Smells Like Teen Spirit

When Smells Like Teen Spirit burst onto the scene in 1991, it not only became Nirvana's most recognizable song but also marked a before and after. This track, which opens the album Nevermind, was released as the first single, and its impact was immediate. It sold over 13 million copies worldwide, a figure that positioned it among the best-selling singles of all time. The success of Smells Like Teen Spirit propelled Nevermind to the top of the album charts, and it is often cited as the moment the grunge sound broke into the mainstream. It was Nirvana's biggest hit, reaching high positions on music charts around the globe in 1991 and 1992, even hitting number one in places like Belgium, France, New Zealand, and Spain.

Guitarist and vocalist Kurt Cobain described the creation of Smells Like Teen Spirit as an attempt to compose "the ultimate pop song," drawing inspiration from the dynamic volume contrasts of the band Pixies. The title comes from a phrase his friend Kathleen Hanna, vocalist of Bikini Kill, wrote to him: "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit." Hanna was referring to a deodorant, but Cobain interpreted it as a revolutionary slogan. The music video, which recreates a school event that descends into chaos, was inspired by the 1979 film Over the Edge by Jonathan Kaplan and the Ramones' Rock 'n' Roll High School. This video won two MTV Video Music Awards and received constant rotation on MTV throughout the 90s. Amy Finnerty, who worked in MTV programming, commented that the video "completely changed MTV's image," opening the channel to "a whole new generation to sell to." In 2000, Guinness World Records recognized Smells Like Teen Spirit as the most played video on MTV Europe.

The song was met with acclaim and described as an anthem for the apathetic youth of Generation X. It was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." In 2001, the Recording Industry Association of America ranked it 80th on its list "Songs of the Century." In 2002, NME named it the second-best single, and in 2013 Kerrang! ranked it as the best. In 2021, Rolling Stone placed it fifth on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." In 2017, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Smells Like Teen Spirit was one of several compositions that emerged from Nirvana's early recording sessions with producer Butch Vig in 1990. Kurt Cobain began writing it a few weeks before recording their second album, Nevermind, in 1991. He himself recounted that he sought to emulate the style of Pixies, a band he deeply admired. When presenting the song to his bandmates, it consisted only of the main guitar riff and the chorus vocal melody. Cobain considered the riff to be commonplace, similar to works by Boston or Richard Berry's song "Louie Louie." Bassist Krist Novoselic initially found it "ridiculous," but Cobain insisted the band play it for an hour and a half. Eventually, Novoselic began playing it more slowly, which inspired drummer Dave Grohl to create the drum beat, influenced by disco artists like Gap Band. As a result, it is the only song on Nevermind to credit all three band members as songwriters. The recording took place in May 1991 at Sound City in Van Nuys, California, and the album Nevermind was released on September 24, 1991.