New podcast delves into the varied musical taste of Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was a defining figure in Seattle music history, the poster child of the grunge era, who rose to international stardom, and whose life was tragically cut short.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of his death.

Cobain left behind a lot of things: hundreds of thousands of mourning, fervent fans, a family, but this story starts with his notebook. In it is a list of albums, ranging from The Beatles to Black Flag. It’s titled “Top 50 By Nirvana”.

A new podcast called "The Cobain 50" from KEXP is looking into the backstory of those albums.

Cobain's notebook was published in 2002 with much controversy and that list made the rounds.

The two hosts of "The Cobain 50," KEXP's Martin Douglas and Dusty Henry said the list was one of the first things they talked about when they first met.

"It's just a crazy list," said Henry, who said it includes everything from "hardcore punk to The Beatles, bands like The Shaggs, just all over the map. And you get an insight into who Kurt was. And also just the other aspect of him, of not just being a prolific songwriter, but an advocate for music he loved."

In the first episode, Douglas dives into the history of the first album on Cobain's list, The Stooges' "Raw Power," an album Douglas said was foundational.

"People hated the Stooges," Douglas said, "And I think that is so cool, because their music was so loud and so ferocious. It says a lot about people that hated it."

In each episode, Douglas, Henry, and occasional guest hosts cover the history of these albums and how they influenced Kurt Cobain.

Listen to Soundside’s full conversation with Dusty Henry and Martin Douglas by clicking the play icon at the top of this story. You can find the first episode of "The Cobain 50" here.