Album · Compilation
Nirvana
Nirvana is the Seattle band's self-titled greatest hits collection, released by Geffen on 29 October 2002. It gathers material from all three studio albums, Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero, plus the live record MTV Unplugged in New York. The 1990 single "Sliver", which also appeared on the rarities set Incesticide, is here too.
It was the third Nirvana release since Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, and the main draw for existing fans was the extras. "You Know You're Right", recorded during the band's final studio session in 1994, had never been released before. The set also offers a version of "Been a Son" that had only been available on a limited UK release, and the Scott Litt remix of "Pennyroyal Tea". It entered the Billboard 200 at number three, and by 2007 had sold a million copies in the United States and two million in Europe.
Nirvana: tracklist, credits and charts
15 tracks · 54:44Tracklist
- 1You Know You’re RightKurt Cobain3:38
- 2About a GirlKurt Cobain2:49
- 3Been a SonChanning, Cobain, Novoselic2:24
- 4SliverChanning, Cobain, Novoselic2:14
- 5Smells Like Teen SpiritCobain, Grohl, Novoselic5:01
- 6Come as You AreKurt Cobain3:39
- 7LithiumKurt Cobain4:17
- 8In BloomKurt Cobain4:15
- 9Heart‐Shaped BoxKurt Cobain4:42
- 10Pennyroyal TeaKurt Cobain3:38
- 11Rape MeKurt Cobain2:51
- 12DumbKurt Cobain2:34
- 13All ApologiesKurt Cobain3:48
- 14The Man Who Sold the WorldDavid Bowie3:50
- 15Where Did You Sleep Last NightLead Belly and [traditional]5:02
- Produced by
- Steve Fisk, Jack Endino, Nirvana, Butch Vig, Dale Griffin, Scott Litt, Steve Albini
- Recorded at
- Robert Lang Studios, Reciprocal Recordings, The Music Source, Sound City Studios, Pachyderm Recording Studio, Sony Music Studios
- Recorded
- 1988–1994
- Mixed by
- Adam Kasper, Jack Endino, Steve Fisk, Andy Wallace, Scott Litt, Steve Albini
- Mixed at
- Conway Recording Studios, Sound City Studios
- Engineered by
- Adam Kasper, Jack Endino, Steve Fisk, Nirvana, Butch Vig, Steve Albini
- Label
- Geffen
- Length
- 54:44
Line-up
- Kurt Cobain · guitar, lead vocals
- Dave Grohl · drums (drum set), vocals, background vocals
- Krist Novoselic · bass guitar, background vocals
- Chad Channing · drums (drum set) · guest
- Dan Peters · drums (drum set) · guest
- Kera Schaley · cello · guest
- Lori Goldston · cello · guest
- Pat Smear · guitar · guest
Singles
- “You Know You're Right” · 8 October 2002
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 2002 | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 · 2002 | 3 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 2002 | 1 |
| Austrian Albums · 2002 | 1 |
| Greek Albums (Billboard) · 2024 | 1 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2002 | 1 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2002 | 2 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) · 2002 | 2 |
| European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media) · 2002 | 2 |
| French Albums (SNEP) · 2002 | 2 |
All 31 charts
| Irish Albums (IFPI Ireland) · 2002 | 2 |
| New Zealand Albums · 2002 | 2 |
| Swiss Albums · 2002 | 2 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) · 2002 | 3 |
| Scottish Albums · 2002 | 3 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2002 | 4 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI Greece) · 2002 | 4 |
| Polish Albums · 2022 | 4 |
| German Albums (GFK) · 2002 | 5 |
| Norwegian Albums · 2002 | 5 |
| US Vinyl Albums · 2020 | 5 |
| Danish Albums · 2002 | 6 |
| Italian Albums · 2002 | 6 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 2002 | 6 |
| Finnish Albums · 2002 | 9 |
| Swedish Albums · 2002 | 10 |
| Dutch Albums · 2002 | 12 |
| US Hard Rock · 2017 | 15 |
| US Catalog Albums · 2015 | 18 |
| Ireland 3 · 2024 | 27 |
| Spanish Albums · 2002 | 28 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Gold |
| Australia · 2024 | 6× Platinum |
| Austria · 2003 | Platinum |
| Belgium · 2007 | Platinum |
| Brazil · 2003 | Platinum |
| Finland · 2002 | Gold |
| France · 2002 | Gold |
| Germany · 2023 | 3× Gold |
| Italy · 2017 | Platinum |
| Japan · 2002 | Platinum |
| Mexico | Gold |
| New Zealand | 3× Platinum |
| Norway · 2003 | Platinum |
| Poland · 2022 | Platinum |
| Spain · 2002 | Gold |
| Sweden · 2002 | Gold |
| Switzerland | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2025 | 5× Platinum |
| United States | Platinum |
| Europe · 2007 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
53.6
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
32
ListenBrainz listeners
55k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
57k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Forever Delayed: The Greatest Hits
Manic Street Preachers · 2002
Iron Maiden Eddie's Archive 2002
Eddie's Archive
Iron Maiden · 2002
Edward the Great
Iron Maiden · 2002
Beast Over Hammersmith
Iron Maiden · 2002
BBC Archives
Iron Maiden · 2002
One by One
Foo Fighters · 2002
Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
Black Sabbath · 2002
Also released on 29 October
Every year →
More from Nirvana
Full discography →
The best of 2002
All of 2002 →
Reanimation
Linkin Park · 2002
One by One
Foo Fighters · 2002
Heathen Chemistry
Oasis · 2002
Untouchables
Korn · 2002
Rock in Rio
Iron Maiden · 2002
Underground V2.0
Linkin Park · 2002
Riot Act
Pearl Jam · 2002
Maladroit
Weezer · 2002
Shenanigans
Green Day · 2002
The Lion and the Witch
Weezer · 2002
Still
Nine Inch Nails · 2002
Gutterflower
Goo Goo Dolls · 2002
More on Geffen
The label →
Appetite for Destruction
Guns N’ Roses · 1987
Use Your Illusion II
Guns N’ Roses · 1991
Pinkerton
Weezer · 1996
“The Spaghetti Incident?”
Guns N’ Roses · 1993
On Tour Now!
Guns N’ Roses · 1991
G N’ R Lies
Guns N’ Roses · 1988
Weezer
Weezer · 2001
Incesticide
Nirvana · 1992
Make Believe
Weezer · 2005
With the Lights Out
Nirvana · 2004
Maladroit
Weezer · 2002
Live ?!★꩜ Like a Suicide
Guns N’ Roses · 1986
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 2002-10-18 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 18 October 2002 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 29 October 2002 | |
| Wikidata | 29 October 2002 | |
| US release | 29 October 2002 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 28 October 2002 | earliest UK or European date |
25 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XE | Geffen | 606949352325 | remaster |
| — | MX | Geffen | 606949352325 | other |
| 2002 | NZ | Geffen | 060949352325 | other |
| 2002 | ZA | Geffen | 6009143017931 | other |
| 2002 | XE | Geffen | 606949352349 | other |
| 2002 | XE | Geffen | 606949352318 | other |
| 2002 | MY | Geffen | 606949352325 | other |
| 2002 | AR | Geffen | 606949352325 | other |
| 18 October 2002 | MX | Polydor | 00606949352325 | original |
| 23 October 2002 | XW | Geffen | other | |
| 28 October 2002 | XE | Geffen | 606949352325 | other |
| 28 October 2002 | GB | Geffen | 606949352325 | other |
| 29 October 2002 | US | DGC Records | 606949350727 | other |
| 29 October 2002 | CA | DGC Records | 606949350727 | other |
| 2 November 2002 | JP | Geffen | 4988005317865 | other |
| 2003 | HK | BMG | other | |
| 7 January 2003 | AU | Geffen | 060949352325 | other |
| 25 January 2006 | JP | Geffen | 4988005416339 | other |
| 27 November 2008 | JP | Geffen | 4988005514554 | other |
| 28 August 2015 | XE | DGC Records | 602547314321 | other |
| 13 November 2015 | XE | DGC Records | 602547378781 | other |
| 13 November 2015 | XE | DGC Records | 602547378781 | other |
| 13 November 2015 | XE | Geffen | 602547289483 | other |
| 18 July 2018 | XW | Geffen | 00602567924166 | other |
| — | — | Universal | other |
Cover art sources
itunes · native: native 1500x1500
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| itunes ✓ | 1500×1500 | native: native 1500x1500 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×594 | upscaled |