Bleach cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

Bleach Songwriting Credits by Nirvana

1989 Sub Pop Records 13 tracks 37 min

Produced by Jack Endino  ·  Engineered by Jack Endino

Sub Pop Records GrungePunk RockSludge Metal
92%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 12 of 13 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 12 / 13 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Nirvana carries a lyricist or composer credit.

92%
12 trackswritten by Nirvana 1 trackoutside writers
Nirvana's roles on this album

Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist92%
Composer92%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

13
Tracks
3
Lyricists
1
Producers
1.9 million
US Copies Sold
1989
Released
Data Insight

Bleach is Nirvana's lo-fi debut, written mostly by Kurt Cobain, with the notable exception of Love Buzz, a cover of the Dutch band Shocking Blue. Recorded cheaply by Jack Endino in Seattle, it leans heavier and sludgier than the band's later work and became Sub Pop's best-selling release.

Bleach is the debut studio album by Nirvana, recorded in December 1988 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle for a budget of approximately $606 and produced by Jack Endino, whose raw, close-miked approach defined the Sub Pop house sound. The album was released in June 1989 on Sub Pop Records and captures the band in their earliest commercial form, leaning into the heavy, Melvins-influenced sludge rock that characterized Seattle's late-1980s underground scene. Cobain wrote almost every track, with Chad Channing on drums, a lineup that would not survive to the next album, and bass duties split between Krist Novoselic and, on earlier sessions, Jason Everman, who is photographed on the cover but did not actually play on the record. The sole exception to Cobain's authorship is 'Love Buzz,' a cover of the 1969 Shocking Blue song that Sub Pop released as the album's first single. Bleach was recorded before Dave Grohl joined the band and before Cobain had fully developed the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic that would define Nevermind; it remains the rawest and least commercially accessible entry in the Nirvana catalog, and its original pressing of 1,000 copies is among the most sought-after artifacts in 1990s alternative rock collecting.

Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Blew
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
2
Floyd the Barber
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
3
About a Girl
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
4
School
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
5
Love Buzz
Robbie van Leeuwen Robbie van Leeuwen Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
6
Paper Cuts
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
7
Negative Creep
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
8
Scoff
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
9
Swap Meet
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
10
Mr. Moustache
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
11
Sifting
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
12
Big Cheese
Kurt CobainKrist Novoselic Kurt CobainKrist Novoselic Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)
13
Downer
Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain Jack Endino Kurt Cobain (Lead Vocals, Guitar)Krist Novoselic (Bass)Chad Channing (Drums)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 5 contributors

More from Nirvana

Frequently Asked Questions Bleach

Who wrote the songs on Bleach?
Kurt Cobain wrote most of the album. The exception is Love Buzz, a cover of a song by the Dutch band Shocking Blue.
Is Bleach Nirvana's first album?
Yes. It is their 1989 debut studio album, released on the independent Seattle label Sub Pop.
How was Bleach recorded?
Jack Endino recorded it cheaply at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, with the sessions reportedly costing only a few hundred dollars.
What does Bleach sound like compared to Nevermind?
It is rawer, heavier, and sludgier, closer to punk and sludge metal than the polished alternative rock of Nevermind.
How well did Bleach sell?
After Nirvana's later success it became Sub Pop's best-selling album and is certified platinum in the United States, with around 1.9 million copies sold there.
What is the best-known song on Bleach?
About a Girl is the standout, an early sign of Kurt Cobain's pop melodicism. Its live version from MTV Unplugged in New York was released as a single in 1994 and topped Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

Sources