Nirvana Sought ‘High School Personas’ Through a Casting Call for the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Video, Released 35 Years Ago
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Since YouTube launched, the iconic 1991 music video has accumulated more than 2 billion views on the platform.
The grunge group’s career changed dramatically in 1991 when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” arrived as the second single from their acclaimed second album, Nevermind. But before the song officially reached audiences as a single, its now-famous music video had already been created.
Kurt Cobain reportedly collaborated with director Samuel Bayer on the video’s concept, which centered on a high school gathering that eventually erupts into a chaotic riot. Cobain reportedly drew inspiration from Jonathan Kaplan’s 1979 coming-of-age film Over the Edge and the Ramones’ Rock ’n’ Roll High School.
To fill out the crowd for the production, a casting notice was posted at The Roxy in Los Angeles. Young adults between 18 and 25 were invited to participate if they could convincingly portray a high school character. The filming took place in Culver City on Aug. 17, 1991.
Approximately 150 people reportedly responded to the casting call. They initially occupied the bleachers before eventually becoming part of the mosh pit while Nirvana performed. The video culminates in a chaotic riot scene, and some of the frustration captured on camera came from genuine tension on the set. After repeatedly hearing the song more than a dozen times and following numerous directions from the production crew, some of the extras had reportedly become exhausted and restless.
Bayer later discussed the experience during a 2013 interview with Interview magazine, describing the project as an especially exciting opportunity in his career.
The director said he believed he was hired partly because the project was not initially viewed as a major assignment by the record company. At the time, performers including M.C. Hammer, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica were among the biggest names on the U.S. charts. Bayer said there was little indication that the Seattle band would go on to sell records on such a massive scale or become a major cultural force.
Bayer also suggested that the label was willing to give ambitious young creatives an opportunity to experiment with the project. While he already considered Nirvana an exceptional band, he admitted that he never anticipated just how dramatically the group would take off.
Courtney Love, Cobain’s partner at the time, later offered her own memories of experiencing the video with him. She spoke about it during a 2011 interview with New York magazine.
Love recalled that she and Cobain first slept together at a Days Inn in Chicago. During their time together afterward, they watched MTV when “Smells Like Teen Spirit” suddenly appeared. Love said she initially moved away from Cobain because she wanted him to enjoy what she viewed as his moment of triumph. Instead, he pulled her closer, a gesture she interpreted as a sign that he was allowing her deeper into his life.
She also remembered seeing the video with Cobain again at the Omni Northstar Hotel in Minneapolis. Love had traveled there intending to see Billy Corgan and did not realize Nirvana was performing that evening. She and Cobain eventually ended up at the same hotel, where their daughter Frances was conceived that night, according to Love. By then, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had become such a massive MTV hit that she recalled the video appearing on the channel repeatedly throughout the night.