Nirvana's recording career spanned just four years and three albums, but their angst-ridden brand of grunge changed the course of rock music forever. The trio's 1989 debut, Bleach, earned them underground acclaim and a major label deal, while sophomore album Nevermind was a tour de force that merged classic rock melodies with punk ferocity, establishing alternative music as a commercially viable genre. The band's 1993 swansong, In Utero, proved that artistic integrity needn't be compromised to sell millions. One year later, Kurt Cobain's tragic suicide prompted an unprecedented outpouring of grief.