1991 Hit that Cemented Band as 'Greatest of All Time in Grunge' was Almost Never Released
In 1991, lead sing and guitarist for the band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, was working on tracks for what would become their second album, Nevermind.
Heavily inspired by The Pixies, Cobain came up with a guitar riff and a melody for the chorus and presented it to the other members of the band. Cobain said he thought the riff was "too mainstream and cliché" and and Nirvana's bassist, Krist Novoselic thought it was a "ridiculous" track. They almost scrapped what Cobain had been working on, but instead they opted to play it together for an hour and half. That jam session resulted in the final composition, and the only song on Nevermind that would credit all three members as writers.
The song would become what we now know today as a one of the best-selling songs of all time: "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Further adding the the tracks divisiveness was the fact that Cobain's lyrics and singing style were borderline impossible to make out. Nevermind also included no liner notes, and radios complained stated, "We can't play this. [We] can't understand what the guy is saying." Despite being the lead single from Nevermind, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" failed to chart upon inital release.
However, the track became intensely popular after the fact. When MTV released the video in September of 1991, it became so popular at late night that the music channel opted to run it during daytime as well. Critics called it "an anthem for (or is it against?) the 'Why Ask Why?' generation." "Smells Like Teen Spirit" has gone on to one of the best-selling tracks of all time, at over 13 million copies sold worldwide.
Nirvana and Cobain became increasingly uncomfortable with how popular the track became, and even began omitting it from live performances. Cobain even said to Rolling Stone, "I still like playing 'Teen Spirit', but it's almost an embarrassment to play it. Everyone has focused on that song so much."
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" has gone on to be regarded as one of the best songs of all time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame labeled it a song that "shaped rock and roll" and the Recording Industry Association of America ranked the song at number eighty on their list of "Songs of the Century."
The legacy of Nirvana and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" make it clear, it's a good thing the song was released and generations will thank the band for making it happen.
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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 3:25 PM.