We were angry about something. We just didn't know what, exactly, but we desperately wanted to rebel against that thing that we were mad about. Whatever it was. If you read the lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," you'll notice that Kurt Cobain wasn't so sure what he was supposed to be rebelling against at the time, either. But we went ahead and made him the face of a defiant generation anyways.
"A mulatto, An albino, A mosquito, My libido..."
What the hell does any of that mean? It. Didn't. Matter. It sounded different. We wanted different. It was a perfect union. In general, grunge music was supposed to be a direct rebuttal to the overly-produced, hollow, sleaze metal that was being dished out in the 80s. But that only makes it more strange that we latched onto "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Because, despite its status as the defining grunge anthem for millions of disillusioned kids, Cobain went into the songwriting process determined to come up with the ultimate pop song. The chords are practically lifted from Boston's "More Than a Feeling," and Cobain was as embarrassed of the song (and its subsequent popularity) as anything he'd ever created. The ironic thing is that we were trying to escape the very thing that Kurt was trying to give us, and in a way, we got what we wanted. Honorable Mentions: Alice in Chains - "Man in the Box," R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion," Metallica - "Enter Sandman," Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Under the Bridge"
