Their fan base was diverse. Geeks and outsiders identified with the rebel band but so too did cheerleaders and frat boys. Fashion designers tried to emulate Cobain’s Pacific-Northwest-hardscrabble chic, making cardigans and flannel shirts essential style items. And, other bands predictably imitated Nirvana’s sound. None though ever managed to carry the alt-grunge mantle forward to its second act in the 20 years that have passed since Cobain’s suicide.

Kurt Cobain has often been referred to as the last great rock star, a musical genius with an angry and altogether winning growl. Nirvana, in their short time together, enjoyed enormous and dizzying success before the internet changed how we communicate and consume. With their album Nevermind, they zipped to the top of the charts — and challenged established acts including Michael Jackson and Guns N' Roses.

What was remarkable about Cobain, however, was his determination to carve out a new role as a rock star. Cobain sharply mocked the old-school sexism in rock and forced attitudinal changes, particularly towards women and gays. In their pivotal Smells Like Teen Spirit, the band eschewed leggy models for tough, anarchist cheerleaders

Motley Crue may have sung about Girls, Girls, Girls but Cobain instead vaunted outspoken actress Frances Farmer, who battled mental illness and alcoholism. One of the first rockers to appear on the cover of the LGBT magazine The Advocate, Cobain often wore dresses while performing. He and his bandmate Krist Novoselic freely kissed, riling up homophobes in conservative pockets of the U.S.

Cobain’s ultimate undoing was rapid. In the months before his death, he suffered drug overdoses and fell in and out of rehab. Never one to pander, Cobain seemed at times contemptuous of his fans and bored of the spotlight. News of his death reverberated and the grunge movement slowly spun out. Now, on the 20th anniversary of Cobain’s death, we explore how Nirvana influenced popular culture and pushed against the tide of mainstream convention.