Nirvana's Early, Underrated Single Is A Hit Again

Forbes

20-03-2025

Nirvana's "Sliver" reenters the Official Physical Singles chart at No. 98, marking just its second ... [+] week ever on the tally as fans continue to buy the early release. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Kurt Cobain (1967 - 1994), of American grunge band Nirvana, playing a Takamine acoustic guitar during a recording session at Hilversum Studios, Holland, 25th November 1991. (Photo by Michel Linssen/Redferns/Getty Images)
When people think of Nirvana's catalog, they typically gravitate toward a handful of tracks. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' remains the grunge favorite's biggest smash, and one of the most important rock songs of all time. Fellow cuts like 'Come as You Are' and 'Lithium' also became massive wins during the group's short moment in the limelight.
This week, fans of Nirvana in the United Kingdom have focused their attention on another track, one that doesn't usually receive the same level of attention. The band's first proper single – at least when looking at tunes the members wrote and composed themselves – is a hit once more.
'Sliver' returns to the Official Physical Singles chart this week. It narrowly manages to find space on the list of the bestselling tracks in the nation that fans can pick up, as they're available on CD, cassette, or vinyl. This frame, the cut reenters at No. 98.
While 'Sliver' was released well over 30 years ago, it's still relatively new to the Official Physical Singles chart. This frame marks just its second ever on the list, though it hasn't been long since it debuted.
'Sliver' opened on the Official Physical Singles ranking in August of last year. It opened at No. 53 and then quickly dropped off, and now it's back as followers of Nirvana continue to purchase the tune on special formats.
'Sliver' earned Nirvana its first proper hit in the United Kingdom in February 1991. The track launched at No. 90 on the Official Singles chart, the list of the 100 most-consumed songs throughout the U.K. It only managed one turn, and has never returned since, though later that year, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' would arrive, and everything would change for the band.
The underrated 'Sliver' was never included on a proper Nirvana album. For a while, it was a standalone track, and then, more than a year after it first dropped, it was included on the Incesticide compilation. That project, which dropped in December 1992 — by which point Nirvana had become superstars — was filled with covers, demos, and other ephemera related to the group. As interest in the rockers skyrocketed, there was a push to capitalize on that popularity.