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In an otherwise entertaining article on Nirvana, TNR's David Yaffe makes this claim:

As Cobain's self-destructive art eventually gave way to a self-destructive final act, there was mourning, melancholia, and, inevitably, a new era and a new record. The autumn after Cobain's death, Beck's "Loser" hit college campuses everywhere. In contrast to Nirvana's Sturm und Drang, the record had a kitschy, intentional artifice to it. "I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me?" went the song's refrain. Everyone knew that Beck was only kidding, at least about the killing. He showed those bereaved Gen Xers in search of a new sensibility that it was possible to look into the abyss and laugh.

Actually, "Loser" was released as a single in January 2004, and hit the alternative stations and MTV big about two months before Cobain's death, not the fall after. Just a minor point, but worth noting. This is from the February 12 issue of Billboard.

Geffen's recent chart trifecta with its DGC acts is an unprecedented feat. The week of Jan. 29, Nirvana's "All Apologies," Beck's "Loser," and Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones" held Nos. 1, 2, and 3 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, respectively; the following week, "Lower"(sic) hit No. 1, "Mr. Jones" climbed to No. 2, and "All Apologies" slipped to No. 3.

So there you go.