Smells like a piece of rock history: First Nirvana record played on radio up for auction

The first-ever Nirvana record played on radio is going up for auction.

Produced by the label Sub Pop, the 7-inch vinyl 1988 test pressing contains Nirvana’s cover of the Shocking Blue song “Love Buzz,” which was released as the future “Smells Like Teen Spirit” band’s debut single. It made its way into the hands of Sub Pop employee Scott Vanderpool, who played it on a local college station.

“While I was working at Sub Pop, any test pressing that came in I immediately took to the radio station to play on that show,” Vanderpool writes in an accompanying certificate of authenticity. “So your Nirvana test pressing … has the distinction of being the first Nirvana studio recording played on the radio anywhere.”

The “Love Buzz” test pressing is part of auction house Goldin’s 2025 Fall Music Auction catalog. For more info, visit Goldin.co.

Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” cover was later included on their 1989 debut album, Bleach. The band released two more albums, 1991’s Nevermind and 1993’s In Utero, before frontman Kurt Cobain‘s death in 1994.