Nevermind Anniversary: Spencer Elden, Famous Nirvana Album Both Turn 20

It’s been 20 years since the release of Nirvana’s Nevermind, the iconic album whose cover featured a naked infant named Spencer Elden swimming underwater, and reaching for a dollar bill.

Released on September 24, 1991, Nevermind catapulted the band – comprised of drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain – and its music to the top of the charts, with songs including “Smells Like Teen Spirit” giving birth to the Seattle-based grunge musical style.

Despite the bands colossal public exposure and fame stemming from the album’s success, front-man Cobain suffered rejection from the punk-rock world he came from, which saw Nirvana’s sudden fame and fortune as a betrayal of its roots.

Overwhelmed by depression, Cobain took his life on April 5, 1994, by shooting himself in the head.

Surviving band members, Novoselic and now Foo Fighters front man Grohl, as well as its producer Butch Vig still hold the album as the defining moment of their careers.

“It was exactly like I hoped it would be. It’s a real simple record. A drum set, a bass, a couple of guitar overdubs and a vocal that’s doubled. That’s it,” Contactmusic quoted the album’s drummer Grohl as saying.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nevermind, which, according to MTV.com, has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, Universal is re-issuing the remastered album Tuesday (Sept. 27) with various special editions.

Bonus material on the Deluxe edition includes obscure B-sides, alternate mixes, live recordings and video of the band’s 1991 Halloween concert at Seattle’s Paramount Theater.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind, check out the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit.