The Man Who Sold the World — David Bowie vs. Nirvana

Welcome back to Chillers – Cover Up, where we pit two versions of the same song against each other to see which one reigns supreme. The originals are cold, the covers are warm — so make sure you Cover Up and get ready to dive in.

The Song:

Surreal, cryptic, and a little unsettling, The Man Who Sold the World plays like a ghost story. The narrator meets a man who speaks like an old friend—maybe a spirit, maybe a mirror, maybe a memory. Jagged riffs and looping refrains blur the line between reality and apparition. It’s weird in the coolest way.

The Original:

Bowie’s 1970 title track marries staccato guitar figures with a hypnotic, circular riff that lodges in your brain. He delivers the story with detached curiosity, letting the lyrics do the haunting while the band spirals around him. Is the “man” real? A figment? A fractured self? Bowie doesn’t answer—and that’s the point.

The Cover:

In 1993, Nirvana turned the song into an MTV Unplugged séance. Kurt Cobain strips away glam edges and pours his grainy tenor over chiming acoustics and soft fuzz. The atmosphere stays eerie, but it’s rawer, more intimate—less mask, more nerve. Released to a grieving world after Cobain’s death, it took on mythic weight.

The Verdict:

Bowie is Bowie—untouchable most days. But here, Nirvana’s take lands harder. It feels lived-in, tragic, and true to the grunge moment without losing the song’s spectral heart. There’s a reason this cover tops so many lists: it isn’t just a rendition; it’s a revelation.