# Best #1 Modern/Alternative Rock Song of the Year: 1991 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1991/703546 "2014-11-03T19:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1991/703546/21 "2014-11-04T15:29:42Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I ended up going with the obvious/boring choice “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” for its place in history (and because it is a damned good song, which pretty much started me on my exploration of alternative music.) Interestingly enough, it was pretty much **Reckoning** -era R.E.M. that made _me_ curious about alternative music (or, as it was called back then, “college rock”). But I do agree (christ, I would surely damn _hope_ that I agree) that the impact of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was utterly seismic. In fact, I remember where I was and what I was doing the first time I saw the video (which was also the first time I heard the song). There are only three other videos that I can say that about (in chronological order: “Thriller”, “I Would Die 4 U/Baby I’m a Star” [live clip], and Metallica’s “One”). Still and all, though, I just think “Losing My Religion” is a much more beautiful, more timeless song. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1991/703546/22 "2014-11-04T15:39:11Z")
Hard to go against Nirvana, but of those songs I actually like U2’s “The Fly” the best. _Achtung Baby_ is a great album. I was a huge R.E.M. fan beginning in 1983 when I was 14, but I think _Out of Time_ is not their best effort (mostly because of “Radio Song” and “Shiny Happy People”). “Losing My Religion” is pretty low on my list of favorite R.E.M. songs. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1991/703546/23 "2014-11-05T20:39:53Z")
It really can’t be anything else but Teen Spirit. Aside from being a great song, it was revolutionary like no other song that entire decade. So…I’m going with that, though Losing My Religion is really an amazing piece of work as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-modern-alternative-rock-song-of-the-year-1991/703546.md?page=1)