'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Top Nirvana Song, According to Rolling Stone

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Top Nirvana Song, According to Rolling Stone

2014-03-03

Story by Anne Erickson

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of 102 Nirvana tunes

Nirvana managed to churn out three studio albums during their time as a band, totaling 35 songs, plus a handful of bonus tracks that arrived later on reissues. Now, Rolling Stone has put together a list of Nirvana’s best songs, and the total is an impressive 102, thanks to a combing through the grunge group’s B-sides, bonus tracks, covers, bootlegged originals, home demos and more.

Not surprisingly, Nirvana’s seminal 1991 chart-topper “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list. “”Almost immediately, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ changed the firmament of American culture like no song since (Bob) Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone,” the publication wrote of the tune which appears on Nirvana’s 1991 sophomore album “Nevermind,” adding that “[Kurt] Cobain’s desiccated blasts of feedback [blew] open the doors for alternative culture.”

No. 2 on the list is “In Bloom,” also off “Nevermind,” with “Silver,” a 1990 non-album single featuring Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters, coming in at No. 3. Concluding the top five songs are “Breed” and and “Something in the Way,” both off “Nevermind.”

The rest of the top 10 songs, listed in order from six to 10, include “Dive,” “Lithium,” “About a Girl,” “Drain You” and “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.”

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.