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Library/Music/Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Grade B24 sourcesHIS-01448

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Music · 1991 · Viral

60Editable slideCertificate

A radio single became an MTV hit and reached No. 6 on the US Hot 100.

Clip · NirvanaVEVO on YouTube
Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit”: cover art
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic in the official Smells Like Teen Spirit music video.
NirvanaVEVO / DGC
Nevermind - Nirvana
Nirvana / DGC Records
9 Things You Didn’t Know About KXLU
Loyola Marymount University
American singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain (1967 - 1994), performs with his group Nirvana at a taping of the television program 'MTV Unplugged,' New York, New York, Novemeber 18, 1993. (Photo by…
Rolling Stone
Kurt Cobain’s Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar at the EMP Museum; photograph by Razvan Orendovici, CC BY 2.0.
Razvan Orendovici
beat saber Nevermind baby suing Nirvana wants album cover altered redacted for future releases
NME
Nirvana
Recording Academy

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How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth60VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet60

Numbers

Milestone date
Week of Jan 11, 1992
Aug 27 ’91 to Week of Jan 11, 1992
Platforms
6
Started on Audio
Origin
Mixed
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Platform jumpPrimary
  • Identity badge
  • Underdog
  • Pairing
  • Revival

How it spread

Trace the origin

The single crossed from radio to MTV, then entered pop charts overseas. Its Hot 100 high coincided with Nevermind replacing Michael Jackson at the US album-chart summit. Covers, a Facebook buying campaign and YouTube extended its life.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

UK Official Singles Chart, original release · #1 at the top1991-11-30: #91991-12-07: #71991-12-14: #101991-12-21: #251991-12-28: #251992-01-04: #32May ’90Oct ’91Mar ’92DecJan ’95Aug ’00Feb ’06Mar ’10Jan ’12Apr ’17Jul ’22Mar ’26MilestoneAudioRetailTVPressYouTubeFacebook
AudioRetailTVPressYouTubeFacebook

13 more events on this chart

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UK Official Singles Chart, original release: 6 dated figures from Official Charts Company, each checked against the source. Measured at the time, not estimated.

Timeline (16)

  1. August 1991

    DGC / Nirvana seed · Aug 27 ’91

    DGC released the studio recording to radio before the retail single became available.[1][2]

    beat saber Nevermind baby suing Nirvana wants album cover altered redacted for future releases
    Open the first post ↗

  2. September 1991

    DGC commercial · Sep 10 ’91

    DGC released Smells Like Teen Spirit as the lead single from Nevermind.[1]

  3. DGC / Nirvana commercial · Sep 24 ’91

    Nevermind arrived with Smells Like Teen Spirit as its opening track.[3][4]

    Nirvana

  1. platform jump · Sep 1991

  2. owner response · Nov 15 ’91

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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How the next thing spread, the week it does.