The alternative rock band with a song titled “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is Nirvana. The track was written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl, and became the opening song and lead single from Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind.
Recorded at Sound City Studios in California, the song helped carry grunge from the Seattle scene into the international mainstream. Its quiet-to-loud dynamics were influenced in part by the Pixies, while the heavy guitar riff, shouted chorus, and chaotic music video gave it an instantly recognizable identity. Producer Butch Vig helped shape the polished but forceful sound of the recording.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is often described as both grunge and alternative rock. It is also sometimes confused with “Smells Like Nirvana,” a 1992 parody by “Weird Al” Yankovic. That parody borrows the title and musical context, but the original hit belongs to Nirvana and appears on Nevermind.