It was April 2020. The world was basically on pause. Everyone was stuck inside, bread starters were exploding in kitchens, and the collective anxiety was through the roof. Then, Post Malone decided to hop on a YouTube livestream from his home in Salt Lake City and play 80 minutes of Nirvana covers.
He wore a floral dress. He had a solo cup within arm's reach. He looked like he hadn't slept in three days.
But then he started singing.
The Post Malone Nirvana tribute wasn't just some celebrity bored in quarantine. It ended up being one of the most technically proficient, emotionally raw, and financially successful rock moments of the decade. Honestly, it changed how a lot of people viewed the "Circles" singer. Before that, he was the face-tatted guy making "cloud rap" or whatever genre-bending pop the radio was playing. After those 15 songs? He was a rockstar.
What Actually Happened During the Set?
Posty didn't go it alone. He recruited some heavy hitters to back him up. Travis Barker (of Blink-182 fame) was on drums, and they had Brian Lee on bass and Nick Mac on guitar. They were all in different rooms of Post's house because of social distancing, which made the tight chemistry they displayed even more insane.
They didn't play "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
That was a huge move. Instead of leaning on the most overplayed song in grunge history, they dug into the real stuff. We're talking "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" as the opener. Who does that? Someone who actually knows the catalog, that’s who.
The Full Setlist from the Livestream
- Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle
- Drain You
- Come As You Are
- Lounge Act
- School
- Heart-Shaped Box
- Something In The Way
- About A Girl
- Stay Away
- Lithium
- Breed
- On A Plain
- Very Ape
- Territorial Pissings
- In Bloom
The vocal performance was... surprising. Post Malone has a natural rasp that lends itself to Kurt Cobain’s "sandpaper" delivery, but he didn't try to do a cheap impression. He hit the screams in "Territorial Pissings" with genuine grit. He handled the melodies of "Drain You" with way more precision than the internet expected.
Raising Millions for a Good Cause
The whole point of the show was to raise money for the UN Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO). It wasn't just a "look at me" moment. It worked.
The livestream raised $1 million within the first hour.
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By the time the donations were tallied up weeks later, the total had soared past $4.3 million. Google even stepped in to match donations up to $5 million. In a time when the music industry was basically hemorrhaging money and touring was dead, seeing a rapper-turned-rocker mobilize that much cash for healthcare workers was massive.
Did Nirvana Actually Like It?
This is where it gets interesting. Usually, when a pop star covers a legendary rock band, the "purists" come out of the woodwork to complain. But the Post Malone Nirvana tribute got the ultimate seal of approval.
Krist Novoselic, Nirvana’s original bassist, was literally live-tweeting the show. He was saying things like, "I don't think these fellows can play any better. They are on fire!" He even mentioned being "holding emotions back the whole show."
Courtney Love also gave her blessing. She actually helped pick out the dress Post wore as a nod to Kurt's iconic look.
And then there’s Dave Grohl. He later admitted in interviews that he watched the stream and thought it sounded "great." For the guy who actually sat behind the kit for those songs to give a thumbs up? That’s the end of the debate.
The Long-Term Impact: RSD 2025 and Beyond
Fast forward to 2025. Post Malone was named the Record Store Day Ambassador. To celebrate, he finally released the tribute as a 14-track vinyl titled Post Malone Tribute to Nirvana. It became the best-selling album of Record Store Day 2025.
People are still buying this performance five years later.
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Why? Because it felt authentic. It wasn't a polished studio recording with Autotune and over-production. It was a bunch of guys in a basement (albeit a very nice one in Utah) playing music they loved because they were stuck at home like the rest of us.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Musicians
If you're a fan of either artist, or a musician looking to pay tribute to your influences, there are a few things to take away from this specific event:
- Respect the Deep Cuts: Don't just play the hits. Post Malone won over the "real" fans by playing "Very Ape" and "Lounge Act." It showed he wasn't a tourist in the genre.
- Charity Matters: Aligning a performance with a cause gives it a weight that a standard "watch me play" stream lacks.
- Vulnerability Wins: Posty wasn't trying to look cool. He was sweaty, drinking beer, and wearing a dress. That lack of pretension is exactly what grunge was about in the first place.
If you haven't seen the full video yet, it’s still up on Post Malone's YouTube channel. It’s worth the 80 minutes just to see Travis Barker absolutely demolish the drum kit during "Breed."
Next Steps for You:
- Watch the original livestream on YouTube to catch the live energy that the vinyl doesn't quite capture.
- Check out the 2025 Record Store Day vinyl release if you're a collector; the mixing for the physical release is significantly improved from the raw 2020 stream.
- Look up the SNL50 Homecoming special from early 2025 where Post Malone actually joined surviving Nirvana members to perform "Smells Like Teen Spirit"—a full-circle moment for the tribute that started in a basement.