There were plenty of great alt-rock bands before Nirvana, but none with their singular gift for grafting punk angst and hard rock fuzz to pop hooks that are as catchy as they are smart. The 1991 grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit” established the template: With bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl thrashing about, Kurt Cobain blasted out slacker poetry that flipped violently between biting sarcasm and serious downer vibes. When Nirvana weren't scorching eardrums, they were breathing fragile life into atmospheric ballads such as “All Apologies” and “Something In the Way".