Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Released as the lead single from Nevermind in 1991, the song became Nirvana's breakthrough hit and a defining recording of the grunge era. Its loud-quiet dynamics, distorted guitar sound, and memorable video helped bring alternative rock to a mass audience.
Although the single did not reach number one, its cultural impact was much larger than its chart position suggests. Nevermind eventually displaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous at the top of the Billboard 200, while “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became a staple of rock radio and music television.
People sometimes assume the song topped the Hot 100 because of its enormous influence. Its peak was actually number six, while it performed especially strongly on alternative and mainstream rock charts. The song was written by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl and produced by Butch Vig.