They were never the most obvious match: Top of the Pops, a buttoned-up institution of British television; and Nirvana, the edgy and irreverent poster boys of an emerging U.S. phenomenon labeled “grunge.” But in November 1991, that culture clash resulted in one of the funniest moments in TV-music history.
In a way, it was destiny. Top of the Pops, aired weekly between 1964 and 2006, showcased the most popular songs of the era. Nirvana, meanwhile, were becoming one of music’s hottest commodities, riding the commercial momentum of their soon-to-be-blockbuster second LP, Nevermind. The album’s lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” became an MTV staple and, eventually, one of the most iconic songs ever—a perfect selection for a Top of the Pops “performance.” But here’s the problem: Artists on the show typically lip-synced to a backing track, which didn’t exactly fit the Nirvana aesthetic. Kurt Cobain ultimately wound up singing live—but not, let’s say, in his typical style.
Only a couple seconds in, it’s clear Nirvana have decided to torpedo—and, ironically, elevate—this BBC showcase by highlighting their own lip-syncing. Instead of matching the timing of the song’s iconic power-chord riff, Cobain stiffly fake-strums his guitar in the style of an animatronic puppet; drummer Dave Grohl flails his arms across the kit like an exuberant school boy; and Krist Novoselic throws his bass around more than he actually touches the strings.
Those details are exaggerated enough that even a casual viewer could spot them. But Cobain’s vocals elevate the whole thing into the realm of performance art: Instead of staying in his typical register, he drops down to a goofy baritone, occasionally putting the microphone into his mouth and leaning into a guttural vocal fry. The studio audience climbs onstage toward the end of the clip—a fittingly chaotic end to a display of cheerful but rebellious absurdity.
In this BBC documentary clip, ideas are floated about the reason for Cobain’s alternate vocal approach, including the idea that he’d gotten sick or had lost his voice from touring. But years after the performance, in an interview for the BBC’s When Nirvana Came to Britain, Grohl touched on the inevitability that something abnormal might occur. “That [show] was reserved for, like, pop bands,” he said. “We don’t belong there. I think there was a conversation about lip-syncing, which we’d never done and felt uncomfortable doing it. They said, ‘OK, we’ll let the vocals be live, but the music has to be pre-recorded. [Laughs.] They were just asking for it.” Whatever the motivation, it’s incredible.
This wasn’t Nirvana’s only bold move while appearing on British TV. In December 1991, while playing Tonight With Jonathan Ross, they switched out their radio-friendly single with a much more abrasive choice. “We were supposed to play [‘Lithium’], but instead, about two minutes before going on, we thought, ‘Ya know, let’s play ‘Territorial Pissings,’ which is about two minutes shorter,” Grohl told Ross years later. “Then we smashed the gear and ran out the back door.” In the wake of the destruction, the host looks into the camera and deadpans, “Boy, I hope we didn’t wake the neighbors up. Nirvana there, doing the tune we didn’t actually expect, but they wanted me to tell you they’re available for children’s birthday parties and bar mitzvahs.”
