10 Greatest Rock Anthems Of All Time

After years of innovation, it felt like the entire rock scene had run out gas around the late '80s. While rock still had a firm grip on the cultural zeitgeist, the sounds of people like Poison and Winger clearly weren't going to stand the test of time anymore. It was time for innovation, and that came in the form of one flannel-clad kid in a gymnasium.

Then again, it's not like you even need the video to appreciate what makes Smells Like Teen Spirit so good. From the moment the track starts with that opening drum fill, everything that was artificial about the hair metal scene was cut out of the equation, as Kurt Cobain's lyrics start to mention the indifference that has come with being an adolescent. Coming from a time when rock stars were expected to be larger than life, the simple line of "Entertain us" is still all the more relevant in denouncing the superficial side of rock stars.

In essence, Cobain created what amounts to the national anthem for the alternative sphere, taking the building blocks of what made rock and roll good to begin with and adding the fire that came with being fed up with your own life. For as much as the lyrics might not make any sense from one line to the next, this wasn't about getting the words right. This was the sound of the new wave announcing itself to the world.