Gen X's defining moment

It was 10 years ago today Cobain, the scraggly, blond-haired, blue-eyed voice of a generation, took a shotgun and killed himself in the greenhouse next to his home, ending a life of heroin addiction and intense stomach pain. An electrician discovered his body and suicide note three days later.

While his death at 27 helped Cobain achieve rock immortality, it is Nirvana's music - dark lyrics with simple, accessible instrumentation that alternated between soft verses and loud choruses - that explains the staying power.

"Nirvana brought back the fresh air. It was a powerful return to artistry, to making the power and emotion behind a song its center," said Charles R. Cross, a Seattle-based author of "Heavier Than Heaven," the definitive Cobain biography.

Where does 10 years go? Still miss you Kurt.