Nirvana’s In Utero returns to the U.K. charts, landing on three rankings, including a strong showing … More
Nirvana holds a very special place in the history of rock music. The group didn’t invent grunge, but the trio did push the once-underground style to the masses in the ’90s, scoring huge hits and changing the sound of popular music forever.
That achievement is impressive enough in its own right, but Nirvana was able to do so with just three albums. The first, titled Bleach, was not a huge commercial success initially, but it did introduce the group to American listeners. Its quick follow-up, Nevermind, ranks as one of the most successful and critically acclaimed rock releases of all time.
Two years later, the band dropped In Utero, which proved to be its last, as lead singer Kurt Cobain passed away not long after it became a commercial win. It’s that final set that returns to the charts in the United Kingdom this week and becomes a bestseller once more.
In Utero Returns to Several Charts
In Utero can be found on three rankings across the Atlantic this frame. It reappears on each and every one of them, though its performance across the rosters is mixed.
Unsurprisingly, In Utero performs best on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart. This frame, it bounces back to No. 16, becoming a top 20 bestseller in those genres once more.
Nirvana’s Classic is a Bestseller Once More
The Nirvana set ranks much lower on two much more general, purchase-centric tallies. In Utero reappears at No. 93 on the Official Physical Albums chart and settles in absolute last place, at No. 100, on the Official Album Sales ranking.
In Utero’s Longevity
In Utero has spent significantly more time on the Official Rock & Metal Albums chart, compared to the others. It is one of a number of bestsellers that long ago passed 500 weeks on that tally, and it continues to add to that sum, including this frame.
Nirvana’s third full-length has yet to pass a full year on either of the other two charts on which it can be found. If it holds on just one more turn on the ranking of the bestselling physical titles, it will hit 52 weeks, or a complete year. The classic is up to just eight frames on the roster that measures the bestselling albums of any style across the nation – a far cry from the 500-plus it’s racked up on the rock list.
Nirvana’s Performance on the Charts
Four of Nirvana’s releases appear on at least one albums ranking this week in the U.K. Bleach is missing, while Nevermind settles on the same three tallies as In Utero. The group’s self-titled compilation, as well as MTV Unplugged in New York, a live set released months after Cobain’s death, can also be found on purchase-only tallies. The greatest hits set is also performing well enough on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music to make a home on the Official Albums Streaming chart as well.
