What artist or band changed your music taste forever? Pick your favorite song of theirs.

At the risk of outing myself as the clichéd “X-ennial” that I am, Nevermind came out when I was 12 and it—and more importantly, the “alternative music” explosion that followed in its wake—really did change the musical trajectory of my life and the lives of most of the friends I grew up with. It genuinely felt like one week I and my classmates were listening to Boyz II Men* and the next, for some of us, our musical landscape had been forever changed.

Honestly, as a record, I prefer In Utero; Steve Albini was better able to capture the raw sound of the band firing on all cylinders. The sound of their final record perfectly captures what was so special about the music of that era, with its mix of melody and noise, agony and ecstasy. It was a sound though, that the sheen of Butch Vig’s production on their breakthrough allowed into the public consciousness and for folks like me, it opened the door to a world of music, both that had gone before and that would come after, that has become a part of how I understand not life, community, politics, and art. From that point on, music touched everything.

My favorite Nirvana song, then, now, and always is “On a Plain”. It’s perfection. Krist and Dave deliver the quintessential combination of thunderous drumming and melodic but never overplayed bass over which Kurt’s incredible songwriting is given room to breathe. It’s a masterpiece.

Love myself better than you… I know it’s wrong, so what should I do?

*no disrespect intended to the four cooleyhigh guys who just “wanted to sing”.