Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by the band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song is the opening track and lead single from their album Nevermind, released in 1991. Its unexpected success propelled Nirvana to global fame and marked the beginning of grunges popularity. The song was inspired by a night Cobain spent with Kathleen Hanna, of the band Bikini Kill, who wrote Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit on a wall, referring ... See more [+] to a deodorant brand named Teen Spirit that Cobains girlfriend, Tobi Vail, used to wear. Cobain was unaware that it was a deodorant brand, interpreting it as a revolutionary slogan.