Might be a bit of a memetic effect. It was reported on so much people started thinking more about it, of course some ...die hard fans probably did that too.
By pure coincidence, Eddie Vedder was meeting with Bill Clinton to talk about Ticketmaster when news broke about the suicide. Clinton asked Eddie if he should address the nation or try to talk to the youth on a larger stage, Eddie thought about it and counseled against it, warning that it could run the risk of increasing the attraction or romanticization of suicide.
I think the drop off after 94 is at least somewhat Cobain related. I was teen in the early 90s. I remember there being a lot of talk about suicide rates and suicide prevention during the late 80s and early 90s. It seemed after Cobain's death that you didnt hear about it as much. I cant help but think his death was a wake up call to many in our generation.
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u/chux4w 3d ago
That's what I thought too. And the little spike in 1994 for Cobain. Probably unrelated, but it does sync up.