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.
A poll usually means which do you like better? Now if it was a trivia question? Or if the op had asked which one was more important?
If the question was which album is better Ten or No Code. And you say like No Code better. Bur choose Ten. Because without it No Code wouldn't exist. Your pick should've been No Code
Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
How so? Care to explain further?
If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era. SLTS is the song that defined a generation, that moved music into the mainstream that wasn't from the Los Angeles hair metal scene.
Many articles have been written about it. Some even suggest that Janes Addiction were the true cause for the musical shift.
Nirvana is the biggest reason we got to here all of this music. I'm glad they did too.
I personally feel like Nirvana's role in that context is way overblown. I'm not saying they didn't have an influence... but they are responsible for all the other music out of that scene?? The main reason we got to hear all of that other music? I don't think so. I know it's a popular theory. I just don't believe in it.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era.
Completely unfounded.
I think it's impossible to say whether or not, if Nirvana hadn't exploded onto the mainstream if bands like Pearl Jam would have been able to have the same success. We know for a fact that Nirvana was the first out of the gate. There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
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If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era.
Completely unfounded.
I think it's impossible to say whether or not, if Nirvana hadn't exploded onto the mainstream if bands like Pearl Jam would have been able to have the same success. We know for a fact that Nirvana was the first out of the gate. There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
He's also said that about Sonic Youth, The Melvins, Ian Mackaye, Lou Reed, and a host of others.
If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era.
Completely unfounded.
I think it's impossible to say whether or not, if Nirvana hadn't exploded onto the mainstream if bands like Pearl Jam would have been able to have the same success. We know for a fact that Nirvana was the first out of the gate. There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
He's also said that about Sonic Youth, The Melvins, Ian Mackaye, Lou Reed, and a host of others.
Yeah, I always thought that was a particularly silly thing for him to say, albeit very well-intentioned. I think Eddie just really likes to give a lot of credit to the dead and/or bands that have broken up. He overstates things sometimes, lol.
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...
How do you figure?
Duh. Do the math.
Alive - released August 2, 1991. Smells Like Teen Spirit - released September 10, 1991
Obvious, right?
Are you being facetious?
I like Alive better, BUT the better single is Teen Spirit, it helped popularize Grunge/Alternative Rock and laid the groundwork for the entire decade of rock music (as did Alive but not to the same extent). For instance, the opening riff of Teen Spirit is much more recognizable than Alive. Now, does that make it the better single? No, but it just goes to show that Teen Spirit reached more people and cast a wider net.
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Without Smells like teen spirit there is no Alive...
How do you figure?
Duh. Do the math.
Alive - released August 2, 1991. Smells Like Teen Spirit - released September 10, 1991
Obvious, right?
Are you being facetious?
I like Alive better, BUT the better single is Teen Spirit, it helped popularize Grunge/Alternative Rock and laid the groundwork for the entire decade of rock music (as did Alive but not to the same extent). For instance, the opening riff of Teen Spirit is much more recognizable than Alive. Now, does that make it the better single? No, but it just goes to show that Teen Spirit reached more people and cast a wider net. I have friends who listen to crappy EDM music and know Teen Spirit by heart but have only heard Alive a few times.
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If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era.
Completely unfounded.
I think it's impossible to say whether or not, if Nirvana hadn't exploded onto the mainstream if bands like Pearl Jam would have been able to have the same success. We know for a fact that Nirvana was the first out of the gate. There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
He's also said that about Sonic Youth, The Melvins, Ian Mackaye, Lou Reed, and a host of others.
And he was correct.
Post edited by dmaradona10 on
Las Cruces, NM Pan Am Center September 14, 1995
Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum July 7, 1998
New York City, NY MSG May 20, 2010
Eddie Vedder Solo Albuquerque, NM November 9, 2012
Wrigley Field July 19, 2013
LA Nov. 23: 24, 2013
Denver 10-22-14
To suggest that Pearl Jam wouldn't have exploded without Nirvana is a bit of a stretch. Had the record companies, MTV, and radio not promoted Teen Spirit they way the did, they would've picked another band, whether that be Pearl Jam, AIC, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. It just so happened they picked Nirvana and Teen Spirit.
Look at the follow up efforts by both bands in the fall of 93. Vs was the fastest selling record of all time and is certified 7x Platinum. In Utero, released a month prior to Vs, broke no first week sales records and is 5x Platinum. Easy to see who people wanted more of.
I remember when MTV used to do those Top 100 Videos of All Time countdowns. From 92-94, Jeremy was always #1 on those countdowns. Then Kurt died. Suddenly Teen Spirit was #1. Hmmm...
To suggest that Pearl Jam wouldn't have exploded without Nirvana is a bit of a stretch. Had the record companies, MTV, and radio not promoted Teen Spirit they way the did, they would've picked another band, whether that be Pearl Jam, AIC, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. It just so happened they picked Nirvana and Teen Spirit.
Look at the follow up efforts by both bands in the fall of 93. Vs was the fastest selling record of all time and is certified 7x Platinum. In Utero, released a month prior to Vs, broke no first week sales records and is 5x Platinum. Easy to see who people wanted more of.
I remember when MTV used to do those Top 100 Videos of All Time countdowns. From 92-94, Jeremy was always #1 on those countdowns. Then Kurt died. Suddenly Teen Spirit was #1. Hmmm...
Record sales of ten were sluggish then nirvana released nevermind and boom. Everyone's sales went up.
As for the follow up a lot of people didn't like in utero , I loved it. More people did gravitate to vs and I see why for the mainstream.
So I see that SLTS is the catylist. Again I'm glad it happened.
To suggest that Pearl Jam wouldn't have exploded without Nirvana is a bit of a stretch. Had the record companies, MTV, and radio not promoted Teen Spirit they way the did, they would've picked another band, whether that be Pearl Jam, AIC, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, etc. It just so happened they picked Nirvana and Teen Spirit.
Look at the follow up efforts by both bands in the fall of 93. Vs was the fastest selling record of all time and is certified 7x Platinum. In Utero, released a month prior to Vs, broke no first week sales records and is 5x Platinum. Easy to see who people wanted more of.
I remember when MTV used to do those Top 100 Videos of All Time countdowns. From 92-94, Jeremy was always #1 on those countdowns. Then Kurt died. Suddenly Teen Spirit was #1. Hmmm...
Record sales of ten were sluggish then nirvana released nevermind and boom. Everyone's sales went up.
As for the follow up a lot of people didn't like in utero , I loved it. More people did gravitate to vs and I see why for the mainstream.
So I see that SLTS is the catylist. Again I'm glad it happened.
I recall picking up Ten when it was already almost a year old. Pearl Jam didn't explode right after, or because of, Nirvana, in my opinion. Again, I don't put Pearl Jam in the same genre as all of the other bands that got exposure from Nirvana's popularity. So I really think their rise would have come with or without Nirvana.
Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Mudhoney, etc? not so much.
If SLTS doesn't become a huge hit then you'd never have heard most of the other bands during that era.
Completely unfounded.
I think it's impossible to say whether or not, if Nirvana hadn't exploded onto the mainstream if bands like Pearl Jam would have been able to have the same success. We know for a fact that Nirvana was the first out of the gate. There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
He's also said that about Sonic Youth, The Melvins, Ian Mackaye, Lou Reed, and a host of others.
And he was correct.
There is no way anyone can make that statement (and using the "might" in there actually makes any of those statements meaningless in any real sense anyhow). We have no idea how things would have gone if any of those bands didn't exist. If just one of them didn't exist maybe GW never would have been president. Maybe WWIII would have broken out. Who knows? No one. But to say that any one band's nonexistence means that a lot of other bands never would have existed seems like an unfounded, unprovable assumption, and IMHO takes a lot of credit away from a lot of people. I feel like Eddie just really likes to show that he respects people by making comments like that. They are symbolic statements, not true or correct ones.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
No way you can deny how awesome and influential Smells Like Teen Spirit is, but Alive is a better song to me.
"Sometimes you find yourself having to put all your faith in no faith."
~not a dude~
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Comments
If the question was which album is better Ten or No Code. And you say like No Code better. Bur choose Ten. Because without it No Code wouldn't exist. Your pick should've been No Code
Many articles have been written about it. Some even suggest that Janes Addiction were the true cause for the musical shift.
Nirvana is the biggest reason we got to here all of this music. I'm glad they did too.
There's a clip in PJ20, shortly after Cobain's suicide, PJ is playing a concert and EV says if it wasn't for Nirvana we might not be on this stage (or something to that effect).
Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum July 7, 1998
New York City, NY MSG May 20, 2010
Eddie Vedder Solo Albuquerque, NM November 9, 2012
Wrigley Field July 19, 2013
LA Nov. 23: 24, 2013
Denver 10-22-14
Read "the rise of grunge"
https://grungehistory.wordpress.com/
I also don't buy at least half of the hype about the Beatles though, so ....
Rollingstone has mentioned it too.
I think the spark was SLTS that led to the explosion.
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MSG 2016 1&2
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Eddie Vedder Obama Farewell Address 2017
Eddie Vedder Louisville, KY 2017
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Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum July 7, 1998
New York City, NY MSG May 20, 2010
Eddie Vedder Solo Albuquerque, NM November 9, 2012
Wrigley Field July 19, 2013
LA Nov. 23: 24, 2013
Denver 10-22-14
Look at the follow up efforts by both bands in the fall of 93. Vs was the fastest selling record of all time and is certified 7x Platinum. In Utero, released a month prior to Vs, broke no first week sales records and is 5x Platinum. Easy to see who people wanted more of.
I remember when MTV used to do those Top 100 Videos of All Time countdowns. From 92-94, Jeremy was always #1 on those countdowns. Then Kurt died. Suddenly Teen Spirit was #1. Hmmm...
As for the follow up a lot of people didn't like in utero , I loved it. More people did gravitate to vs and I see why for the mainstream.
So I see that SLTS is the catylist. Again I'm glad it happened.
Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Mudhoney, etc? not so much.
www.headstonesband.com
And I am big on Nirvana.
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~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2