Song · Nirvana
“Love Buzz” by Nirvana
From the album Bleach (1989)
“Love Buzz” by Nirvana appears on 5 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 1999 and 2024. It was first released in 1989 on the album Bleach. Its best result is #93 on the KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #5,288 alternative song of all time.
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"Love Buzz" is where Nirvana's recorded story begins: a cover of a 1969 Shocking Blue song, written by Robbie van Leeuwen for the Dutch band's album At Home, which Nirvana cut for their 1988 debut single on Sub Pop and then carried onto Bleach in 1989. The original was a sitar-laced slice of psychedelia; Kurt Cobain on guitar and vocals, Krist Novoselic on bass and Chad Channing on drums dragged it down into the muck, and Sub Pop's own pitch for it was "heavy pop sludge". Jack Endino produced and recorded it.
The single launched the Sub Pop Singles Club in a run of 1,000 numbered copies, which is why originals now fetch thousands of dollars. John Robb made it single of the week in Sounds, the first time the band turned up in the British press.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 365 | WFNX | WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) | 500 |
| 1999 | 821 | 107.7 The End | The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 1077 |
| 2019 | 93 | KEXP | KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time | 627 |
| 2021 | 401 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2024 | 595 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs | 850 |
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