Music is key to making any night at Howl at the Moon completely unforgettable! Smash hits from every genre and plenty of crowd requests are always on deck, and to honor some of our favorite artists, we’re paying tribute to the most memorable moments in musical history—the ones that made us howl the loudest! This week is all about Nirvana and the group’s legendary album Nevermind
January 11th, 1992 forced a change upon the landscape of pop music. In fact, everything was turned on its head, the script was flipped, and the entire game was changed. Whatever hyperbole you prefer, Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind, unseating Dangerous by Michael Jackson was a move that would have been considered ludicrous for the three-piece grunge outfit out of Seattle just months earlier. And then it happened.
Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
Formed in 1989, Nirvana began garnering national attention in 1991 with Nevermind’s release, largely propelled by the angst-filled, throaty single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and it’s music video. The song was so immensely successful that within two months of its August release, it was topping the Billboard Alternative Charts and peaked at #6 on the Hot 100. It even caused such a frenzy that “a teenager in a US mall was reportedly seriously injured in a fall from a shopping centre balcony when the track came on the mall Tannoy, sending him into a moshing fit.”
The power of the behind the most raucous pop song in the country was enough to bring all of Nevermind up with it and eventually, Nirvana had only one challenge to face—the ruler of the charts and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The sensation’s eighth album, “Dangerous”, was released in November 1991 and immediately hit number #1 on the Billboard 200 where it remained for four weeks. That is until January 11th, 1992, the listed week in which all Christmas sales finally become data. This period also happened to represent Nirvana’s best sales week ever where the group sold 384,000 copies during the span—propelling Nevermind from #6 on the Billboard 200 to #1, beseeching the throne from King Jackson. Pop music belonged to Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl now.
The band celebrated fittingly, with an appearance on Saturday Night Live the very same week. If somehow you managed to escape Nirvana’s stranglehold on the radio waves, there was no running from SNL. Performing both “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Nevermind’s most adrenaline-fueled cut, “Territorial Pissings”, the show was everything fans could have wanted and parents could have feared. Every second was played as quickly as Grohl could drum and as loud as Cobain could yell, and the set was complete with plenty of Kurt’s signature voice cracking and a gratuitous amount instrument smashing, See the whole thing for yourself.
Nevermind remained on the Billboard 200 for nearly two consecutive years, from October 12, 1991 to July 10, 1993. The album reappeared just three weeks later and has spent a total of over 330 weeks and counting on the charts. The album attained diamond status by the RIAA with over 30 million copies sold worldwide, and though Cobain’s 1994 death signaled the end of Nirvana, the band’s music shows no signs of fading out. Grohl and Novoselic have reunited for a handful of one-off performances in recent years with artists like Paul McCartney, Lorde, and St. Vincent claiming the legendary frontman’s spot on the stage.
Come as You Are
Smells Like Teen Spirit is a mainstay at every Howl at the Moon location, along with plenty more of your favorite hit songs and plenty of requests from the entire crowd—played like you’ve never heard before from our incredible musicians. Plus with outstanding drinks and plenty of space to party, you better be ready for one absolutely unforgettable night out. Check out what’s going on at your local Howl!
Check out what is going on at your nearest Howl at the Moon:
Boston | Chicago | Columbus | Denver | Fort Lauderdale | Foxborough | Indianapolis | Kansas City | Louisville | Orlando | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | San Antonio
Go Back
