Bleach (studio album) by Nirvana

Bleach by Nirvana
Year: 1989
Overall rank: 486th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 1,301 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 10 albums of 1989 (7th)
Award Top 100 albums of the 1980s (72nd)
Award Top 500 albums of all time (486th)

Nirvana bestography

Bleach is ranked 4th best out of 17 albums by Nirvana on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Nirvana is Nevermind which is ranked number 13 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 39,440.

Nirvana album bestography « Higher ranked (152nd) This album (486th) Lower ranked (1,521st) »
MTV Unplugged In New YorkBleachIncesticide

Upcoming concerts

Aug
01
Fri
19:00
Mockville - Nirvana, Linkin Park and Creed Tribute
Mulcahy's, Wantagh, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Aug
08
Fri
19:00
Nirvanish - Tribute to Nirvana with Faux Fighters
The Magnolia, El Cajon, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Aug
08
Fri
20:00
Do317 Presents Grunge Fest: Tributes to Nirvana, STP & Alice In Chains
Old National Centre, Indianapolis, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
Discover more upcoming concerts

Listen to Bleach on YouTube

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Bleach track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 81 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Rating: 84 (250 votes)Comments: 4
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3.
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Rating: 88 (403 votes)Comments: 7
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4.
Rating: 85 (245 votes)Comments: 4
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5.
Rating: 84 (242 votes)Comments: 3
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6.
Rating: 77 (207 votes)Comments: 3
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7.
Rating: 83 (233 votes)Comments: 5
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8.
Rating: 77 (195 votes)Comments: 2
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9.
Rating: 77 (195 votes)Comments: 3
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10.
Rating: 75 (192 votes)Comments: 2
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11.
Rating: 76 (196 votes)Comments: 2
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Track pick Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Bleach rankings

Bleach collection

Bleach ratings

Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 1,301 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 1,301 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
70/100
 Report rating
07/16/2025 17:32 bonnequestion  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,54170/100
 
60/100
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07/09/2025 21:49 Milhaud  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,31469/100
 
65/100
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07/01/2025 23:00 Nacho212  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,81672/100
 
70/100
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06/18/2025 12:03 idiotican  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,80274/100
 
60/100
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06/08/2025 17:10 Invader666  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,62565/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 5% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 76.1/100, a mean average of 75.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.1/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.3.

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Bleach comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 61 comments |
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Rating:  
85/100
From 05/22/2023 19:15
Solid debut album form Nirvana, they had never been that heavy and raw after it. I love the section About The Girl, School, Love Buzz any of these could be my favorite song. I aslo find Paper Cuts and Negative Creep very interesting. The album drags for me a bit and I don't like Mr Moustache, but it's overall very good.
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Rating:  
100/100
From 04/07/2023 05:01
Bleach may not be Nirvana's most meticulously crafted album, but it will always be my favorite. The raw, buzzy brutality achieved on this record by just three musicians is as baffling as it is exhilarating. Kurt Cobain was a rare creative force, and I believe Bleach captures his genius in spades. The sheer variety displayed on this project is admirable--from the lurching stoner sludge of "Paper Cuts" and "Floyd the Barber," to the furious thrash of "Mr. Mustache" and "Negative Creep," to the sparkling Beatles-esque beauty of "About a Girl," and everything in between. Underneath all the howling and shredding, there is a tangible lyrical wit and countercultural intelligence. Potent, snarky, catchy, memorable hooks are all over this record. Incredible, and too-often overlooked.
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Rating:  
80/100
From 03/30/2023 11:31
Peso, distorção, agressividade escondendo poesia.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 09/29/2022 05:51
Features my favourite Nirvana track Negative Creep and for raw energy beats Nevermind
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
70/100
From 09/07/2022 01:10
Alright debut but nothing too special
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 08/29/2022 13:18
My favorite Nirvana album. I’m not saying it to be different or anything, I feel like this album has an authentic quality about it that the later 2 lack, and I don’t get the feeling from Kurt that he is a miserable twat. I give it a 90/100, it’s a great casual listen
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 07/23/2022 16:53
Miserable.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
15/100
From 01/01/2022 13:31
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Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (1 helpful | 4 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 11/20/2021 12:24
‘Bleach’ is one of those albums that is historically important without actually being particularly good and clearly suffers from personnel issues (Dave Grohl wouldn’t join Nirvana for another year and Jason Evermore, Soundgarden, wouldn’t play a note despite being credited on the sleeve)

There’s four really solid tracks here in “Blew” / “About a Girl” / the Shocking Blue cover “Love Buzz” and of course “Negative Creep”, the remaining 9 tracks, with the exceptions “Floyd the Barber” & “School” are largely forgettable. Cobain famously declared he was still writing lyrics for ‘Bleach’ on his way to the studio and it kinda shows

I could understand someone saying they prefer this album to Nirvana’s next release, but to say its better is simply wrong
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Rating:  
80/100
From 10/28/2021 20:25
Nirvana’s opening effort shows their embryonic brilliance in punk form. The songs are – for the most part – short and punchy, delivering their message with energy and abandon and then closing abruptly. The songwriting may not quite be up to their future standards but there’s no denying the impact of this album.
Best Track: About A Girl
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1989
1. Doolittle by Pixies
2. Disintegration by The Cure
3. The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses
4. Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys
5. On Fire by Galaxie 500
6. 3 Feet High And Rising by De La Soul
7. Bleach by Nirvana
8. Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails
9. Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty
10. New York by Lou Reed
11. Technique by New Order
12. Like A Prayer by Madonna
13. The Real Thing by Faith No More
14. Floating Into The Night by Julee Cruise
15. The Sensual World by Kate Bush
16. Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson
17. Hats by The Blue Nile
18. 13 Songs by Fugazi
19. Oh Mercy by Bob Dylan
20. Pump by Aerosmith
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