I'm not even a Nirvana fan, but Smells Like Teen Spirit is the one Nirvana song that I always LOVED. Alive was really cool back in the day and all, and carries plenty of nostalgia too, but it's never been my favorite anything, and I am kind of sick of it now. It's performed way too often.
i agree with this post loved it heaps too but its not the same to me anymore now
I choose Alive. I still get chills when I see Pearl Jam play it live. Smells is a great song, but that particular song I have grown bored of listening to. I do like Nirvana's music a lot- they have some great songs, but my favorites were non radio tracks- whereas, with pearl jam I enjoy both radio hits and deep cuts a lot more.
Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
How so? Care to explain further?
2010: London 2012: Manchester I, Manchester II, Manchester (EV) 2014: Milan, Leeds, Milton Keynes 2017: London II (EV) 2018: Amsterdam I, London I, Prague, London II 2019: London (EV) 2022: London I, London II, Budapest, Krakow, Amsterdam
I get the historical significance of SLTS but Alive is the better song. Its funny as much as I loved Nevermind back in the 90's it does not hold up well at all for my ears. I still love Bleach though. The early PJ stuff holds up so much better for me. Alive is still an absolute monster anthem live. Never get tired of it like some others (Jeremy, Betterman).
Smells like teen spirit was a game changer. Alive was a really good song on a really good album but just never packed the punch that teen spirit did. I agree that Jeremy vs SLTS would have been a tougher choice.
I think the people choosing Alive either like it more or like both songs equally. But chose it because they like Pearl jam more, And the people choosing Teen Spirit are doing so because of historical significance.
Interesting to compare the two songs given what happened to KC and the speech EV gave about "Alive" in 2006 at that VH1 show. The fame brought on by "Teen Spirit" is what did Cobain in while Vedder embraced his audience's adoration for his band's song.
I don't remember the first time hearing Alive. SMTS was one of those "you remember where you were when..." type moments.
Funny. It's the exact opposite for me. I remember exactly where I was and who was in the room with me when the video for "Alive" came on. I have a vague recollection of hearing/seeing "Smells Like Teen Spirtit" for the first time.
Of the two I like Alive better. However, SLTS is one ofthe greatest and most historically-significant singles in the history of music. You can stack it up against almost any other single ever and it comes out the winner as a game-changing titan.
I like Nirvana a lot, and LOVE Pearl Jam. But this is SLTS and it's not even close. SLTS in some ways could be credited with both killing pop metal and bringing on grunge in it's former place.
I guess many of us are answering the question to "Which song is better?" as opposed to the posted question, "Which single is better?"
Using the word "single" sort of asks the respondent to be objective and ignore their own personal preference. There really is no contest in that regard.
No. It's just that I'm surprised anyone would think that a Nirvana song being released only 1 month before A PJ song would suggest that PJ's song had something to do with the existence of the Nirvana song. That makes no sense.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
are you saying that SLTS is the reason Alive, and Ten as a whole, finally gained the steam it did and Nirvana was subsequently the cause of Pearl Jam breaking big?
I disagree, if that is what you are saying. I have never understood how these two bands can even be compared. they aren't similar in the least, and I love them both.
PJ isn't even grunge, in the classic sense of the word.
I guess many of us are answering the question to "Which song is better?" as opposed to the posted question, "Which single is better?"
Using the word "single" sort of asks the respondent to be objective and ignore their own personal preference. There really is no contest in that regard.
I still like "Alive" better.
I believe the OP means song. If he had said which was the bigger hit. That's a different thing altogether
I guess many of us are answering the question to "Which song is better?" as opposed to the posted question, "Which single is better?"
Using the word "single" sort of asks the respondent to be objective and ignore their own personal preference. There really is no contest in that regard.
I still like "Alive" better.
I believe the OP means song. If he had said which was the bigger hit. That's a different thing altogether
I guess there really isn't much point in arguing which was the bigger "hit."
I don't know about the charts but I feel I even heard "Even Flow" and "Jeremy" way more than "Alive" on the radio. Heck, I may have even heard "Black" more and it wasn't even a single.
Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
are you saying that SLTS is the reason Alive, and Ten as a whole, finally gained the steam it did and Nirvana was subsequently the cause of Pearl Jam breaking big?
I disagree, if that is what you are saying. I have never understood how these two bands can even be compared. they aren't similar in the least, and I love them both.
PJ isn't even grunge, in the classic sense of the word.
I dunno. You could make that argument. By the same token, you could also argue that PJ (and Soundgarden, AIC, etc.) also helped drive Nirvana's success -- the whole "Seattle Sound" media hype/zeitgeist helped sell a lot of records in the early 90s.
Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
are you saying that SLTS is the reason Alive, and Ten as a whole, finally gained the steam it did and Nirvana was subsequently the cause of Pearl Jam breaking big?
I disagree, if that is what you are saying. I have never understood how these two bands can even be compared. they aren't similar in the least, and I love them both.
PJ isn't even grunge, in the classic sense of the word.
I dunno. You could make that argument. By the same token, you could also argue that PJ (and Soundgarden, AIC, etc.) also helped drive Nirvana's success -- the whole "Seattle Sound" media hype/zeitgeist helped sell a lot of records in the early 90s.
I really don't think so. I think Nirvana would have been freakishly huge without other bands in the "movement".
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I'd like to add that although I had heard the song many times before, it was the SNL performance of "Alive" that hooked me.
EV Solo: 7/11/11 11/12/12 11/13/12
Also I don't think the op is asking which song is historically or music changing better. I think he/she means which is the better song
2012: Manchester I, Manchester II, Manchester (EV)
2014: Milan, Leeds, Milton Keynes
2017: London II (EV)
2018: Amsterdam I, London I, Prague, London II
2019: London (EV)
2022: London I, London II, Budapest, Krakow, Amsterdam
Alive - released August 2, 1991.
Smells Like Teen Spirit - released September 10, 1991
Obvious, right?
Using the word "single" sort of asks the respondent to be objective and ignore their own personal preference. There really is no contest in that regard.
I still like "Alive" better.
I disagree, if that is what you are saying. I have never understood how these two bands can even be compared. they aren't similar in the least, and I love them both.
PJ isn't even grunge, in the classic sense of the word.
www.headstonesband.com
I don't know about the charts but I feel I even heard "Even Flow" and "Jeremy" way more than "Alive" on the radio. Heck, I may have even heard "Black" more and it wasn't even a single.
www.headstonesband.com