift; Nirvana Ain't No Beatles"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516203631/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451583/got-charts-no-doubts-christmas-gift.jhtml |date=May 16, 2013 }}. MTV.com. December 20, 2001. Retrieved August 20, 2011.</ref> and over 30&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>"[https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/470039/billboard-bits-nirvanas-nevermind-to-be-re-released-no-more-guest-stars-on-glee Nirvana's 'Nevermind' To Be Re-Released] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717032738/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/470039/billboard-bits-nirvanas-nevermind-to-be-re-released-no-more-guest-stars-on-glee |date=July 17, 2014 }}". ''Billboard''. June 27, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012.</ref> Nirvana's sudden success was credited for popularizing [[alternative rock]] and ending the popularity of [[hair metal]].<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

Citing exhaustion, Nirvana did not undertake another American tour in support of ''Nevermind'', and made only a handful of performances later that year.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 256</ref> In March 1992, Cobain sought to reorganize the group's songwriting royalties (which to this point had been split equally) to better represent that he wrote the majority of the music. Grohl and Novoselic did not object, but when Cobain wanted the agreement to be retroactive to the release of ''Nevermind'', the disagreements came close to breaking up the band. After a week of tension, Cobain received a retroactive share of 75 percent of the royalties. Bad feelings about the situation remained within the group afterward.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 257–58</ref>

Amid rumors that the band was disbanding due to Cobain's health, Nirvana headlined the closing night of the 1992 [[Reading Festival]] in England. Cobain programmed the performance lineup.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 271</ref> Nirvana's performance at Reading is often regarded as one of the most memorable of their career.<ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/nirvana/44151 "Nirvana's Reading Festival gig to be released on DVD"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406213125/http://www.nme.com/news/nirvana/44151 |date=April 6, 2016 }}. ''[[NME]]''. April 20, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2010.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/alternative-rock/nirvana-headline-reading-festival/ "Nirvana headline Reading Festival"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315203807/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/alternative-rock/nirvana-headline-reading-festival/ |date=March 15, 2013 }}. [[BBC Online]]. Retrieved August 23, 2010.</ref> A few days later, Nirvana performed at the [[MTV Video Music Awards]]; despite the network's refusal to let the band play the new song "[[Rape Me]]", Cobain strummed and sang the first few bars of the song before breaking into "[[Lithium (Nirvana song)|Lithium]]". The band received awards for the [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video|Best Alternative Video]] and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist|Best New Artist]] categories.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 276–78</ref>

DGC had hoped to have a new Nirvana album ready for a late 1992 holiday season; instead, it released the compilation album ''[[Incesticide]]'' in December 1992.<ref name="goldmine">Gaar, Gillian G. "Verse Chorus Verse: The Recording History of Nirvana". ''Goldmine''. February 14, 1997.</ref> A joint venture between DGC and Sub Pop, ''Incesticide'' collected various rare Nirvana recordings and was intended to provide the material for a better price and higher quality than [[Bootleg recording|bootlegs]].<ref name="Azerrad, 1994. p. 294" /> As ''Nevermind'' had been out for 15 months and had yielded a fourth single in "In Bloom" by that point, Geffen/DGC opted not to heavily promote ''Incesticide'', which was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] the following February.<ref>Azerrad, 1994. p. 296</ref>