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This week in 1991 was an arguably momentous one in the world of rock music. While from most perspectives, glam metal was waning, there had been no cultural replacement of that genre, so to speak. That is until Nirvana released the single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in September 1991. Nirvana: a new sound in rockFor people who were privy to the rise of Nirvana, the moment of hearing the band’s music for the first time is often one of confusion. Few people knew how to describe the genre that the world would come to know as “grunge.” The sound was clearly hard rock, but not hard rock that sounded familiar, like that from the 1970s or 1980s.Often described as “punk rock played slowly,” grunge developed its own set of standards from sound quality to fashion choices.
The guitar sound that ranged from mid-tempo chunking to all-out killer riffs, was mixed with drums that blasted clear and heavy, all became known as classic Nirvana. To top off the sound, there was the vocal stylings of lead singer, Kurt Cobain. His raspy, plaintive voice made Cobain sound unassuming, almost timid, until he, like the instruments, unleashed a torrent of sound on the chorus.
Nirvana: Why “Smells Like Teen Spirit” MattersIn an age when Gen-X was still being criticized for its collective apathy, and most of pop culture that addressed the dynamics of growing up in the 1990s could be found in sarcastic cartoons and movies, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the sound of apathy. It forced a reluctant generation to re-define itself and that support for grunge launched a movement.Also, the song’s almost unintelligible lyrics were fun to sing and funny once a person figured it out. In addition, the title’s double meaning – – at once referring to the intangible quality of teenagers, while also referring to a brand of deodorant that was popular at the time.With the increasing popularity of “Nevermind,” the album on which “Smells Like Teen Spirit” can be found, grunge quickly caught on. Nirvana paved the way for grunge bands to come. And, soon, along with Nirvana, bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and others were a part of a nationwide musical style revolution that had originated in the Pacific Northwest.Once “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was released, it was treated as a phenomenon. The video won two music video awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Artist.
The song would reach No. 1 on Billboard’s alternative chart, and on charts in other countries, such as France, Belgium and New Zealand. It reached the top ten in several others. On YouTube, the video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has more than 950 million views. In addition, Weird Al Yankovic did a parody of the song in 1992.
Titled, “Smells Like Nirvana,” the track mocked the almost unintelligible lyrics and Cobain’s singing style.Almost 30 years later, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” continues to gain fans and earn accolades. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has included the song in it collection of Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Numerous magazines and television music outlets includes “Smells Like Teen Spirit” among its numeration of the best songs or best rock songs. That the song is still being recognized as meaningful decades after its release, speaks volumes about how grunge impacted popular culture. Dodie Miller-Gould is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana who lives in New York City where she studies creative nonfiction at Columbia University.
She has BA and MA degrees in English from Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, and an MFA in Fiction from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her research interests include popular music and culture, 1920s jazz, and blues, confessional poetry, and the rhetoric of fiction.
She has presented at numerous conferences in rhetoric and composition, and creative writing. Her creative works have appeared in Tenth Muse, Apostrophe, The Flying Island, Scavenger's Newsletter and elsewhere. She has won university-based awards for creative work and literary criticism.