If you asked me to hand pick say 20 of the most important songs in the history of rock-n-roll Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” the lead track to their game changing album Nevermind would unquestionably be on that list. It was a calling card for a new musical order and it subsequently buried the days of hair metal and glam. It launched the members of the band including songwriter and singer Kurt Cobain into a stratosphere that they could not have possibly imagined.
Anytime someone makes the attempt to cover a song that would be on that list they make a brave and often fatal choice. There are always exceptions but for the most part all parties involved would be well advised to leave mammoths like “Born To Run,” “Like A Rolling Stone,” “London Calling,” and “Beat It” alone.
Sadly the following five artists didn’t heed this advice and went after Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Cobain admitted that while penning the song he was ripping off The Pixies so I concede all is fair in love and theft in the music game but you better be ready if you’re going after this song.
Here are five what I’ll call unfortunate covers of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” starting with the most recent one to make the rounds on the internet. During a tour stop from April, 29th in Ecuador Miley Cyrus took her chance and folks aren’t reacting too well:
Miley Cyrus:
Casey Abrams during American Idol:
The Melvins with Leif Garrett on vocals:
Crooner Paul Anka:
The Flying Pickets (A Capella):
It takes a lot of guts to cover this song, perhaps too much for mere mortals to handle.
