Nirvana smashed guitar and setlist sell for $655k, among over $3M sold at rock auction

Julien's Auctions recently held their "Music Icons" auction event, featuring over 1,200 pieces of music history from renowned artists such as Nirvana, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Eddie Van Halen, Freddie Mercury, Led Zeppelin, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz, and more. The auction was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, with thousands of bidders, fans, and collectors worldwide participating both online and live.

One of the most notable items sold was a lefty black Fender Stratocaster electric guitar that was smashed by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's "Nevermind" era. The guitar sold for $595,000, which was nearly ten times its original estimate of $60,000.

Another Nirvana highlight was a setlist for their April 17, 1991 performance at OK Hotel in Seattle, Washington, which sold for $50,800, twelve times its original estimate of $4,000. The setlist, believed to be handwritten by Dave Grohl, marked the band's debut performance of their breakthrough hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" before its release.

In total, the sales of all items sold sit at over three million dollars. Tonight, there is an additional "Music Icons" event, which features "Property From The Special Collection Of Global Icon Janet Jackson". 

A list of items sold and their amounts are listed below.

- Lefty black Fender Stratocaster electric guitar smashed by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's "Nevermind" era: $595,000 - Nirvana setlist for their April 17, 1991 performance at OK Hotel: $50,800 - Oversized Nirvana promotional poster for the 1991 "Nevermind" album: $10,400 - Gretsch Irish Falcon electric guitar stage-played by U2's Bono: $238,125 - Eddie Van Halen's Charvel EVH Art Series 78 electric guitar: $114,300 - Michael Jackson's custom-made black military-style jacket worn during the 1992-93 "Dangerous" world tour: $117,000 - Military-style jacket worn by Michael Jackson to a 1992 media event: $53,975 - Custom-made space jumpsuit worn by Michael Jackson in the 1993 film "AS-1 Scramble Training": $35,750 - Alex Lifeson's circa 1987 candy apple red signature Aurora electric guitar: $82,550 - Lenny Kravitz's 1973 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe electric guitar: $52,000 - Jimmy Page's right-handed Melody 500 acoustic guitar: $63,500 - Ronnie Lane's 1971 Zemaitis resonator acoustic guitar: $50,800 - Mick Mars' vintage 1959 Olympic white Fender Stratocaster electric guitar: $45,500 - K.K. Downing's 2003 candy apple red custom Hamer Vector electric guitar: $25,400 - Paul Stanley's circa 2015-2018 "cracked mirror" Ibanez PS1CM electric guitar: $11,700 - Elvis Presley's oversized 18K Gold fire opal and diamond ring: $45,000 - Elvis Presley's black Ray-Ban reading glasses: $11,700 - Elvis Presley's 14K Gold "TCB" pendant necklace: $13,000 - Elvis Presley's Stetson western hat worn in the film "Stay Away Joe": $22,225 - Elvis Presley's custom-made corduroy waist-jacket worn in the film "Double Trouble": $25,400 - Lyrics sheet for The Beatles' song "Baby You're A Rich Man" handwritten by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Mal Evans: $65,000 - Limited-edition brick from Abbey Road Studio Two: $11,700 - RIAA certified sales gold record award for The Beatles' single "Help!": $22,750 - Gold record award for The Beatles' single "Can't Buy Me Love": $19,500 - RIAA certified sales gold record award for The Beatles' album "Hey Jude": $91,000 - Gold record award for The Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band": $65,000 - Gold record award for The Beatles' album "Revolver": $39,000 - Gold record award for The Beatles' album "Yesterday And Today": $22,750 - Group of original mounted animation cels from The Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine": $22,750 and $19,500 - Gold record award for The Beatles' album "Yellow Submarine": $35,750 - Julian Lennon's vintage Honda Z50AE Monkey Bike: $16,250 - Gold record award for The Beatles' single "All You Need Is Love": $16,250 - Freddie Mercury's stage-worn New York Yankees bomber jacket: $57,150 - David Bowie's gold lurex suit from the cover of Filter magazine: $25,400 - Tom Petty's Takamine acoustic guitar: $35,750 - John Lennon's sketchbook containing 18 sketches and drawings: $35,750 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Yamaha CP10 electric piano: $31,750 - Amy Winehouse's Dolce & Gabbana dress from the "F*ck Me Pumps" music video: $26,000 - Ringo Starr's custom-made wooden drumsticks: $22,100 - Beastie Boys' "License to Ill" era tour clothing ensemble: $27,500 - Beastie Boys' "Root Down" era tour clothing ensemble: $19,500 - Derek and the Dominos' MCI JH-16 prototype tape recorder machine: $57,150 - Niall Horan's first guitar, a Yamaha acoustic: $12,700 - Robby Krieger of The Doors' hand-painted Gibson SG electric guitar: $13,000 - B.B. King's signed Epiphone Lucille electric guitar: $10,400 - Neil Young's personally owned and driven 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: $13,000 - Keith Emerson's limited-edition 2015 Moog EMMS synthesizer: $78,000 - Neil Peart's cymbal and drumsticks from Rush: $13,000 

via Blabbermouth