Editing Smells Like Teen Spirit (section)

{{Short description|1991 single by Nirvana}}
{{For|the Vampire Diaries episode|Smells Like Teen Spirit (The Vampire Diaries)}}
{{Distinguish|Smells Like Green Spirit}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Smells Like Teen Spirit
| cover      = Smells Like Teen Spirit.jpg
| alt        = A blurred photo of the band with a thick border that has a background of water and the band's logo in large font above and the song title smaller below
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]
| album      = [[Nevermind]]
| B-side     = 
* "[[Drain You]]" (UK only)
* "Even in His Youth"
* "[[Aneurysm (song)|Aneurysm]]"
| released   = {{Start date|1991|09|10}}
| recorded   = May 1991
| studio     = [[Sound City Studios|Sound City]] ([[Van Nuys]], [[California]])
| venue      =
| genre      = <!--Genres are sourced in the section music.-->
* [[Grunge]]
* [[alternative rock]]
* [[hard rock]]
| length     = 
* {{Duration|m=5|s=01}} (album version)
* {{Duration|m=4|s=38}} ([[radio edit|single version]])<!-- DGCTD 5 -->
| label      = [[DGC Records|DGC]]
| writer     = 
* [[Kurt Cobain]]
* [[Krist Novoselic]]
* [[Dave Grohl]]<!-- cited in the article body to Berkenstadt and Cross page 65 -->
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Butch Vig]]|Nirvana<ref name=linernotes>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Nevermind |others=[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] |year=1991 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[DGC Records|DGC]]}}</ref>|[[Craig Montgomery (sound engineer)|Craig Montgomery]] (mentioned)}}<!-- for two tracks noted as Previously Unreleased -->
| prev_title = [[Here She Comes Now / Venus in Furs]]
| prev_year  = 1991
| next_title = [[On a Plain]]
| next_year  = 1991
| misc       = 
{{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = single
 | cover   = Smellsliketeenspiritdsingle.jpg
 | border  =
 | alt     = A blurred photo of the band with their logo superimposed and the song's title in script
 | caption = US CD single
}}
{{external music video|type=single|{{youTube|hTWKbfoikeg|"Smells Like Teen Spirit"}}}}
}}

"'''Smells Like Teen Spirit'''" is a song by the American rock band [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. It is the opening track and [[lead single]] from the band's second album, ''[[Nevermind]]'' (1991), released on [[DGC Records]]. Having sold over 13 million units worldwide, it is one of the [[List of best-selling singles#Highest-certified singles|best-selling songs of all time]]. The success propelled ''Nevermind'' to the top of several albums charts and is often marked as the point when [[grunge#Adoption by mainstream|grunge entered the mainstream]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nirvana-mn0000357406|title=Nirvana – Biography|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|publisher=AllMusic.com|access-date=May 31, 2012}}</ref> It was Nirvana's biggest hit, charting high on music industry charts around the world in 1991 and 1992, and was number one on the charts in Belgium, France, New Zealand and Spain. 

The guitarist and singer, [[Kurt Cobain]], described "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as an attempt 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]], the singer of the [[riot grrrl]] band [[Bikini Kill]]: "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit." Hanna was referencing the deodorant [[Teen Spirit (deodorant)|Teen Spirit]], but Cobain misinterpreted it as a revolutionary slogan. 

The music video depicts a high school [[pep rally]] which ends in chaos, inspired by [[Jonathan Kaplan]]'s 1979 film ''[[Over the Edge (film)|Over the Edge]]'' and the [[Ramones]]' film ''[[Rock 'n' Roll High School]]''. It won two [[MTV Video Music Awards]], and was in heavy rotation on [[MTV]] during the 1990s. Amy Finnerty, formerly of MTV's programming department, said the video "changed the entire look of MTV" by giving the channel "a whole new generation to sell to". In 2000, the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' named "Smells Like Teen Spirit" the most played video on [[MTV Europe]].

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was met with acclaim and described as an "anthem for apathetic kids" of [[Generation X]]. It was included in the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]'s list of "[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame#The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll|The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll]]". In 2001, the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] ranked it number 80 on their [[Songs of the Century]] list. In 2002, ''[[NME]]'' named it the second-greatest single, and in 2013 ''[[Kerrang!]]'' ranked it the greatest.<ref name="Kerrang! 2002"/> In 2021, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked "Smells Like Teen Spirit" fifth on its list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/|title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 15, 2021|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref> In 2017, it was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]].<!--See section "Release and reception"-->