This is in memory of the baddest musican to ever play--Kurt Donald Cobain In his Journals Cobain listed Raw Power by The Stooges as his favorite album of all time. Cobain also noted the influence of the Pixies, and commented that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" bore some similarities to their sound. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone he explained:[36] "I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band— or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard." Cobain told Melody Maker in 1992 that hearing Surfer Rosa for the first time convinced him to abandon his more Black Flag-influenced songwriting in favor of the "Iggy Pop / Aerosmith" type songwriting that appeared on Nevermind.[37]

When given the opportunity to meet Pixies lead singer and guitarist Black Francis by Pixies manager Ken Goes, Cobain refused, being too subdued with nervousness and admiration of Francis to do so. Goes described Cobain as not "so much of a fan; He was a student of the band. He obviously had a massive amount of respect for what they were doing. He went on and on about it".[38]

Neil Young's profound influence on Cobain and other grunge musicians has caused him to be labeled as "the Godfather of Grunge". Cobain quoted Young's song "Hey Hey, My My" in his suicide note, stating "It's better to burn out than to fade away". Young had reportedly made repeated attempts to contact Cobain prior to his death.[39] The emotional impact of his death would influence Young to dedicate his 1994 album Sleeps with Angels to Cobain.