In a recent interview with Q101, Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins addressed criticism regarding the supposed ‘rivalry’ between his band and Nirvana. When asked about their rivalry, Corgan broke his silence about the alleged ‘feud‘ between the two bands, referring to it as ‘clickbait’. He said:
“The rivalry… You know I said some things in some recent interviews, and we live in this clickbait world. And what I was trying to say was like, Kurt was this incredible artist, and when he was alive, and we were both in our mid-20s, both bands were competing for the same spot, and some people take that, and somehow they turn it into something that it isn’t.”
The frontman later stated that the ‘rivalry’ is a usual thing considering the bands of those times:
“I think [if] we look back now, we can see that amongst the ’90s bands, [The Smashing] Pumpkins and Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots; there are a lot of bands competing for the top spots. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“So people try to turn it into this weird thing, like, somehow, it was like something dark. No, it was just good competition. It’s like; you got a Bulls Jersey on your wall; I mean, why do we go to the games? Because we want our team to win. Nothing wrong with that.”
Corgan then further explained why what they had could not be called a rivalry:
“I think I have every right, knowing everybody involved, having played with Nirvana, knowing Kurt a little bit personally. […] There’s no rivalry; it’s just all love and respect. […] I wish Kurt was still alive because I want to compete against the best, and he was the best. So how’s that a rivalry if I want the guy that I respected to still be here writing great songs? It’s such a strange thing to say.”
Though the frontman thinks the rivalry between the two bands is clickbait, in an earlier interview, Corgan revealed that he cried when Kurt Cobain passed away because he ‘lost his greatest opponent‘. He said:
“When Kurt died, I cried because I lost my greatest opponent. I want to beat the best. I don’t want to win the championship because it’s just me and a bunch of Jabronis to use a wrestling term.”
See the full interview down below.
