by leonie parry

Last updated 11:37, Monday, 16 June 2008

Forget modern day pop music from mainstream artists such as Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Justin Timberlake – no-one compares to Nirvana, who are clearly the best band of all time.

In case you can’t remember (they haven’t been in the charts since 1994), Nirvana were a fantastic American grunge group, with amazingly talented people such as Kurt Cobain, the lead singer, guitarist and the songwriter, bassist Krist Novoselic, and David Grohl, on drums and background vocals, and Pat Smear, who toured all over the world with them.

They were very successful and their most famous single was Smells Like Teen Spirit which is amazing and thousands of fans still listen to it every day. Their second album sold more than 26 million copies worldwide.

The lyrics in their songs have inspired many people across the world. They are often based around things that Kurt had seen in the news or stories he had been told.

But I also think they were a bit dark, gothic and deep. In one song – Endless Nameless – the lyrics say: ‘Died, Go to Hell, Here I am’.

This is gruesome but I think it makes people look on the bright side of life and be thankful for what they have.

My favourite songs from the band are Drain You and In Bloom. I like them because they both have a very catchy tune with excellent guitar solos. Kurt Cobain had a excellent singing voice which was unique.

Sadly, after all the success in the early 90s, Kurt couldn’t handle the spotlight and took his own life, leaving a loving wife, Courtney Love, a two-year old baby girl and millions of devoted fans.

When you look at all the modern day music and the rubbish in the charts, I can’t help thinking that when Kurt Cobain died, the world lost a brilliant man, who inspired millions.

Fifteen-year-old Leonie Parry is a student at Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton.