The 20th Anniversary of Nirvana's 'Nevermind': 6 Strange Song Remakes

Nirvana's career-defining album, "Nevermind," is set to turn 20 years old in September (yes, you're that old), and the rock world is getting ready to pay tribute.

First up, with only 10,000 copies going to press in the U.S., you'll have to fight for your right to get a copy of the bloated, 4 CD/1 DVD "Nevermind" 20^th Anniversary deluxe reissue box set. It's due out on September 26 and will be chock full of must-haves like "Polly" B-sides and rare BBC sessions.

And Spin has compiled a free download of a complete "Nevermind" tribute. But this track by track tribute album isn't Nirvana remakes by some random cover band. Instead Kurt Cobain faves like The Vaselines cover the band's iconic music (they perform "Lithium.") Other artists on the compilation include Meat Puppets ("Smells Like Teen Spirit"), Butch Walker and the Black Widows ("In Bloom") and Foxy Shazam ("Drain You.")

Meanwhile, there have been more than a few other Nirvana song remakes over the years. So while you wait for the 20^th anniversary reissue, here are some of the more bizarre "Nevermind" song remakes we could dig up.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" -- Tori Amos

Just call this one "Teen Spirit" lite. The piano playing songstress covered the quintessential Nirvana song back in 1992 on her "Crucify" EP. And just to ensure that she ticked off a wide enough demographic of music fans, she also covered The Rolling Stones' "Angie" and Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" on the same disc.

"Come As You Are" -- Rebecca Loebe

The strangest thing about this cover isn't the performance (it's actually good), but the place where we first heard it: The NBC reality show, "The Voice." Loebe didn't win the show, but her version of the Nirvana song hit #7 on the iTunes alt music chart. Let's call this one strange-- but in a good way.

"Lithium" -- Rockabye Baby!

Nothing like rocking your baby to sleep to the soothing sounds of Nirvana. The album "Lullaby Renditions of Nirvana" features music-boxy renditions of Nirvana songs like "Heart Shaped Box," "Serve the Servants" and "Lithium " (our personal fave.) A far cry from "Hush, Little Baby."

"In Bloom" -- Gringo Floyd

Pass the martinis and the olives, it's time for "The Cocktail Tribute to Nirvana!" The "Nevermind" ditty, "In Bloom," fits right in there with sax-infused versions of "Dumb" and "Rape Me"-- and they're sure to take the "happy" right out of your Happy Hour.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" -- Miley Cyrus

Not sure what possessed the former Disney pop tart to cover this song in concert earlier this year, but maybe she did it to throw a bone to her tween fans' parents who were undoubtedly stuck on concert-chaperone duty. But man, it was just yesterday that she was on the "Hannah Montana" tour! They grow up so fast!

"Pennyroyal Tea/RapeMe" -- Jared Leto

And while this remake isn't from "Nevermind," we just couldn't let it go unmentioned. For some reason, 30 Seconds to Mars front man and former "My So Called Life" actor, Jared Leto, posed as Cobain and covered a medley of Nirvana songs from "In Utero," the band's final studio album. He released the vid on the 17th anniversary of Cobain's death and wrote: "I made it [the video] to explore the character and explore creative possibilities. I never sent it to the studio or to anyone but thought I'd share it now."

Hmmm....well, if Leto is campaigning for a part of Cobain in a biopic, he's got the job!