In September 1991, Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The lead single for the album Nevermind, the song appeared to take on a life of its own, selling over 13 million copies. Quickly becoming one of the best-selling songs of all time, MTV couldn’t get enough, keeping the song on rotation day after day. According to the Guinness World Records, the song was the most played on MTV Europe. Often considered the anthem of Generation X, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” shattered expectations, landed in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and recently crossed 2 billion streams on YouTube.
Videos by American Songwriter
Although “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has been on the airwaves for nearly 34 years, YouTube didn’t take over the internet until 2005. And over the last two decades, Nirvana’s classic hit continuously welcomed fans both old and new. With each passing day, the number appeared to climb to the point of hitting the rare milestone.
To give some context, only a little over 100 music videos had the honor of crossing 2 billion streams on the platform. Looking at just a few of them, the list included, Linkin Park’s “Numb” (2.5 billion), Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” (2.2 billion), and Twenty One Pilots, which had two songs hit billions – “Stressed Out” (3 billion) and “Heathens” (2.2 billion).
Nirvana Takes $50,000 And Turns It Into 2 Billion
As for the music video, Nirvana embraced the grunge genre as it portrayed a high school pep rally that seemed to be housed in a desolate town. But at the same time, it perfectly captured the emotions and feelings most teens often struggled with. And to add a little history, the music video was only made for around $50,000. With a low budget and lyrics that didn’t fit the normal pop music of the time, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” continues to set records even today.
But no matter the budget, milestones, or rewards, it all came down to the fans who pushed the song to the top. And according to them:
“This song is literally timeless. It’s almost 30 years old and has been the anthem to at least four generations of youth. Pretty amazing.”
“Just imagine how many people are listening to this with you at the same time. This is a kind of a concert”
“2 BILLION VIEWS!!! I wish Kurt was here to see this! ‘Our little group has always been and always will until the end’ -Kurt Cobain”
“Nirvana will always comfort teenagers in their teenage angst doesn’t matter how many years passes. Nirvana will save them like they saved me. Legends. ”
(Photo by Kevin Estrada/Shutterstock)
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