When Nirvana was looking to make the music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the idea was to make something bad on purpose. It was a testament to their punk sensibilities that they wanted something that would kind of look like garbage.
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Entrenched in DIY culture, the emerging grunge scene, and scaffolded by old school punk, Nirvana had a certain mindset about their music. Still, they signed to DGC Records in 1990, after numerous recommendations from Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.
While the label was concerned with Nevermind selling at least half as many copies as Sonic Youth’s album Goo to be considered a success, Nirvana had a more overall anti-corporate view of things. Hiring Sam Bayer to film the music video was a purposeful move to keep their fan base authentic.
Nirvana Wanted a “Bad” Music Video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” but It Ended up Bringing Them Mainstream Success
According to Sam Bayer, he was hired to shoot the music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” because his “reel was so bad that it was a very punk and cool thing to do,” according to Bayer himself in a documentary about the song.
He continued, “Let’s get this really crap director to do this video and we’ll get something really kind of not corporate.”
Since that video, Bayer has worked with artists like My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, The Strokes, and more. He directed the iconic music video for “Welcome To The Black Parade” as well as “American Idiot”. Safe to say, his reel has since improved.
The low-budget, anti-corporate music video seemingly backfired on the band, however. Their DIY approach made the video instantly popular, and the reaction to the song itself pushed Nirvana into the mainstream.
The video “changed the face of MTV” at the time. It was played incessantly, over and over again, astronomically boosting record sales. According to a 2005 Classic Albums documentary episode, there was “nothing else like it” on MTV at that time.
“It made MTV very successful,” said Amy Finnerty, who worked in MTV Programming in the 90s. “It gave [MTV] a whole new platform to work from, and a whole new generation to sell to.”
In an attempt to subvert the mainstream and corporate ideals, Nirvana ended up playing directly into them. They catapulted to fame beyond the Seattle grunge scene and made a lasting impact on the world of music.
Featured Image by Frans Schellekens/Redfern
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