September 29, 1991 –
MTV debuts Nirvana’s video for their single Smells Like Teen Spirit on this date, giving most Americans their first look at the band. A little over a month later, the song is #1 on the Hot 100.
The girls who played the cheerleaders in the video were originally supposed to be very fat and unattractive (Cobain’s idea). The director, Samuel Bayer, did not like this idea, but still allowed the cheerleaders to have “sleeve” tattoos and the symbol for anarchy on their shirts. He says he recruited them from a local strip club, which helps explain their unorthodox cheers. For a while, MTV refused to air the video. When they finally did, it was on their alternative show 120 Minutes. When the song became a hit, the video went into hot rotation.
The Haus of Dcaligari 