Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Reaction! One of the Most Important Songs and Bands of the 90's!

Let's have some fun together and join our Facebook group This Is It Media by clicking the link groups/69818...
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is one of the most iconic songs by the American rock band Nirvana. Released in 1991, it quickly became a defining anthem of the grunge movement and a symbol of the 1990s alternative rock scene. Here are some key points about the song:
Release: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released as the lead single from Nirvana's second studio album, "Nevermind," which was released on September 10, 1991. The song was written by Kurt Cobain, Nirvana's lead vocalist and guitarist.
Impact: The song's release marked a turning point in the music industry. Despite its raw and unconventional sound, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became an unexpected commercial success, propelling Nirvana and the grunge movement into the mainstream spotlight. It is often credited with bringing alternative rock to a wider audience and reshaping the music landscape of the early 1990s.
Meaning: The lyrics of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" are often interpreted as a reflection of teenage angst, disillusionment, and apathy. The title itself is a reference to a deodorant brand, which Cobain saw as a symbol of the meaningless commercialism of popular culture. The song's cryptic lyrics and catchy chorus contributed to its widespread appeal.
Music Video: The song's music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, features Nirvana performing in a high school gymnasium filled with rowdy teenagers. The video's gritty aesthetic and chaotic energy captured the essence of the song and further fueled its popularity.
Legacy: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" remains one of Nirvana's most enduring and influential songs. It is often included in lists of the greatest rock songs of all time and continues to be celebrated for its cultural significance. The song's success propelled Nirvana to international fame and solidified their status as one of the most important bands of the 1990s.
Overall, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is not only a defining song of the grunge era but also a cultural touchstone that continues to resonate with audiences decades after its release.

[@thisisitreactions]

Please join our Facebook group by clicking the link. facebook.com/groups/698184405814607/?ref=share

[@allanbluzdude]

When Weird Al approached Kurt to do a parody, Kurt asked if it was going to be about food. Al said no, it’s about nobody understanding the lyrics. Kurt gave Al his blessing.

[@docj72]

Apparently, Kurt laughed his ass off when watching the "Smells Like Nirvana" video for the first time

[@Imnottapinata]

Kurt had Al paint his fingernails as payment lol

[@saintsataniko2116]

Now this is the stuff! This was the band and the song that changed everything in the 90's.

[@jessicaleblanc-nh1yl]

The drummer is David Grohl from The Foo Fighters. He is very talented & intelligent. This is one of the originals of Grunge from the 90's. Pure, simple & funky. Thank you for sharing.

[@robertsuter4671]

From my home town, Warren, Ohio. Local legend.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen516]

And one of the nicest people on this planet. He is a humanitarian and low-key about it.

[@marylreddick]

Super nice soul

[@Bayougirl78]

@@anastasiabeaverhausen516 Yeah, I've always heard he's such a cool dude. Like the Keanu of music, lol!

[@joesmith8725]

Im from this Generation. Gen X. Was in high school when it came out!. We were like the ignored generation lol. The outcasts. Nirvana was huge and spoke out for us. They helped bring alt rock, punk, etc into the mainstream, early '90s. Before the '90s, music like this was mostly underground. Have to remember, we were just coming out of the Cold War, too. So the times were changing and seemed more optimistic. It was a like a breath of fresh air. Sure the glam. hair rock was fun at times, but was getting old, fake, formulated. Needed alt rock to take over. Hip hop was fun back then, too and pop. But rock music needed a change and this was it, alt rock ruled from there on.

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

Kurt's solo in this was different than most previous songs of the time. There was no doodlie doodlie noodlie doo in it. He wasn't trying to shred and recreate Eddie Van Halen. It was so great to have a different style of writing and playing that still rocked so damn hard.

[@doctor8342]

David Grohl admitting to copying The Gap Band's disco drums on this song is hilarious!

[@456012]

Just the opening 2 seconds

[@cjonesufc]

Kurt said he knew he had made it when Weird Al parodied Teen Spirit. And the thing is, I recall rap/hip hop was on top of the world until Nirvana showed up and opened the floodgates to the grunge alternative scene. It was such an exciting time in music. Everyone in every genre had to bring their A-game to stand out and there was such a huge influx of original music. Dave Grohl also has album I’m with Queens of the Stoneage, a bunch of work on a NIN album, he’s the drummer for Them Crooked Vultures and Tenacious D with Jack Black, as well as a bunch of other side projects like Probot and Mondo Generator. Dude is everywhere and improves everything he touches.

[@mabusestestament]

In Europe it was also when electronic dance music started to break out into the mainstream.

[@mokumboi19]

The crazy thing about this song are those dynamics CR mentioned. It's so atmospheric, and the builds of tension and the eventual explosions. It feels like you're experiencing a movie or something. It gets into your bones.

[@kyloren1014]

Yes!! One of my favorites ever and Kurt is a hero to me 🤍⚡️

[@diogenesagogo]

The words matter very little because music works like machine code, the sounds, vibrations & rhythms interact directly with the electrical signals flooding the brain structure. That's why it's so powerful, it's direct, no translation is required. It's why the Cocteau Twins work & why opera lovers will happily sit through hours of music without understanding a word. And obviously different types of music tend to stimulate different parts of the brain.

[@unknownx7252]

People wonder how certain artists sell without making sense. It's all about vibrations and frequencies. Some artists' vibes just connect on a massive scale.

[@marylreddick]

Wow interesting

[@827dusty]

You need to see the "Weird Al Yankovic" satire of this video, it's the funniest dammed thing you'll ever see. Even Nirvana and Curt Cobain laughed their asses off after seeing it.

[@shanedesselle2590]

Yeeessss!!

[@GodLovesComics]

I loved Nirvana from the first notes and still remember MTV's Kurt Loder delivering the news of Kurt Cobain's death and my gf and I were both watching in stunned silence. Like Olli said. the hair metal bands had become so contrived, fake and formulaic that rock desperately needed Nirvana to come along like a cleaning tsunami and just wash it all away. Kurt wasn't trying to be anyone but himself. Anyway, it's no surprise I loved Nirvana because they were hugely influenced by my favorite band The Pixies who created that whisper-to-a-scream sound you hear in this song. The Pixies have an incredible catalog of songs, but no huge hits like this one. Probably their biggest song is "Where Is My Mind?" because it was famously the song at the very end of Fight Club. It would cool if you guys get around to reacting to that one at some point.

[@kitgautier1658]

Loved seeing Corey rock the f out!

[@susanmurray7654]

Tori Amos, super talented from DC, she did a cover but she is a phenom on her own. 90s...

[@adancer3592]

So in the 90s I worked on Brodway I'm Seattle in a popular store . On weekends I worked club security. Between the thouse 2 job I met pretty much everyone in grunge NW rock seen . I once broke up a fight between Courtney love and a member of a band called L7 it was wild and one of the hardest times I had breaking up a fight ! I was the right age at the right time and right jobs . Watching the NW seen take over was amazing experience. I would see curt every bow and then . Truthful I was never really star stuck Ecept when The Hart sisters would show up at the shop next to ours I'd always hoped they would come in One day they did ! I also had a conversation with Alanis Morset before she broke big . I secretly fell in instant love 😅

[@jayveebee2095]

Love this channel. Keep on keepin' on, y'all.

[@joebrown5120]

I was very fortunate to get to see them once. But what a show, just before this was released at The Opera House in Toronto with Melvins opening. Epic

[@Brandi6666]

These cats were top tier🤘❤️they knew what the rock world needed

[@angelagreen778]

The Gap Band! Woohoo!

[@Raven5563]

OK, now you gotta do Alice In Chains! Anything from DIRT. And you gotta do " Would", and ", "Man in the Box", live!

[@chellj8175]

YESSSS!!!

[@crb2419]

Thanks for this! Love your channel. Nirvana’s iconic, one of my top, top favourite bands.

[@donnaewe3692]

❤️‍🔥 Nirvana! Thank you gentlemen! Thoroughly enjoyed watching yall enjoy this so much ❤️

[@fuzzylogics139]

And YES looking forward to the GAP band reaction(s) coming up on your channel LESGO!

[@tnightwolf]

The Foo FIghters are also an incredibly good band! One of the best concerts i've ever been to! 2:30 hours of just pure energy and Rock n' Roll! Nothing fancy in terms of visual-show and thank god it wasn't because the band, their energy and their songs were pure raw talent!

[@barr790]

Love this song Nirvana were a brand new genre when they came out and i was definitely up for it. The Foo Fighters are an amazing band in their own right, The Pretender is one of my favourite songs by them. I saw them at Leeds Festival 🇬🇧in 2019 when Taylor Hawkins was still alive (rest his soul) and they were awesome

[@randychampion184]

Olli is effortlessly funny!!!

[@tonyaristide2582]

Grunge Nirvana , was like late 70s punk , Ramones broke it open but when they tried to saturate the market with new bands the craze passed. The bands were good but time moved on.

[@jamessoto2136]

Grunge Mt Rushmore bands: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam & Soundgarden. Each group had their own set of fans and still do to this day.

[@Astrophobia88]

All 4 fantastic!!!!!

[@lnautomobile3248]

I remember by the end of high school’ 90. The big hair music just fell “flat” for me. I was driving across a bridge and this song came on. Immediately I wanted to pull over and figure out who, what this music was. I got over the bridge and waited for the Dj to say who this was. They didn’t. I ended singing/humming it to friends and finally was told who it was. It was such a needed change. I was exhilarated. My first year in college. Grunge is not my favorite genre. But it was exactly what I needed at that time and such a change from what was in the radio.

[@ladaddy19]

I dig watching you guys. You do awesome work! In particular I like watching a couple guys my age and a young guy discovering and maybe just reliving some classics. Keep it up. Nirvana did all the heavy lifting on MTV to kill glam rock. That's a fact. A young Kurt was into some pretty corny stuff until he met and heard another band from Seattle called (the) Melvins. They've been putting out music since the mid 80's and have a new album coming out shortly. So if you're interested in hearing the impetus behind the guy that went on to change rock forever, check out: Melvins - A History of Bad Men It's one of the more modern Melvins songs. It made it's way into an episode of True Detective. The name might not be familiar but they have been innovative for 40 years. It's different, kinda heavy with 2 drummers and definitely catchy.

[@fuzzylogics139]

Yes man.. This was my favorite album for while for sure back in the 90's. Classic yeah "what's he saying though?" But yeah the man had a depth to him if you ask me. Love how you commented on and were enjoying the song on the other side of this screen.

[@jameskirschling7887]

It's funny you should react to this song/video. Yesterday, I was thinking about you guys reacting to this and then reacting to "Weird" Al Smells Like Nirvana. If you haven't already listened to "Weird" Al, I think you will enjoy it. One last thing, Rock On Corey.

[@avestuart]

I live in Seattle, I was 20 when this came out. Thing is, the music scene here had been going for quite some time and Nirvana weren't really regarded as being one of the better bands. U-Men, Melvins (who never lived in Seattle and moved to SF and later LA), Tad, Fastbacks, among others. I definitely recommend reacting to the Tad song "Jack Pepsi"

[@jamesellis1972]

When this song came out, I knew music had changed forever.

[@Eve_of_Hearts]

For the grunge era, Alice in Chains is my absolute favourite.

[@jennhurl]

Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) back there tearing up the drums. He recently played just the drum part to this & you could see the emotion on his face

[@TheDivayenta]

The music is the most important statement to me because it’s so innovative and passionate. Hi guys! ❤😊

[@detroitpolak9904]

Still remember (almost to the second) my 1st listen. Sunday, Jan 5, 1992, Casey Kasem’s top 40 pulling into work. Almost late. IF anyone remembers, work was Harvest Foods, Ford Rd and Telegraph, by the dollar theater.

[@bikertrash64babe]

Such a Gr8 Song

[@bryanrains1]

This is the only song that I absolutely remember where I was the first time I heard it. In my car on the way to work.

[@TheCuddlebug33]

Love this

[@vernonallen3370]

The melody is basically Boston’s More than a feeling reworked

[@InkedMisfit]

Fecal matter was the name on one of his demos.

[@juliawolna9646]

I'd like to see you guys react to some quality Trip Hop

[@leiper72]

Great reactions now for much as I have seen, and maybe you should try out a briths rock group named Status Quo, and something live from 84 or so or 90s, or Download 2014, or Wacken 2017.. They started already in the 60s with Picture of matchstick Men in 68, but went more rock in early 70s..

[@stevehill4965]

Drain You - live is another great one!

[@josephmichelli2441]

I love that u guys are Fudging with different music. I have researched some new hair band and these types of music are still being created and you guys should take a look at. the ivy, Gaslight Anthem, etc, But also the drummer of Nirvana and lead singer of Foo Fighters Dave Grohl Guy is amazing and so is the band, Sound Garden, Pearl Jam,Lithium, many more

[@susanmurray7654]

Louie Louie was a hit by the Kingsmen and no one knew what they were saying lol

[@InkedMisfit]

Chad Channing is responsible for most of Nevermind. Dave even admitted it in the hall of fame speech.

[@derekreinhardt7655]

Hell Yeah guys!!!!!!!!

[@Roh_Echt]

...and the Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor (R/I/P/), was Alanis Morissette's drummer from '95 to '97.

[@jenewbee]

The intro drum part

[@thehorrorfanx]

You gotta do the Weird Al parody of this song. So hilarious!

[@shirleymongold1201]

You've got to do Weird Al's version of this

[@willblood7082]

Fun fact about this song: the girls brought in to be cheerleaders didn’t look “slutty” enough so the producer some crew members out to recruit girls from the local strip clubs. If you want to listen to a hit song that is very difficult understand the lyrics and even when you do they make no sense, you need to check out Beck’s “Loser”. Beck was still a struggling artist but was sure he could write a hit song if it had a good beat and a catchy chorus, the rest of the lyrics were unimportant he said. Loser was released in the US in March 1993 and peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard charts. The song also charted in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout Europe. He was right… check it out 👍🏻.

[@dsean405]

Black by Pearl Jam live unplugged MTV 1992.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen516]

You should check out Smells Like Teen Spirit Unplugged.

[@pigglepower7794]

New Subscriber, love your channel. Check out Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones.

[@Another_User_Name_]

I think they already did.

[@pigglepower7794]

@@Another_User_Name_ link me, i searched and only found paint it black.

[@timmypyron2830]

And the guitar riff is from more than a feeling by Boston

[@philflynn9161]

Great reaction!!! Ooh hit some Alice in Chains

[@Bayougirl78]

So many of me and my dumbass, fellow GenX friends recorded the "Hello, hello, hello, hello..." sequence to use as the greeting on our answering machines in the 90s, lol!

[@GroinStrain_]

This is not the birth of grunge, far from it, but it’s definitely an era definer and a peak of that generation

[@user-ly4xr7tg4f]

With Nirvana and this song in particular, the music script flipped once again. The 80s synth-pop (the music of my HS years that I still love. lol) was buried and gone. I still remember the morning the news broke that Kurt had died. 💔

[@hackapump]

What Nirvana’s big break represented was punk rock’s long awaited ascent to the top of the mainstream. Which is why it spelled doom for formulaic hair metal: Punk rock was always the antithesis of that scene. Once a mass audience was turned on to that pure energy, there was no room left for posers. But these things go round and round in cycles. We need someone to shake things up every now and then. Stagnation always returns after a while.

[@curestruck]

I can understand the words

[@Teraxx23]

Tip: Gotta turn up the sound of the video and turn down the volume on your voices, they overwhelm!

[@keithaguilar9790]

Teen Spirit was written as a joke and became their biggest hit. One of Kurt's female friends said his room smelled like "Teen Spirit" which was a popular female teen deoderant at the time. Kurt like to keep his lyrics existential. That's why if you try to get a direct message like a story from his songs, you'll quickly be like, "What the hell is he singing....? what does it mean?" I heard that he wanted people to interpret their own meaning from the lyrics. But who knows.

[@InkedMisfit]

It’s wild that Kurt actually in a sense felt guilty for making an album that changed everything.

[@marquisdelafayette1929]

Metallica did a cover of Bob Segars “Turn the Page”, the music video is painful to watch. You have to do a reaction to that.

[@aprilkurtz1589]

Grunge crashed after Cobain killed himself. Like somebody flipped a light switch.

[@susannewitt6112]

Kurt Cobain - sexiest man not alive

[@chellj8175]

RIP Kurt Cobain They were a great band !! Grunge was a different sound but it really took off in the 90’s!! We lost so many of the singers from the Grunge era!! You need to check out The bands: Alice In Chains, Stone Temple, and Soundgarden. All three bands lost their lead singers as well as the loss of Kurt Cobain!! 🥲

[@Searles007]

Nirvana has a lot of great songs. Also react to Alice In Chains. 💚🤙🏻

[@brandonboucher7090]

You should hear Dr. Dre talk about Nirvana

[@consuelaluna1414]

💚💚💚💚💚

[@jerrytamborello6847]

Hello gentlemen. May I request Led Zeppelin- The Lemon Song. I think you guys will enjoy it

[@mpz2068]

You should check out the Weird Al parody. It will make you laugh! Weird Al would be a fun rabbit hole for you to go down

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

Angst.

[@GodLovesComics]

Genuine angst because you don't do what Kurt did unless the agony is real.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

@@GodLovesComics Well, I was in the US Army, was in Iraq, in combat and got the CMB. I was a medic and drove a M113 in the 3ID. While in Iraq I read Dylan Thomas poetry and listened to the Cocteau Twins and R.E.M. When I got to the States I PCSed to Ft Ord (yeah that was in Monterrey, CA) Nirvana was the rage. As far as angst. My favorite short story and maybe story is "The Joker," by Thomas Mann. Don't read it if you are depressed. It is brutal in the 1st page. In an odd way "Death in Venice and Other Stories," is my lucky paperback book. "The Joker," is a masterpiece about angst and slow SI. I take the book to all my appointments, medical or otherwise, start reading "The Joker," for the 500th time and am called to a room or whatever I am waiting for. I am not special I was bullied growing up and never fit in. I didn't even fit in the Army, but by that time heart was hardening. In my dotage my heart is an adamantium prison.

[@nicolediamond93]

You guys will like Creep by Radiohead !

[@weezy8029]

😁🤟🏼

[@joannfowler8407]

Your right 😂😂😂

[@riffmondo9733]

I saw this video air on MTV late on a weekend. I think it was the premier. Within 6 months all the cheezey pop hair “metal” bands were gone. This was cool for a time but was so over played it saturated the market.

[@metaluna72]

"No one can understand a word" Try Weird Als "Smells like Nirvana" !!!!

[@onetruthmediacompany]

#THISISITREACTIONS Yall owe it to yourself to react to Weird Al's paradoy cover of this called "Smells Like Nirvana" Weird Al is a musical genius extremely talented & musicians in his band that are all top notch, not to mention his extraordinary lyrical geniusness is out of this world. And the video parady Weird Al created is a 10 out of 10 hilarious comedy like nothing else. It's often been said that you have NOT achieved success until weird Al Yankovic covers your song, ROFLMAO ! Thats actually so true, 😮 🤣 😂

[@shannonbrigante5764]

Check out Dave Grohl explaining to Pharrell why he is the most basic drummer & in turn he nearly breaks Pharrell’s brain..

[@janineivey03121]

Dave says that he ripped off Tony Thompson and The Gap Band on so many of his flams

[@marcbernard6641]

Sounds Beatlesque

[@alexnehrenberg3430]

Let's be honest, if you haven't heard the song by now, you have issues.

[@markvanderstelt8999]

great toon

[@markvanderstelt8999]

tune even haha the cover you are talking about is a David bowie cover they did. the man that sold the world.

[@user-oc1qo5dk4b]

*tune Nothing cartoonish about it.

[@kierstenridgway4634]

I just had to say, Hey. I'm the first one here. ❤️✌️

[@TheApriluvnz13]

Its not Rock...its Grunge! Rock was Guns N Roses......just FYI. 😅

[@foofghtr]

Axl Rose was and is a miserable jerkoff, shame..

[@Another_User_Name_]

A classic for sure, but I think the band may be a bit overrated due to Cobain's death. I think a lot of times that a lead member of a band or singer dies before their prime, people think that the band was better than they really were. The Doors are another example that I can think of. I think Pearl Jam was the primer band of the grunge era.

[@Altman1953]

One of the MOST OVERRATED songs in the Rock Era. Even Cobain didn't like it and refused to play it. They would be booed when he refused to play it.

[@ASalvaro]

As much as i like you guys i'm going to have skip tonight's video..i can't stand Nirvana and hate how they drained all the fun out of rock music..so much so teens in the 90's flocked to hip hop and rap for their fun...basically the bad state rock music is in today is a direct result of what Nirvana and Grunge did in the 90s to rock and it hasn't recovered..it's a real shame

[@kyloren1014]

WTF

[@Susan-om1en]

They were an influence on Alternative rock for teens of that generation. Some of the best bands 90s and modern rock were influenced by Nirvana.. Weezer, The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth. Silverchair and Stone Temple Pilots; IronRevolution etc. We can love our generations Rock and roll but every Generation has the right to find the music that is the sound track of thier time.

[@angelagreen778]

Smells Like Teen Spirit (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic) - 5:02 Load up on guns and bring your friends It's fun to lose and to pretend She's over bored and self assured Oh no, I know a dirty word Hello, hello, hello, how low? I'm worse at what I do best And for this gift I feel blessed Our little group [tribe] has always been And always will until the end Hello, hello, hello, how low? And I forget just why I taste Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile I found it hard, it was hard to find Oh well, whatever, nevermind Hello, hello, hello, how low? With the lights out it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid and contagious A mulatto An albino A mosquito My Libido Yay, a denial

[@GodLovesComics]

That's such a ridiculous take. The landscape changed because so much music at the time was contrived and fake and Nirvana wasn't. I grew up in the 80's so I loved 80's pop/rock but the 90's didn't need another Right Said, Fred or ten more hideous bands like Warrant or White Snake to make it "fun." There was still plenty of dopey pop, rock and rap around, it's just that MTV and some rock stations latched onto grunge for awhile. Sorry you missed seeing 6 guys on stage with a gallon of Aquanet in their hair, but Nirvana didn't create the state of "rock music" today. Hip Hop and EDM washed away the dominance of rock. But go listen to The Bad Nerves and tell me there are no good rock bands around. There's no MUSIC Television to show them to you.

[@johncarolina4950]

Loser take