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

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

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)

How much did the guitar that Kurt Cobain smashed on stage in 1989 sell for at auction?

The guitar that Kurt Cobain smashed during a 1989 live performance was put up for auction in 2022 and drew significant attention. Please choose the amount for which the guitar was sold from the options below.

25,200,000 yen
34.6 million yen
68.4 million yen

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68.4 million yen

The 1973 Fender Mustang that Kurt Cobain smashed on stage in 1989 sold at auction for 68.4 million yen. It’s said that Cobain had traded this guitar for a Gibson SG owned by guitarist Sluggo Coyle. Supporting that story, a message addressed to Sluggo Coyle was written on the Mustang’s body.

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Which clothes did Kurt Cobain wear at his own wedding?

tuxedo
pajamas
Jeans and a flannel shirt

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pajamas

Kurt Cobain wore green pajamas at his own wedding. He was known to appear in pajamas at live shows and recording sessions, but many people were probably surprised to learn that he even attended his wedding in pajamas. It really symbolizes his unconventional personality and unique fashion sense.

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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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