NIRVANA – Titanic Slam Dunk ‘SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT’ Released 35 Years Ago Today
Top singles from the past
10 September 2026
Immortal grunge legends NIRVANA released their titanic slam-dunk single
SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT on 10 September 1991, 35 years ago today.
It peaked at #6 in the US, #7 in the UK. Having sold over 13 million
copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling songs of all time.
Thus far, the song has gathered more than 3,075 billion streams on Spotify.
As the story goes, Kurt Cobain attempted to write “the ultimate pop song,
inspired by the soft-and-loud dynamics of the Pixies.
The title derives from a phrase written by his friend Kathleen Hanna, from
riot grrrl band Bikini Kill: “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit.” Hanna was referencing
the deodorant Teen Spirit, but Cobain misinterpreted it as a revolutionary
slogan, and the rest is loud history.
“Here we are now, entertain us”
