Looking at the image, we can observe 5 key symbols the baby, money, water, colour and font. Nevermind’s album cover conveys a bold message using many codes and convention. Providing a detailed look at the use of trademark fonts, colours, and designs I will identify the connotative meanings behind these signs and how they link to Nirvana’s ideology on capitalism.

Through a semiotic analysis of Nevermind’s icon cover art, we can decipher the connotative meaning from signs to support the band’s intended political statement. Getting into Nirvana was empowering for a generation that had no power.” () This was passionate music that didn’t pretend. The band expressed strong feelings about feminism, racism, censorship and especially homophobia. The music expressed the feelings they felt. “Nevermind united an audience that had never been united before – the twenty-somethings. As Michael Azzerrad author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana accurately quoted in an interview on the 20 th anniversary of the album: The image reflects the cultural context and ultimately sums grunge rock’s rebellious condemnation of society’s conservative values. The cover art of Nirvana’s 1991 release Nevermind has prevailed to be one of the most recognizable album covers of all time. Music albums across the world are sold inside universal sleeves branded with a particular image allowing the work to be instantly recognisable amongst all others.

Since the invention on the LP back in 1948, the recording industry adapted the concept of the cover art as to visually represent the artists and music. As a consumerist society, we tend to instinctively make assumptions based on initial appearance.

Never mind the English idiom “don’t judge a book by its cover”. “Nevermind’s cover art was one such political statement, a clear expression of disgust towards capitalism.” (Bickerdike, 2014) Please allow me to be the 10 millionth person to ever discuss Nirvana’s Nevermind Album.

Nirvana nevermind cover story