During an interview, Dave Grohl said The Beatles inspired Nirvana. Notably, Kurt Cobain wrote Nirvana’s song “About a Girl” after listening to a Beatles album for a whole day. Cobain also ranked a Beatles album as one of his favorite albums ever.
Dave Grohl discussed what Kurt Cobain thought of The Beatles
In 2012, Nirvana’s Grohl told Access Hollywood that The Beatles had a massive influence on him. “When I was young, that’s how I learned how to play music — I had a guitar and a Beatles songbook,” he recalled. “I would listen to the records and play along. Of course, it didn’t sound like The Beatles, but it got me to understand song structure and melody and harmony and arrangement.”
Grohl said The Beatles’ influence extended to his time with Nirvana. “I never had a teacher — I just had these Beatles records,” he recalled. “Even in Nirvana — The Beatles [were] such a huge influence.”
Grohl also discussed Cobain’s relationship with The Beatles’ songs. “Kurt loved The Beatles because it was just so simple,” Grohl said. “Well, it seemed simple. They sound easy to play, but you know what? They’re f****** hard.”
Kurt Cobain’s favorite Beatles album inspired Nirvana’s ‘About a Girl’
According to Kerrang!, Cobain made a list of his 50 favorite albums. No. 37 on the list was Meet the Beatles!, the first Fab Four album released in the United States. It was the only Beatles album Cobain put on the list.
According to Billboard, Cobain once listened to Meet the Beatles! on repeat for an entire day. Afterward, he wrote the Nirvana song “About a Girl.” The original version of “About a Girl” appeared on Nirvana’s debut album Bleach. Nirvana released an acoustic rendition of the song on the live album MTV Unplugged in New York. The acoustic recording of “About a Girl” received more attention than the version from Bleach.
The way the world reacted to Nirvana’s ‘About a Girl’ and ‘Meet the Beatles!’
The MTV Unplugged in New York version of “About a Girl” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart. It lasted on the chart for 21 weeks. Meanwhile, MTV Unplugged in New York was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a week. It stayed on the Billboard 200 for 100 weeks in total.
Meet the Beatles! included the hit single “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. It remained on the chart for 15 weeks altogether. Meet the Beatles! was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks. It stayed on the Billboard 200 for 74 weeks in total.
“About a Girl” was an alternative rock hit and it might not exist without The Beatles.
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