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As I listen to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" I recall the very first time I heard the song in my year in Israel. A group of friends and I had spontaneously decided to skip a whole afternoon of studies in Yeshiva, though I had hardly ever skipped class before, and never a whole afternoon. I had been maintaining an obedient attendance record merely to live up to my Rabbis expectations; I had felt an obligation to maintain an acceptable image for them. However, that day I felt a desperate need to unwind from the very demanding ten-hour days in Yeshiva, six days a week. I had tagged along with friends unknowing that that evening would forever influence my uneasy attitudes.
My friends and I ended up going into town, and lounging around outside a coffee shop. I can recall a moment of concern overcome me as we all sat outside socializing in the unnerving scene of Ben Yehudah. But as the vigorous bangs of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" grabbed my attention I remember this uneasiness quickly turning into a feeling of heedlessness. It was more than just heedlessness; it was forceful heedlessness. As I listened to the overwhelming dynamic sounds of the guitar and drums I experienced a passionate angry discharge, which later resulted in mere carelessness. I felt as if I had just taken Kurt Cobain's place and was screaming the lyrics at the top of my own lungs.
This tremendous sensation lasted for nearly five minutes, as the song came to an end. I was left with a feeling of great ease. I had released all my tensions and concerns without moving a finger, by merely listening to Nirvana.
This is why grunge music and Nirvana in particular became extremely successful in the early ninety's. Grunge made a connection with people then and still continues to globally connect to millions of music fans around the world. For me, Nirvana's music influenced me not to mind (or "Nevermind") or over-esteem what people think or expect of you. I learned to just relax and live up to my own standards, instead of others'. I assume many have had similar reactions as I had, towards grunge music, and this is the reason for grunge's renown and Nirvana's record-breaking stardom.
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Interestingly enough, the eighth greatest moment in rock music history, according to Entertainment Weekly, was in January 11, 1, "when Nirvana's Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous out of Billboard's Number 1 album spot. The resulting shift in popular tastes toppled pop poseurs from Gerardo to Poison. Even casual music fans knew the biz was changed forever" ("The 100 Greatest Moments In Rock Music"). I, myself, remember Michael Jackson being the biggest pop sensation, at a time when music did not even interest me. I recall my older siblings and their friends waiting a whole hour to see a five-minute clip of Jackson's latest music video on television, simply because they did not want to miss a second of it. Months later I remember incuriously noticing all this hype on Michael Jackson all of a sudden dying out, unaware of the cause of Jackson's defeat. This prodigy that defaced Michael Jackson's undying name must
have, therefore, been an extraordinary phenomenon. Entertainment Weekly further describes Nirvana's role in this significant turning point in music history
The 50,000 copies shipped on its September 4, 11, release suggest that Nirvana's Nevermind- a slacker shrug of a title- wasn't exactly a corporate priority. But when the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hit MTV five days later, the pop landscape quaked. Beneath the song's "well, whatever, nevermind" offhandedness burned the as-yet-and rock music that had become toothless entertainment… "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (from Nevermind) became the anthem of disaffected youth around the world ("100 Greatest Moments…").
As one can see, Nirvana was not just another ordinary underground band. They were destined to conquer the passing rock music scene and, almost single-handedly, steer pop culture towards grunge. Grunge was no longer just a sub-style of rock; Nirvana had catalyzed grunge into a movement.
But before going into this grunge movement, it is beneficial to gain a background of grunge and the elements that shaped this remarkable sub-style of rock music. "Grunge," normally a slang term conveying filth or dirt, denotes the combination of "murky" guitar distortions, pained vocals, and lyrics filled with apprehension and discontent ("Rock Music"). Nirvana ideally suits these grunge qualities. In "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Kurt Cobain produces such piercing cries and handles his guitar with such aggressiveness that he leaves one with irritated eardrums. "Grunge," a sub style of alternative rock music that flourished in the late 180's and early 10's, was first used
to describe the guitar bands that brought together the different elements of rock and roll, punk rock, and heavy metal into their music (Henrik). Though grunge did in fact flourish in the late 80's and early 0's, it did not reach its peak until 1, that is when Nirvana released their pop album, Nevermind. I therefore find it safe to say that Nirvana was to grunge what Elvis was to rock 'n' roll. Sure grunge existed before Nirvana, but Nirvana lead grunge into early 0's pop culture.
In Jeffrey D. Archibald's dissertation, Smells Like Grunge Spirit, he provides a thorough analysis of different sociological and cultural components that he believes eventually lead to the formation of the music genre of grunge. He specifically concentrates on the "Seattle grunge scene," as he calls it, where grunge music originated, but he also goes into depth in regard to different grunge groups. One of Archibald's sources, Shevory, provides detailed research on grunge on a more historical aspect. He concentrates on grunge music participants, from grunge musicians to record label representatives. According to Shevory, the Melvins were the first grunge band, which formed in 180. However, Soundgarden and Green River were the first bands to gain great recognition. Mother Love Bone were also another significant band that emerged from Seattle's developing grunge scene. Pearl Jam, one of grunge's biggest stars, was another great band in Seattle that dominated this music genre (Smells Like Grunge Spirit). But again, Nirvana were the grunge band. If one attempts to research grunge, or grunge groups, (s) he will find it almost impossible finding a source that does not mention Nirvana. In conducting my own research, I could not find a single encyclopedia entry or
magazine article that did not refer to Nirvana. In fact most, if not all, of my sources even discussed them to some extent. Though Nirvana was not in fact the first grunge band or the first to be recognized, they were "the biggest stars of the early grunge explosion" (Archibald).
This "grunge explosion," was influenced by several factors. According to two websites, most grunge groups were born between the 150's and the 160's, growing up during the 170's. This was around the time that early rock music was just being refined and accepted by society ("Alternative Rock"). However, these grunge rockers had simply tired of the mid 180's classic rock music that dominated radio airwaves, and they wanted to hear something new. They believed their taste was different and would therefore remain unpopular (Benner). One can only imagine the disappointment these grunge rockers felt when turning on the radio. Today, almost anyone can turn on the radio and be content with a certain radio station. Then there was a whole community that were not filled with satisfaction when listening to contemporary rock music, and they felt it was up to them to create this music that they themselves could love and appreciate. So grunge rockers' different taste in music lead to the experimental and the then-unknown styles of grunge.
Different bands also influenced grunge and its styles. As a professional website on alternative rock explains, grunge rockers looked for inspiration from an earlier generation of erratic performers of the United States and Britain. Of the 170's bands, they worshipped the rough aggressiveness of the Sex Pistols and the Clash. They also
honored the defying art forms of the Velvet Underground, Patti Smith, and the Stooges. Of the 180's, they positively recognized bands that had operated out of their own garages and that later became part of labels and clubs that shared their faithful independence, such as the Replacements and Husker Du ("Alternative Rock"). These influencers give us a sense as to why grunge music is very intense and provocative. Grunge music is therefore a combination of different aspects of these role models' music. Though these role models did influence the shaping of this successful music genre, most of them did not enjoy much long-lasting success.
On the contrary, when Nirvana released "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from their 11 album, "Nevermind," grunge became an international pop phenomenon (Henrik). Seattle, home of the grunge scene, had become a target to many record executives looking for the next big thing, along with several bands from the surrounding area (Henrik). Grunge had even become an international fad. Department stores began making sections for grunge clothing (thermal underwear, stocking hats, combat boots etc.) ("Alternative Rock"). I, myself, recall this grunge fashion craze going on in department stores, as well as in schools. Then, it was just another stupid fad to me. I did wonder, however, why people were paying more money to buy clothes with a lower-class image. Nonetheless, consumers were paying money to imitate their favorite music grunge bands, who, to begin with, wore those clothes for mere economic necessity. In Hype!, a documentary that traces the history of grunge music with interviews on bands and Seattle citizens, one of the local citizens recalls this fad, "They wore thermal
underwear because they thought it was cool… I wore thermal underwear cause it's f cold!" Nonetheless, by the time of the release of Nirvana's first album, the unforeseeable (for grunge rockers) had happened. The young, "delinquent," generation X, rock audience had also tired of the same 180's music and quickly jumped to music they could relate to (Benner). Kurt Cobain, Nirvana's vocalist and guitarist, was therefore considered "the spokesman of generation X" by many magazines. Grunge had become "the sound of the resentful and distressed generation," ("Alternative Rock"). One can see that a reason for Nirvana's, and grunge's, success is the fact that Nirvana and other grunge groups had made a connection to rock listeners. Though the rock audience straggled behind, both grunge rockers and the rock audience experienced an alteration in taste of music. Both grew exhausted of the same conforming styles of music, and yearned for something extraordinary.
One might ask why was the rock audience all of a sudden sparked into desiring this conversion into a more "grungy" form of music? What does grunge represent that hooked so many into its music? The most appropriate word to characterize grunge is "opposition." As Archibald explains, grunge was an "opposition to mainstream culture." It "represented a significant departure from music during its height, especially when one considers that Nirvana's Nevermind knocked mainstream darling Michael Jackson's Dangerous record from the number one position in 1" (Smells Like Grunge Spirit). As I stated before, it was no ordinary phenomenon that could have knocked Michael Jackson- the icon for pop culture at the time- out of the picture. Archibald also found an
opposition towards previous generations (e.g. parents). He sees this opposition in certain artists' lyrics and in their background "Lamenting his own parents' divorce at age eight, Cobain wrote in 'Serve the Servants', 'I tried hard to have a father/ But instead I had a dad.'" "Alternative rock is the sound of homes breaking" (Archibald).
Grunge was also a "retaliation against baby boomers. The particular anger of grunge culture was directed at the economic prosperity 'boomers' experienced in the 180's." Soon, after the baby boomer generation grew a generation with much less opportunity. These are the people that grunge music spoke to. In Nirvana's Nevermind album Cobain wrote in In Bloom, "Sell the kids for food/… Nature is a whore/ Bruises on the fruit," conveying this unprosperous theme. In addition, he wrote in Something In The Way, "Underneath the bridge/ The tarp has sprung a leak… And I'm living off of grass/ And I'm drippings from the ceiling," again communicating this economic theme. Evidently, grunge music was, in a sense, a reaction to Generation X's dissatisfactions and frustrations. People strongly felt this connection of restlessness to grunge and Nirvana, and rock audiences were therefore inquisitive of this music genre.
As one can see, grunge music became successful for several reasons, and Nirvana came up to the forefront as the ultimate grunge band. In the late 80's and early 0's, grunge flourished as an opposition towards pop culture of the time, parents, and baby boomers' economic prosperity. In addition, people had just simply tired of the same boring styles of rock music and wanted to hear something new. Rock audiences, therefore, more than welcomed Nirvana and their new, experimental, and aggressive style
of music in 1. Nirvana then became a pop sensation that lead the forefront of grunge music into pop culture. Nirvana succeeded as the supreme grunge band because many felt and have continued to feel a strong connection to their intense style of music. It is no coincidence that grunge virtually disappeared in the late 10's following the death of "Generation X's spokesman," Kurt Cobain, in 14.
Works Cited
"100 Greatest Moments In Rock Music, The." Entertainment Weekly Magazine. 8 May 1. (http//www.britannica.com/bcom/magazine/article/0,5744,780.html?query=grunge.)
Archibald, Jeffrey D. Smells Like Grunge Spirit A Cultural Analysis of Seattle's Grunge Scene. Diss. Illinois State University, 17.
"Alternative Rock," Brittanica.Com. 18 Feb. 001. (http//www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article//0,5716,705+1+48,00.html).
Benner, Melissa. The History of Grunge. 8 Feb. 001. (http//www.yk.psu.edu/~jmj/grunge.htm).
Henrik, H. An Approach to Grunge as a Cultural Phenomenon. 1 May 1. 11 Mar. 001. (http//www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Lounge/8578/main.htm).
Jimmi. A View to Rock History. 18 Feb. 001. (http//users.compulink.gr/jimzr/Page1.htm).
(No Author Listed). History (of Rock). 8 Feb. 001. (http//genres.artistdirect.com/alternativerock.html)
Pray, Doug; Dutton, Lisa; Vogt, Pete; Helvey, Steve. Hype! VHS (videocassette). Los Angeles Republic Entertainment, 16.
"Rock Music," Microsoft ® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 000. 1 Mar. 001. (http//encarta.msn.com/find/concise.asp?ti=01BA6000).
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