Video Countdown: The Nine Weirdest "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Covers

In a few months, Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” will turn 18, which means that the surprise baby you brought into this world in a Seattle-area rock club bathroom to the opening strains of “Lithium“… is now heading off to Vassar, where she will in turn have your grandchild during a Chester French concert.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most recognizable songs in music, period, and it has inspired more bizarre covers than perhaps any other tune.  A piano cover?  Sure!  A swing cover?  Yeah…!  A ukelele cover?  I’m completely serious.  Video countdown of the weirdest “Smells Like Teen Spirit” covers and mashups ever, after the jump.  

9) Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit Up – This one made the rounds this week.  Rick Astley was actually one of the founding members of Mother Love Bone, before being forced out for Rick Astley reasons.

8 ) Tori Amos was all over this song in 1992, with a lounge act sad-piano cover.

7) Smells Like Booty – Destiny’s Child and Nirvana.  Dave Grohl was not ready for that jelly.

6) Weird Al - “Smells Like Nirvana.”  Kurt Cobain is said to have remarked that he knew the band had made it big when this came out.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7197824358776485966

5) Moulin Rouge – they should’ve stuck with “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”

4) Paul Anka - the ’50s swing and big band impresario reimagines Nirvana with more trombones and less heroin on his 2005 album.

3) The Moog Cookbook – the electronica version.  Like if the Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade had depression.

2) The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain – I know it sounds like the name of the latest twee indie band out of Portland, but it is, in fact, an orchestra of British people playing Ukeleles.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4559510005057780538

1) Dokaka – what would it sound like if Fozzy Bear beatboxed a Nirvana song?  Dokaka dared to know.  This actually may be the most absurd cover of any song, ever.

Oh, and hey, here’s the original.

Mashups from Idolator.