The surprising truth about the infamous Nirvana and Pearl Jam feud The early 1990s saw the rise of grunge music, and with it one of the most infamous feuds in music history: Pearl Jam vs. Nirvana.
He explained his feelings in an interview with Flipside in 1992, saying: ‘I can’t comment on Soundgarden because I know them personally, and I really like them a lot, but I have strong feelings towards Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains and bands like that.
In hindsight, the feud between Nirvana and Pearl Jam was emblematic of a larger debate within the music industry: the tension between artistic integrity and commercial success.
Cobain’s comments soon spiraled into a major narrative in the media, with Pearl Jam fans wearing shirts with the Nirvana logo crossed out and vice versa.
Cobain’s primary issue was with the mainstream music industry’s tendency to package and sell rebellion as a marketable product, and he felt Pearl Jam represented this commercialisation – even if they didn’t knowingly partake.
