On Tuesday 5 April 1994 Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the American rock group Nirvana, committed suicide. Nirvana was one of the most successful groups of recent times; the album “Never-mind” grossed over $100 million. Their style of “grunge” music was a combination of punk rock and heavy metal. The lyrics were about alienation and despair.

The suicide was reported widely in the media. The Guardian and the Observer ran articles in their weekend magazines. The music press gave prominent coverage to Cobain's death. O magazine spent 11 pages discussing his life story and the events leading up …