The Nirvana bootleg recordings are a number of recordings of musical performances by the American rock band Nirvana, which were previously not officially released by the band, or under any other legal authority. The recordings consist of both live performances and outtakes from studio sessions unavailable as a legal release.

The 1997 book Nirvana: The Alternative CD & Vinyl Collectors Guide identified more than 300 Nirvana CD and vinyl bootlegs.

Overview Nirvana was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987, and featured drummer Dave Grohl for the majority of the band's career. They had previously gone through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, Dale Crover and Dan Peters. Jason Everman was briefly added as a second guitarist in 1989. Pat Smear joined the band as a touring guitarist in 1993. Although Nirvana existed for less than a decade, they released three studio albums, starting with 1989's Bleach, followed by their major label breakthrough album, Nevermind in 1991. In Utero was released in 1993, just seven months prior to Cobain's death in April 1994. Also released in 1992 was the compilation album Incesticide.

In 1991, Gavin Report stated that Nirvana had appeared on bootlegs sporadically after their 1989 debut album Bleach had been released. This increased during the two-year gap until their second album Nevermind was released in 1991, with early versions of the unreleased Nevermind song "Lithium" appearing on bootlegs with the title "Broken Mirrors".

As Nirvana's popularity grew following the success of Nevermind, unreleased recordings of the band began to surface in the form of unofficial bootleg CDs, often originating from companies in Europe and Japan. The sound quality and album art would frequently range from appalling to appealing, sometimes sounding like and resembling something of a legitimate release. Some of the recordings came from "tape trading" circles while others may have been recorded or obtained specifically for the bootleg CD. Material was sometimes gathered from already existing vinyl bootlegs or other bootleg CDs as they became available. Additionally, songs issued only as a b-side or compilation track became frequent candidates for use as filler material. Nirvana would not see any royalties from these releases, nor would they have anything to do with their production. The first Nirvana bootleg CD was released in 1992 by Post Script, simply titled Europe 1991. Since then, hundreds of recordings of concerts, demos and various unreleased material have surfaced in this format. Billboard reported in August 1992 that Italian record label Living Legend was selling a Nirvana bootleg titled Nirvana: The Live Spirit - Live 1991. Billboard also reported in September 1992 that two companies in Germany had thousands of live recordings by various artists that they were selling as bootlegs, including by Nirvana.

The official release Incesticide was issued in late 1992, including demos, outtakes and radio sessions, some of which were previously circulating in lower quality on bootleg CDs. Despite MTV Unplugged in New York being released less than a year after the performance occurred, it would still become one of the band's most bootlegged shows. Billboard reported in July 1995 that Nirvana bootlegs were on sale in Canada, and in August 1995 that they were on sale in Australia.

After the first several instalments of the unofficial Outcesticide collection came through, the official live album From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah was released in 1996, containing various performances recorded between 1989 and 1994, and with RPM noting that by that time there were hundreds of live bootlegs in circulation. Billboard reported again in 1997 that Nirvana bootlegs were still being sold. FMQB reported in 2001 that Seattle radio station KNDD had played a live Nirvana bootleg in April to commemorate the anniversary of Cobain's death. The official With the Lights Out box set was released in 2004, which included many rare, unreleased recordings, while the official Live at Reading debuted Nirvana's now classic 1992 Reading Festival performance in 2009, after years of endless bootlegging.

Due to the fact that there is an uncountable number of unofficial releases and their accompanying versions, below is a partial list of the most sought-after and talked about bootleg CD recordings, including the A Season in Hell Part One box set, the Into the Black box set, and the complete Outcesticide series. Since bootleg CDs are notorious for including erroneously listed information pertaining to song titles, dates and venues, the information below has omitted any false listings and replaced them with the correct information.

Outcesticide albums The Outcesticide albums are the most well known Nirvana bootleg CD series in existence and carry a name recognition second only to Nirvana's official releases. In 2011, NME ranked the first Outcesticide album at number 12 on their list of 30 bootleg albums you need to hear. These unofficial compilation albums consisted of live material, demo recordings, television appearances, radio performances and other various unreleased material. Although Blue Moon Records originally produced the series and manufactured multiple pressings throughout the 1990s, they have been endlessly cloned, with counterfeit versions accounting for the majority of the market. Other companies to later issue the series included Darkside Records, Red Robin Records and Kobra Records, among others. A review by Ultimate Guitar gave Outcesticide: In Memory of Kurt Cobain a score of 8.7 out of 10.

Outcesticide: In Memory of Kurt Cobain

Released within a month of Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994.The Bleach Boys (1997). p. 58. All songs written by Kurt Cobain except where noted.

Tracks 1–7 from an early demo tape recorded at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle on January 23, 1988. "Spank Thru" remains unreleased. Track 8 recorded summer 1988 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle with songs that appeared on the "Love Buzz" single and later appeared on With the Lights Out. Tracks 9–11 recorded on a 4-track at the Cobain residence in Olympia, Washington, in 1988. Track 14 from an audience source recorded live at The Duchess of York in Leeds, England, on October 25, 1989. Track 15 recorded for Boy Meets Girl on KAOS radio at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, on September 25, 1990, and later appeared on With the Lights Out. Track 16 from the BBC radio session recorded at Maida Vale Studios in London on October 21, 1990. The final mix appeared on Hormoaning. Tracks 17–19 recorded at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin, in April 1990. "Pay to Play" appeared on DGC Rarities Volume 1. Tracks 20 and 21 recorded for Nozems-a-Gogo on VPRO radio at Jingle Production Room 2 in Hilversum, Netherlands, on November 25, 1991. Track 23 from an audience source recorded live at Bloom in Mezzago, Italy, on November 17, 1991.

Outcesticide II: The Needle & the Damage Done A 1997 review stated that "Another excellent compilation hot on the heels of Volume One. Courtney (Love) provided the Rio demo for this one and is thanked on the sleeve. Some songs are pretty rough quality-wise, notably towards the end of the disc, but the rarity factor means it's well worth it".The Bleach Boys (1997). p. 60. All songs written by Kurt Cobain except where noted.

Tracks 1 and 16 recorded at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, in April 1990. "In Bloom" was later featured on the DVD portion of With the Lights Out. Tracks 2 and 18 from an audience source recorded live at Kultur-Basar, Hanau, West Germany on November 18, 1989. Track 3 from a soundboard source recorded live at U4, Vienna, Austria on November 22, 1989. Track 4 from an audience source recorded live at Bloom in Mezzago, Italy, on November 17, 1991. Tracks 5, 8 and 9 recorded live at the Hollywood Rock Festival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 23, 1993. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" features Flea on trumpet. Track 6 from a soundboard source recorded live at the Cabaret Metro, Chicago, Illinois, on October 12, 1991. Track 7 recorded at BMG Ariola Ltda., Studio B, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 21, 1993, and features members of Hole with Cobain on bass. Tracks 10–12 from an acoustic in-store performance recorded live at Northern Lights Records, Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 14, 1991. Track 13 from an audience source recorded live at Castaic Lake Amphitheatre, Castaic, California, on September 26, 1992, where Cobain performed solo acoustic. Track 14 from an audience source recorded live at Salle Omnisports, Rennes, France, on December 7, 1991, and features vocals by Novoselic and Grohl. Track 15 from an audience source recorded live at Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium on November 23, 1991. Track 17 from a soundboard source recorded live at Palaghiaccio, Marino, Italy on February 22, 1994. Track 19 from a soundboard source recorded during soundcheck at The Palladium, Hollywood, California, on August 17, 1990, with Dale Crover on drums. Track 20 from an audience source recorded live at the Salem Armory Auditorium, Salem, Oregon, on December 14, 1993. Track 21 recorded for The Word at Limehouse Studios in London on November 8, 1991.

Outcesticide III: The Final Solution

A 1997 review stated that "Another great instalment in the Outcesticide series. If you want rare Nirvana, here is the place to find it, and overall the quality of the material used is excellent. As usual, upon release this was copied and re-issued world-wide".The Bleach Boys (1997). p. 62. All songs written by Kurt Cobain except where noted.

Tracks 1–3 recorded for Nulle Part Ailleurs at Canal+ in Paris on February 4, 1994. Track 5 from an audience source recorded live at Kultur-Basar in Hanau, West Germany, on November 18, 1989. Tracks 6 and 7 recorded summer 1988 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle with songs that appeared on the "Love Buzz" single. "Blandest" later appeared on With the Lights Out. Tracks 8 and 9 recorded at The Music Source in Seattle in September 1989 and later appeared on With the Lights Out. Track 10 recorded live at MTV Studios in New York City on January 10, 1992. Tracks 11 and 12 recorded for Tunnel at RAI Centro di Produzione TV Studi Nomentano in Rome on February 23, 1994. "Dumb" features Melora Creager on cello. Tracks 13 and 18 from an audience source recorded live at the Reading Festival in England on August 30, 1992, and later appeared in soundboard form on Live at Reading. Tourettes being labeled as "The Eagle Has Landed". Tracks 14, 15 and 19 from an audience source recorded live at the Off Ramp Café in Seattle on November 25, 1990. The majority of the show is available on the first disc of A Season in Hell Part One. Tracks 16 and 17 recorded for Nozems-a-Gogo on VPRO radio at Villa 65 in Hilversum, Netherlands, on November 1, 1989. Track 20 from an audience source recorded live at Vooruit in Ghent, Belgium, on November 23, 1991. Track 21 from an audience source recorded live at Bloom in Mezzago, Italy, on November 26, 1989, where Cobain performed an encore with Tad. Track 22 recorded live at the Community World Theatre in Tacoma, Washington, on January 23, 1988, and later appeared on With the Lights Out, this track includes a Led Zeppelin cover called Moby Dick . Track 23 recorded on a 4-track at the Cobain residence in Olympia, Washington, in 1988 and later appeared on With the Lights Out.

Outcesticide IV: Rape of the Vaults

A 1997 review stated "Another excellent collection of rarities amazing how unreleased songs can be located this late in the day, just when you think you've heard it all, Outcesticide unearths more. This volume even includes a fact-packed booklet as part of its packaging".The Bleach Boys (1997). p. 64. All songs written by Kurt Cobain except where noted.