Nevermind, an album on major chords

Classical Harmony vs Rock/Punk Progressions

• One early claim about “classically wrong” chord progressions is challenged: things like V–IV–I or V–VI–I are described as standard, even textbook cadences (e.g. plagal “Amen” endings).
• Several participants argue that, within a key, most chord progressions can be made to work; “rules” are really rules of style, not of possibility.

Power Chords, Vocals, and Tonality on Nevermind

• Many comments stress that Nirvana guitar parts are mostly power chords (root + fifth), which are neither major nor minor until the melody supplies the third.
• Others push back, listing songs where full major/minor triads are clearly used, or where vocal lines strongly imply major/minor color.
• Some hear certain songs (e.g., “Come As You Are,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit”) as functionally minor despite the article’s “all major” framing.

Cobain’s Musicianship and “Genius” Debate

• One camp calls Cobain a genius, citing enormous cultural impact, memorable melodies, and writing without a large co‑writing apparatus.
• Skeptics say he was a strong but not unprecedented songwriter who synthesized earlier bands; some even argue his catalog is mostly mediocre aside from a few hits.
• Several note the ambiguity and subjectivity of “best songs in human history” and of the term “genius” itself.

Influences, Originality, and Production

• Multiple posts emphasize strong antecedents: punk and 80s alt‑rock (Pixies, Sonic Youth, etc.), plus elements of hair metal.
• The producer’s role on Nevermind is highlighted: tight compression, overdubs, and relatively minimal effects created a distinctive but not theory‑driven sound.

Music Theory: Knowledge, Instinct, and Style

• There’s broad agreement that many great songwriters knew little formal theory but had excellent ears and internalized patterns.
• Several distinguish between not reading notation and lacking theoretical understanding; informal “scene” vocabularies amount to a kind of theory.
• Some criticize the 90s pose of “we don’t know theory or practice” as misleading and discouraging to young musicians.

Technical Points: Distortion, Harmonics, and Article Accuracy

• Distorted guitars favor power chords because added harmonics make full triads muddy; details about even/odd harmonics and voicings are discussed.
• A specific “Cobain chord” flavor (often adding the fourth) is noted as part of the band’s sound.
• Multiple commenters say the article’s chord labeling and key analysis contain outright errors and overstate any harmonic novelty.