“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is a song by American 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.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was one of several songs written following Nirvana’s first recording sessions with producer Butch Vig in 1990. Singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain began writing it a few weeks before recording their second album, Nevermind, in 1991. When Cobain presented the song to his bandmates, it comprised just the main guitar riff and the chorus vocal melody. Cobain said the riff was “clichéd”. Bassist Krist Novoselic dismissed it as “ridiculous”; in response, Cobain made the band play it for an hour and a half. Eventually, Novoselic began playing it more slowly, inspiring drummer Dave Grohl to create the drum beat, which drew from disco artists like The Gap Band. As a result, it is the only song on Nevermind to credit all three band members as writers.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was Nirvana’s biggest hit in most countries, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, including topping the charts of Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. The song garnered widespread critical acclaim, including topping the Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics’ poll. The song was dubbed an “anthem for apathetic kids” of Generation X, but Nirvana grew uncomfortable with the attention it brought them. In the years since Kurt Cobain’s death, listeners and critics have continued 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 music television. 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 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. In 2017, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
