The Isolated Vocal Track to Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Shows Why Kurt Cobain Was a Legend

Have you ever heard the isolated vocals to Nirvana's all-time hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit"? All these years later, fans are still completely mesmerized and blown away by its majestic blend of beauty and brawn.

Isolated vocal tracks can sometimes be underwhelming — it's the marriage of a vocal that fits so perfectly with the music that so often makes a song popular and timeless. For example, David Lee Roth's vocals on Van Halen's "Runnin' With the Devil" sound downright cartoonish and laughable when standing on their own.

But that's not the case with Cobain and this Nevermind favorite, even if it's a song the Nirvana frontman wasn't very keen on. There's a raw, beautiful aggression to his voice, which is layered and creates that wondrous effect.

The Best Comments From Fans

One comment on the YouTube video which received 10,000 "likes," sums it up perfectly: "His vocal cords are like heaven and HELL combined."

Even imperfection is a highlight of Nirvana's pioneering sound (that would later be dubbed "grunge"). Being technically flawless isn't very rock 'n' roll — conveying attitude certainly is and, as one person notes, the voice crack at 13 seconds in is "so good."

Speaking about the gruff quality of Cobain's voice, one person hyperbolizes, "You can literally hear the cigarette smoke in his voice."

Listen to the isolated vocals below.

Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Isolated Vocals

READ MORE: The Most Played Song Live by 15 Big Grunge Bands

Nevermind Producer Butch Vig on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Vocals

If you've never seen it before, there is a video of producer Butch Vig talking about Nevermind and, in one specific clip, he plays the recorded tracks from "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Pulling up a second track, Vig says, "He was great at double-tracking. He would just run down a take and do another take and they always locked up really, really well."

"You can hear his voice on the last chorus starting to get pretty shot. He's been going so hard through the song, pushing so hard," Vig explains, "It sounds like his vocal cords are starting to come right out of his throat, especially when he gets to 'a denial.' It's pretty powerful sounding."