Punk Rock music caused a real musical and cultural revolution back in the late 70s all over the world. That movement could be compared, but on a small level, to what Grunge provoked on the musical scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Obviously, the most remembered band from this second revolution was Nirvana, led by the late legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter Kurt Cobain.
Although the kind of music he wrote was a mix of many influences, creating something really unique, there were a lot of Punk Rock inspirations. But besides the American he also loved the British groups and he once revealed which were two of those bands that influenced him.
The 2 British Punk bands Kurt Cobain mentioned as influences
Sex Pistols
During his career, Cobain praised multiple American bands, especially less known ones, which were more recognized on the alternative scene. But in an interview with Jessica Adams back in 1992, he mentioned Sex Pistols as an influence.
He curiously read about them in Creem magazine and then had the chance to buy their album and finally listen to them. He recalled in an interview with Guitar World in 1993, that it was around 1984 that he first discovered Punk Rock. “Probably `84 (That I discovered Punk). I keep trying to get this story right chronologically, and I just can’t. My first exposure to punk rock came when Creem started covering the Sex Pistols’ U.S. tour. I would read about them and just fantasize about how amazing it would be to hear their music and to be a part of it.”
“But I was like 11 years old, and I couldn’t possibly have followed them on the tour. (…) Then, finally, in 1984 a friend of mine named Buzz Osborne (Melvins singer/guitarist) made me a couple of compilation tapes with Black Flag and Flipper, everything, all the most popular punk rock bands, and I was completely blown away.”
Kurt Cobain continued:
“I’d finally found my calling. That very same day, I cut my hair short. I would lip sync to those tapes I played them every day and it was the greatest thing. I’d already been playing guitar by then for a couple of years, and I was trying to play my own style of punk rock, or what I imagined that it was. I knew it was fast and had a lot of distortion,” Kurt Cobain said.
He also noted that he felt that the music genre expressed his feelings about politics and social life. Something that according to him he couldn’t find in Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, for example.
The Buzzcocks
The other band listed by Kurt Cobain in the conversation with Jessica Adams was Buzzcocks. He noted that his introduction to the music genre was The Clash‘s album “Sandinista!” (1980), that he doesn’t consider to be a good one to show people what Punk is about.
“The Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, any 77’ Punk Rock band was totally influential to our music. But it was almost impossible to get exposed to English punk. We only had one radio station, a soft AM Rock station. I remember being about 14 and having a subscription to Creem magazine. I would read about the Sex Pistols, but I never got to hear anything. (Then) I finally got hold of a copy of ‘Sandinista!” (By the Clash) at the library. But ‘Sandinista!’ was not a very good introduction to Punk rock,” Kurt Cobain said.
The Nirvana frontman had the chance to meet and hang out with the Buzzcocks’ members. The American group invited them to be their opening act during what would be their final European tour. Just a few weeks after those shows Cobain took his own life at the age of 27.