NirvanaVEVO via YouTube/YouTube
Before reality shows took over MTV, the channel actually played these things called music videos.
The tunes of the 1990s, across all genres, capitalized on the popularity boost music videos received, but none more than Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which was released 24 years ago today.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the lead track on the band’s seminal album “Nevermind.” The video, set in a high school gymnasium during a pep rally, helped the album overtake Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous,” Garth Brooks’ “Ropin The Wind,” M.C. Hammer’s “Too Legit To Quit” and U2′s “Achtung Baby” as number one on the Billboard charts in January of 1992.
It became the poster video for grunge. The “Seattle Sound” had been brewing for years, thanks to local bands like The U-Men, Mudhoney, Malfunkshun and Soundgarden, but the “Teen Spirit” video and success of “Nevermind” pushed the movement out of the Pacific Northwest and opened eyes around the world.
Seattle bands were known for their explosive live shows, and the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video captured that perfectly. Towards the end of the video, the crowd at the high school gymnasium goes nuts, destroying the band’s equipment.
That part of the video wasn’t staged. Lead singer Kurt Cobain told music journalist Michael Azerrad that the extras had to sit and watch the band play the song over and over again during filming, and were genuinely ticked off at the end of the day.
“Once the kids came out dancing they just said ‘f— you,’ because they were so tired of this s— throughout the day,” Cobain said.
In honor the video premiering 24 years ago, here are the music videos that define the 1990s.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana
“Sabotage,” Beastie Boys
“Buddy Holly,” Weezer
“Vogue,” Madonna
“Waterfalls,” TLC
“Nothing Compares 2 U,” Sinead O’Connor
“My Name Is,” Eminem
“Creep,” Radiohead
“It Was A Good Day,” Ice Cube
“Virtual Insanity,” Jamiroquai
“November Rain,” Guns N’ Roses
“Baby One More Time,” Britney Spears
“Freak on a Leash,” Korn
“Black Hole Sun,” Soundgarden
“Sober,” Tool
“Today,” Smashing Pumpkins
“Jeremy,” Pearl Jam
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” Missy Elliott
“Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dog
“Wannabe,” Spice Girls
“One,” U2
“California Love,” 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre
“Hypnotize,” The Notorious B.I.G.
“Baby Got Back,”Sir Mix-a-Lot
“Losing My Religion,” R.E.M.
nparco@nydailynews.com
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
Music & Arts – NY Daily News
Source:
http://ift.tt/1LZR2aV