10 Best Rock Album Openers Of The 1990s
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (Nevermind)
Nirvana have been alluded to so much on this list that it's only fair that they get a spot of their own.
And, with a song like this, it had to be the number one.
September 24th, 1991. A little-known band from Seattle, who'd only had one other record up to this point, release an album with a naked baby swimming after a dollar bill on a fish hook on the cover.
That album changed the world.
Nevermind blew up and so did Nirvana. This stacked offering turned Messrs Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl into international superstars overnight and inspired thousands of kids up and down the land to annoy their parents by taking up the guitar.
Smells Like Teen Spirit, with its heavy sound, themes of youth angst, and rallying battle cry, was the only choice for an opening song.
Not only did it fulfil that role, but it also went on to become one of the defining songs of an entire generation.
Few songs have ever had the impact and staying power of Smells Like Teen Spirit, which is why it deserves to be the crown jewel on this list of exceptional first tracks.