Nirvana Popular Song Rankings [2025]

BreedNirvana29rank/position

Nirvana – Breed (1992/Live At The Paramount Theatre, Seattle/Performance Only)

An early Nirvana song created when the band toured Europe with TAD from the Sub Pop label in 1989.

It’s described as a primal rock ’n’ roll track that’s hypnotic and puts listeners in a state of ecstasy.

The song was written when Kurt Cobain began to explore his songwriting talents more deeply.

CurmudgeonNirvana30rank/position

Nirvana – Curmudgeon

This song, included alongside a live version of “Been a Son” on the 12-inch single “Lithium” released in 1992, was written by Kurt Cobain about not being welcomed by the environment, particularly in school.

D-7Nirvana31rank/position

Nirvana – D-7 (Live at Reading 1992)

This song is a cover of the Wipers.

It starts off sung at a relaxed pace, but in the latter half the tempo suddenly speeds up into a punk rock song.

The Wipers aren’t very well known, but the fact that Kurt Cobain covered songs like this shows how broad his tastes were.

DiveNirvana32rank/position

NIrvana Dive 01/23/93 Rio de Janeiro

A track that opens the compilation album Incesticide, which collects indie-era singles, B-sides, and rarities.

Its first appearance was as the B-side to the 1990 single Sliver.

Nirvana often had songs that weren’t on their studio albums become live staples or fan favorites, and this one was frequently played in concert as well.

It’s built around a heavy bass line in unison with a noisy guitar, and the way the chorus shifts into a different chord progression is really cool.

The guitar solo, which traces the melody in that quintessential Kurt Cobain style, is great too.

Floyd The BarberNirvana33rank/position

Nirvana – Floyd The Barber (Live at the Paramount 1991) HD

All the people mentioned in this song are inspired by characters from the 1960s American comedy The Andy Griffith Show.

Kurt Cobain wrote the song by imagining, “What if these people were insane, sadistic murderers?”

Hairspray QueenNirvana34rank/position

nirvana- hairspray queen

It’s one of Nirvana’s early songs.

It was recorded in early 1988 and included on the compilation album Incesticide, released in 1992.

There’s a story that when Nirvana performed the song for the first time, a girl who heard it approached Kurt Cobain and asked whether he had made up the lyrics about her on the spot.

Heart-Shaped BoxNirvana35rank/position

Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box

Released in 1993 and featured on what would be Nirvana’s final album, In Utero, this track is one of their signature songs.

Its dramatic structure—masterfully shifting between quiet and loud dynamics—along with a melody quintessentially Kurt Cobain and lyrics open to multiple interpretations, epitomizes the classic Nirvana sound of ’90s grunge.

The gritty sonic texture shaped by producer Steve Albini is markedly different from Butch Vig’s work on the previous album, Nevermind, yet it never becomes overly obscure; its strong sense of accessibility comes down to the intrinsic quality of the song itself.