Live Through This is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Hole. It was released by Geffen Records on April 12, 1994, just four days after frontwoman Courtney Love's husband, Kurt Cobain, was found dead in their home. It was Hole's only album to feature bassist Kristen Pfaff before her death in June 1994, and the first to feature Patty Schemel on drums.
Musically and lyrically, the album differed greatly from the band's debut, Pretty on the Inside (1991), transitioning from punk and noise rock to a more accessible rock sound, focusing more on melody and dynamics and utilizing less of the distortion and experimental touches that dominated their previous record. Lyrically, the album heavily reflected Love's life at the time, her transition into public notoriety, and her role as a wife and mother, as well as articulating a "third-wave feminist consciousness".
Often considered Hole's "magnum opus", Live Through This met near-unanimous critical acclaim, garnering rave reviews and "best album of the year" awards in major periodicals, such as Rolling Stone, Spin, and The New York Times, as well as earning top-100 chart spots in seven countries. The album was a financial success, selling over two million copies worldwide and going multi-platinum within just a year of its release. It also spawned four singles, including the group's signature songs "Doll Parts" and "Violet". In recent years, Live Through This has often been considered a contemporary classic of alternative rock, and was included in Rolling Stone's list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".