Best Songs by Nirvana

The best ever songs by the grunge band Nirvana

List topic started by Gar489

• 1.

  Smells Like Teen Spirit

  It may have been overplayed and overhyped since its release in 1991, but Smells Like Teen Spirit remains the anthem that ushered 'aternative music' into the mainstream. And it's pretty damn catchy too.

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• 2.

  All Apologies

  Nominated for two Grammys, All Apologies is a glorious track on both In Utero and Nirvana: Unplugged in New York. "I wish I was like you, easily amused..."

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• 3.

  Lithium

  A great example of the classic quietloudquiet grunge rollercoaster ride, Lithium is about a man who finds religion after the death of his girlfriend.

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• 4.

  About a Girl

  Inspired by The Beatles, About a Girl is Nirvana's first true pop song, and one of it's best. This is the first sign of their pop genius, and by the time About a Girl resurfaced again on the Unplugged album, they had gathered an audience equivalent to their pop prowess.

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• 5.

  Come As You Are

  The main riff in Come As You Are was actually ripped off another band,Killing Joke. Nevertheless, it was one of Nirvana's major hits, and has to be one of their top songs.

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• 6.

  Something in the Way

  The final track on Nevermind, Something in the Way is a perfect comedown after a great album. There's only six lines of lyrics, but one of them is the brilliant "It's okay to eat fish, 'cause they don't have any feelings". Make of that what you will.

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• 7.

  Heart Shaped Box

  The first single from In Utero, Heart Shaped Box may or may not be a tribute to a certain part of Courtney Love's anatomy.

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• 8.

  Dumb

  A few years before Radiohead's more poppy ode to being a creep, Kurt Cobain penned this punk rock ditty about a stoner creep who deflowers a virgin.

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• 9.

  Polly

  Although written about the serious subject of a real life rape, Nirvana manage to instill a sense of hope through the arrangement and lyrics.

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• 10.

  Negative Creep

  A few years before Radiohead's more poppy ode to being a creep, Kurt Cobain penned this punk rock ditty about a stoner creep who deflowers a virgin.

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• 11.

  Serve the Servants

  "Teenage angst has paid off well, Now I'm bored and old" sings Kurt, epitomising 20-something disillusionment everywhere. More than that, though he takes very self aware, and amusing, dig at the music industry.

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• 12.

  Pennyroyal Tea

  Said to be about Cobain's stomach pains, any song that features the lyrics "I'm on warm milk and laxatives" has got to have something going for it. Originally featured on the album In Utero, it had a magnificent acoustic reprise on Nirvana: Unplugged in New York.

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• 13.

  Aneurysm

  As a B-Side to the massive hit Smells Like Teen Spirit, Aneurysm found a life of its own, eventually being voted best Nirvana song in a BBC poll.

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• 14.

  Blew

  Lyrically this is Cobain before he matured, but musically, it is stonking good punk rock track.

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• 15.

  Rape Me

  If anyone was in any doubt about Kurt's dislike for the music industry, his feelings are clear on 'Rape Me'. The executives at MTV certainly agreed, and believing 'Rape Me' was about them, banned Nirvana from playing the song at the MTV Music Awards.

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• 16.

  Where Did you Sleep Last Night?

  Although not a Nirvana original (it is a traditional American folk song, which has been recorded by dozens of artists), the band performed an incendiary version on their Unplugged album. No one can screech as beautifully as Kurt Cobain does on this track.

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• 17.

  School

  Like quite a feww of Nirvana's harder tracks, School contains few lyrics. But it makes up for that with scorching vocals and driving guitars.

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• 18.

  Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip

  A secret track on the European, Mexican and Australian copies of In Utero, this song is hidden little gem.

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• 19.

  Tourettes

  Tourettes is an insane, nonsensical, jumble of lyrics and punk rock power. Tourettes is one Nirvana track that will never be a crossover hit.

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