September 9, 1992 –
During a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, Nirvana played Lithium, ending in a grand finale where bassist Krist Novoselic tosses his instrument high into the air. When he tries to catch it, he misses, and the bass whacks him in the head.
Nirvana wanted to play Rape Me at the Video Music Awards but MTV wanted Smells Like Teen Spirit. Kurt Cobain had to check out of rehab to attend the show, and had made comments disparaging MTV in the past. At rehearsals, a standoff ensued where MTV threatened to go nuclear, banning not just Nirvana, but other acts from their label if they didn’t fall in line. Lithium was the compromise, but Nirvana made the network sweat, playing a few seconds of Rape Me before going into their agreed-upon song.
The Haus of Dcaligari 