Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (4:38)

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Popular tags: grunge, rock, nirvana, 90s, alternative See more

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About This Track

Frequently cited as one of the most important songs in the history of rock music, Nirvana’s 1991 single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” almost single handedly popularized alternative rock and simultaneously brought the era of hair metal and pop metal to an end.

Often cited as an anthem for Generation X, the chord progression for this song is strikingly similar to that of

More Than A Feeling by Boston, a fact which Kurt Cobain openly acknowledged.

Kurt Cobain said that this song was an attempt to write a song in the style of alternative rock band Pixies, which he was a devotee of. This song features characteristic “Pixies dynamics”, in that it alternates between soft, quiet sections (in the verses) and loud, heavy sections (in the chorus). Kathleen Hanna, the lead singer of the group Bikini Kill, gave Cobain the idea for the title when she spray painted “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on his bedroom wall after a night of drinking and spraying graffiti around the Seattle area. In his pre-Courtney Love days, Cobain went out with Bikini Kill lead singer Tobi Vail, but she dumped him. Vail wore Teen Spirit deodorant, and Hanna was implying that Cobain was marked with her scent.Cobain didn’t know it when he wrote the song, but Teen Spirit is a brand of deodorant marketed to young girls. Kurt thought Hanna was complimenting him on his rebellious spirit.

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Nevermind
Nirvana
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Starlow13 wrote:
Sunday morning

hell yeah!!!

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Watamelonmofo wrote:
Friday evening

I get goosebumps when this song starts

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bhangraprincess wrote:
last week

Best Nirvana song! :D

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WesleyWO wrote:
last month

Você fez o scrobble desta faixa 1.177 vezes. Você fez o primeiro scrobble dela em 25 Ago 2011. Você adicionou esta faixa aos favoritos.

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blustarent wrote:
last month

<33 love it love it love it :D

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deadwing1411 wrote:
last month

so much memories with this amazing song

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Ariues wrote:
last month

without seeing this video as a little kid i probably never wouldve listened to any rock at all as alot of people do.

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giowbr wrote:
last month

almost 10 million scrobbles

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gferro1 wrote:
last month

First time I listened to it made me change my musical taste forever...goodbye "old school heavy metal" and welcome "grunge era".

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KeshiaDolce wrote:
last month

Hello, hello, hello, how low...?

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risentofall wrote:
last month

Brings back so many memories it's hard to listen to sometimes. <3

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MashaBennington wrote:
last month

this shit never gets old [3]

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crazykarma138 wrote:
last month

not the best nirvana song, a great one tho...but this is the song that made Kurt want to kill himelf. It got so much play and made him so famous that he couldnt handle it. i like this song alot but in a way i knd f hate it for murdering its creator

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bhangraprincess wrote:
last month

Best Nirvana song. And that's saying something!

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Ariues wrote:
last month

yo how could a kid in high school not feel this song? i never got that.

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Ariues wrote:
last month

my little group has always been and always will until the end

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EricValeev wrote:
last month

4

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kurtnirvanakris wrote:
last month

Nirvana is the best grunge band i ever heard of n i'm glad that my sisters introduced me to kurt cobain.Kurt cobain is my favorite rockstar of all the rockstars i love.

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m-saIami wrote:
last month

rage

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S4EEDR3ZA wrote:
last month

this shit never gets old [2]

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