"Bleach" had sold 40,000 copies in North America before the release of "Nevermind". It has since been certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold more than 1.9 million copies in the United States alone. It is Sub Pop's best-selling album to date and is unlikely to be surpassed by competitors. Frontman Kurt Cobain's death in April 1994 also led to a resurgence in the album's popularity, reaching number one on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. In April 2019, "Bleach" was ranked No. 13 on "Rolling Stone"'s 50 Greatest Grunge Albums list.