# The most influential rock music acts of 1990-2010 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2010, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891 "2010-11-08T09:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/61 "2010-11-09T19:55:53Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Also, bands like Wilco and Son Volt for the whole alt/country angle. And before Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar parted ways, Uncle Tupelo was hugely influential. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/62 "2010-11-09T20:06:50Z")
I might also put Liz Phair on that list–at least _Exile in Guyville_. ---
**Author:** ![Kurt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kurt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kurt)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/63 "2010-11-09T23:27:17Z")
My nominations would be: Slowdive Nirvana Soundgarden Mogwai The Stone Roses Sleep Heavenly Labradford Low Pulp The Magnetic Fields/related projects Nick Cave/The Bad Seeds/etc Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon Smog Spiritualized Bark Psychosis Fugazi Burzum Godflesh Earth Crisis These bands are too early for the timeline laid out by the OP, but as mentioned above were active in the late '80s and generally much more influential on the current rock’n’roll landscape. Galaxie 500 My Bloody Valentine Pixies Vaselines Swans Jesus and Mary Chain REM Cocteau Twins Sonic Youth Moss Icon Slint ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/64 "2010-11-10T03:35:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Except for Creed, I consider all those outgrowths of the Seattle sound in general, not Pearl Jam in particular. People also call Nirvana highly influential. I don’t see that either. I like Pearl Jam, and I really like Nirvana, but I don’t find them influential in the way that somebody like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, or the Pixies are (from whom they all draw their influences.) Nirvana and Pearl Jam were influential because their albums Nevermind and Ten brought grunge alternative rock (AKA the Seattle Sound) to the forefront. This has lead to nearly two decades of bands with the characteristic striped-down style of deep, melodic angsty vocals and thick distorted guitars. And **DCnDC** , your link mentions Green Day and Weezer like a dozen times. Call it "converging evolution, but whatever the origins of emo back in the 80s and 90s, the current crop of bands that are regarded as “emo” (ie Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, All American Rejects) has a sound that can be traced back to Green Day. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/65 "2010-11-10T03:48:18Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > What about Primus? Les inspired a lot of kids to pick up a bass. > > Also, bands like Wilco and Son Volt for the whole alt/country angle. There would be no Red Hot Chilli Peppers or any other funk metal without Primus. And with no Wilco, how would there be any outdoor indie rock festivals with no Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine, Rogue Wave, The Shins, and so on? Although I think most of those bands can trace their bitter-sweet melancholy sound back to Nick Drake in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/66 "2010-11-10T04:26:58Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > There would be no Red Hot Chilli Peppers or any other funk metal without Primus. How do you figure? RHCP has been doing their thing since the early 80’s and were huge in the early 90’s throughout. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/67 "2010-11-10T04:34:37Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > How do you figure? RHCP has been doing their thing since the early 80’s and were huge in the early 90’s throughout. Yeah, I don’t get that one at all. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/68 "2010-11-10T13:43:31Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > And before Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar parted ways, Uncle Tupelo was hugely influential. Then there’s the Jayhawks who had a similar influence on alt country as Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/69 "2010-11-10T14:46:34Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > How do you figure? RHCP has been doing their thing since the early 80’s and were huge in the early 90’s throughout. Yeah, I guess Primus, RHCP an Faith no More sort of formed within a few years of each other in the early 80s. Rage Against the Machine formed later in 1991. All the Nu-metal bands came later. I have to give it to RHCP as being the most influential to bands having that funk/rap metal sound. ---
**Author:** ![stonelephant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@stonelephant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stonelephant)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/70 "2011-06-13T06:18:07Z")
I’ve just joined this board, being an exile from an old UK-based board Called Enough Already which seems lost forever. Anyway enough of that - I’ve been reading this thread with great interest, and viewing as I do from a UK perspective I was delighted to see mentions of Teenage Fanclub and The Stone Roses in there (not a fan of Radiohead, though I know I should be). IMHO, without the Stone Roses, there would be no Charlatans UK, and without those two there would have been no Oasis, and without Oasis who knows where UK rock would be today. So although many might have been influenced by Oasis in the 90s, they were in effect influenced by the Roses from the late 80s. But they themselves cite the Beatles and Sex Pistols as key influences, and clearly also drew much inspiration from the Byrds. Where does it all end? I dunno but it’s a great debate. My personal (and admittedly UK-centric) list would include: Blur Blur Blur Blur The Stone Roses Teenage Fanclub The Smiths (yeah I know, 15 years too early but can’t be ignored) Ash (_1977_ and _Free All Angels_ knock Green Day into a cocked hat - and I like Green Day!) Elastica Super Furry Animals The Shins Vampire Weekend (or is that too recent?) Phoenix and I have missed heaps. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/71 "2011-06-13T06:36:24Z")
pearl jam, nirvana, smashing pumpkins, nofx, primus, rhcp, rage, and maybe a few others…because i think rock music died sometime around 1994. 😕 edit: i’d put ‘mike patton’ instead of ‘faith no more’ on the list since he had more than one project and i think the influences that resulted were because of it. just my humble opinion. also: tool is probably the worst thing to happen to rock music. i would put ‘sublime’ and ‘dmb’ in slightly different categories, but worthy of notation. ---
**Author:** ![jordanr2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@jordanr2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jordanr2)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/72 "2011-06-13T12:05:09Z")
Talk Talk and Bark Psychosis (any others who fall along this general axis of music? Perhaps Jim O’Rourke…). ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/73 "2011-06-13T14:01:50Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Then there’s the Jayhawks who had a similar influence on alt country as Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt. I came in to mention Uncle Tupelo. They and The Jayhawks really started the entire Alt-Country movement. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/74 "2011-06-13T14:18:17Z")
Bands like Nirvana are the opposite of influential (as I chose to define influential). They took an existing sound and brought it to its absolute peak. Everything that comes after has to be different or face being derivative. They closed the door on the underground post punk rock sound that bands like The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. were exploding. > [@mkecane](#): > > I think Animal Collective will be the 00s/10s version of the Velvet Underground. They’ll never be huge in the mainstream, but they’ll be an influence in 10 years, and in 30 years, they’ll be seen as visionaries. Agreed. Huge amazingly innovative band that is mostly only being listened to by people heavy into music and other musicians. > [@Green\_Cymbeline](#): > > Also, Rage Against the Machine Yeah. I wish they weren’t because the people the influenced have almost all sucked, but they were a great band. > [@stonelephant](#): > > Blur > The Shins A thousand times yes to both of these. I would probably add The Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse to this list too. Also, Neutral Milk Hotel. For a band that only released two albums they have had an insane impact on modern music. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/75 "2011-06-13T15:02:51Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Many of the Lilith Faire acts, esp. Sarah MacLachlan > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, Ani DiFranco, all extremely influential for the female singer/songwriter scene. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The two artists I would consider most influential are Nirvana, which really kicked off alternative rock, and Tori Amos, who kicked off the female singer/songwriter genre. I realize that neither of them invented the genres they were in but they were the ones who got them noticed by a wide audience. > [@Krokodil](#): > > Tori Amos has reinvented herself a couple of times since the 90s (and her 90s glory days were a pretty radical reinvention themselves of her “Y Kant Tori Read” stuff in the 80s) and if she’s influential these days, it isn’t for “Silent All These Years.” For all of the above, see Kate Bush. Tori Amos’ “Little Earthquakes” re-invention was early Kate Bush, right up and down the line, so much that her stylist was [re-creating](http://www.hereinmyhead.com/collect/earth/le1.jpg) Kate Bush [album covers](http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/19451173/Kate+Bush+box.jpg). Sarah McLachlan has covered Kate songs in concert. > [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Radiohead, without question. To the guy who said, “Everything sounds like Coldplay now,” Coldplay themselves have made a career of aping Radiohead’s “The Bends.” See: [QUOTE=Guy Berryman of Coldplay] We were listening to a Kate Bush song called ‘Running Up that Hill’ and we were really trying to recreate the drums on that song for this song, and the chords. [/QUOTE] She has been an influence on artists you would not expect, like Big Boi of Outkast: [QUOTE=Big Boi] I’m a Kate Bush fan. She’s like number one on my list. She’s my favorite. [/QUOTE] From her early singer-songwriter albums, to her work with the Fairlight, from her one and only tour where she pretty much defined the way performers who can dance would do concerts henceforth, Kate has been a huge influence. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/76 "2011-06-13T15:23:08Z")
Hey **gaffa** , did you see that write-up in a recent New Yorker on Ms. B? She is re-releasing some old tracks (something like that) and so that event was a bit of an excuse for rock writer Sasha Frere-Jones to frame how influential Bush has been over the years. Right up your alley… ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/77 "2011-06-13T16:28:18Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Hey **gaffa** , did you see that write-up in a recent New Yorker on Ms. B? She is re-releasing some old tracks (something like that) and so that event was a bit of an excuse for rock writer Sasha Frere-Jones to frame how influential Bush has been over the years. Right up your alley… I saw it, but thanks for the heads-up! I wish they would do a more extensive profile of her. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/78 "2011-06-13T17:25:22Z")
> [@Endemic](#): > > How about **Faith No More**? They are credited with inspiring the entire nu-metal movement, including Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Korn, etc. Yeah, Kerrang! magazine named FNM’s _Angel Dust_ the most influential album of all time. But they were very influential even before that – bands like Infectious Grooves were obviously influenced by their early work. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/80 "2011-11-15T00:52:01Z")
You are going to resurrect the thread to add only one word to it? No explanation? Nothing? I like Beck and all, but it’s not exactly like his name alone speaks to his influence. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891/81 "2011-11-15T03:03:13Z")
> [@mkecane](#): > > I think Animal Collective will be the 00s/10s version of the Velvet Underground. They’ll never be huge in the mainstream, but they’ll be an influence in 10 years, and in 30 years, they’ll be seen as visionaries. Not to hijack the thread, but I gotta agree with you, and with exclamation points. I have been saying for several years that Animal Collective is hugely influential among musicians, and I hear their sound, a very distictive vocal style and songwriting approach, in tons of new music. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-influential-rock-music-acts-of-1990-2010/559891.md?page=5)