When it comes to dissecting a song, a lot of critics typically go for the lyrics and what is the deeper meaning to them, but when it comes to true music theory, sometimes you have to look at the tone and the notes used to really understand the spirit of the song. Take for example classical music, Beethoven loved to use C Minor to show a dark and gloomy mood while Bach showcased D Major to show joy and happiness. 

Flash forward to the 1990s and on the rise was a new form of music that was as dark and gloomy as the city it came from, of course, I’m talking about Grunge Music. And no other song that truly represents the mood and spirit of that genre than Nirvana’s smash hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which plays in a F Minor key. Though we get all of the teen angst and rebellious feelings from this song it’s funny to think that when Kurt Cobain wrote this song, as he said in a 1994 interview, He said: “I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off The Pixies.”

Well maybe if he used a major progression he would have truly ripped them off, though if you want to have warm fuzzies take a listen to the remixed version of the song and let us know what you think. The Youtube comments are the best part and truly speak the truth after listening to this, some say “Me after taking my antidepressants” or “The song makes me feel weirdly like everything’s gonna be okay.”