Nirvana Quiz: Trivia about the legendary Western rock band [Nirvana]

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.

Nirvana was a band that led the Western rock scene in the early 1990s.

Centered around Kurt Cobain, they enjoyed immense worldwide popularity.

Their influence is profound, and even years after their breakup, there are still many listeners and musicians who admire them.

In this article, we present a comprehensive quiz about Nirvana, an indispensable presence in the rock scene!

We’ve turned a wide range of the band’s history into quiz questions, so give it a try and see how many you can get right!

Nirvana Quiz: Trivia about the legendary Western rock band [Nirvana] (1–10)

Which sneakers did Kurt Cobain frequently wear?

Converse Jack Purcell
adidas Superstar
Vans Sk8-Hi

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Jack Purcell

Kurt Cobain’s go-to shoes were the Converse Jack Purcell. They weren’t very popular at the time, but because he wore them so often, the Jack Purcell became a globally popular sneaker.

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Which label released Nirvana’s first album?

Sub Pop
Fat Wreck Chords
Megaforce Records

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Sub Pop

Nirvana’s debut album, Bleach, was released in 1989 by the Seattle-based indie label Sub Pop. Sub Pop later became one of the central labels of this era and also worked with bands such as Soundgarden and Mudhoney in addition to Nirvana.

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The band name “Nirvana” is a Buddhist term, but what does it refer to?

Tathāgata
Nirvana
samsara

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Nirvana

“Nirvana” is a Sanskrit term in Buddhism that means nirvana, the state of liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Kurt Cobain was a Christian in his childhood, but later leaned toward Buddhism, and he chose to incorporate a Buddhist term into the band’s name because he wanted it to be beautiful.

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Nirvana Quiz: Trivia about the legendary Western rock band [Nirvana] (11–20)

How many original albums did Nirvana release?

two sheets
3 pieces
4 sheets

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3 pieces

Nirvana released three original studio albums: Bleach, Nevermind, and In Utero. In addition, they released several other original albums and live albums.

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Who is the “Girl” referred to in “About A Girl” from the album Bleach?

Former lover
wife
mother

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Former lover

“About a Girl” is a song Kurt Cobain released on the album Bleach, and it was written about his former girlfriend, Tracy Marander. It is said that she only learned the song was about her after Kurt Cobain’s death.

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Which guitar was conceived by Kurt Cobain and built by Fender for him?

Supersonic
Jag-Stang
Melody Maker

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Jag-Stang

The Jag-Stang is a guitar that combines features of the Jaguar and the Mustang. Kurt Cobain brought the idea to Fender, and it was manufactured. However, he was reportedly dissatisfied with the final result and didn’t use the guitar very much.

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Who was Dave Grohl’s predecessor as the drummer?

Chad Channing
Dan Peters
Dale Crover

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Chad Channing

Chad Channing was Nirvana’s drummer until 1989, so he played drums on the album Bleach. After leaving Nirvana, he served as the bassist and vocalist in a band called Before Cars.

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