Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Description
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band’s second album, Nevermind (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled Nevermind to the top of several albums charts at the start of 1992, an event often marked as the point when grunge entered the mainstream. It was Nirvana’s biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, and was number one on the charts in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. It was met with wide critical acclaim, and described as an “anthem for apathetic kids” of Generation X. Although Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the mainstream and commercial attention the song brought to them, listeners and critics continue to praise “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as one of the greatest songs of all time.
The music video for the song is based on the concept of a high school pep rally which ends in chaos and riot, inspired by Jonathan Kaplan‘s 1979 film Over the Edge and the Ramones‘ film Rock ‘n’ Roll High School. It won two MTV Video Music Awards, and was in heavy rotation on MTV during the 1990s. In subsequent years Amy Finnerty, formerly of MTV’s programming department, claimed the video “changed the entire look of MTV” by giving the channel “a whole new generation to sell to”. In 2000, the Guinness World Records named “Smells Like Teen Spirit” the “Most Played Video” on MTV Europe.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s list of The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranked the song at number 80 on their Songs of the Century list. In 2002, NME ranked the song the number two on its list of “100 Greatest Singles of All Time”, while Kerrang! ranked it at number one on its list of the “100 Greatest Singles of All Time”. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked “Smells Like Teen Spirit” fifth on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[3] In 2017, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
