Vig's first high-profile production work was in 1991, when he produced
The Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and
Nirvana's Nevermind.
His production work on
Nevermind is widely credited as the reason that Nirvana broke through to the mainstream, going #1 on the
U.S. chart (replacing
Michael Jackson). Vig incorporated
overdubs and vocal doubletracking, whereas Nirvana's previous album,
Bleach (produced by
Jack Endino) had a more "lo-fi" sound.
Kurt Cobain originally refused to double-track his vocals and guitars but Vig reportedly got him to comply by saying "
John Lennon double-tracked!". Cobain would later criticize Vig for the album's slickness, although this might be due to
Andy Wallace's mixing of the album. {Berkenstadt, J. (1998).
Nevermind Nirvana at pg. 96. New York: Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-864775-0} Cobain said that "Butch Vig...recorded the album perfectly," in a 1993 MTV interview.
Billy Corgan welcomed Vig's elaborate production on the The Smashing Pumpkins'
Siamese Dream. The track "
Soma," for example, uses over 40 guitar overdubs. This album met with great commercial and critical reception, also breaking another indie band into the mainstream.
Together with Steve Marker (guitar player of
Garbage) he also owns Smart Studios, located in Madison, where Vig currently resides. Vig has recorded a number of artists, including
Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins, and
Sonic Youth, at
Smart Studios.