Also, Rage Against the Machine
I agree.
However, as an answer to the OP, I’d say Radiohead are easily among the most influential from the past two decades, both in sales and otherwise. But there are also quite a few bands that are very influential in proportion to their sales: bands like Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, Animal Collective and Belle and Sebastian (a lot of animals in there, even “Sebastian” refers to a dog) are popular but non mainstream, though they are very influential for the people they actually do reach. To paraphrase Bowie, Velvet Underground didn’t reach out to many, but every tenth person that heard them started a band.
Ooo - excellent choice. The only rap/rock band that emerged with their dignity intact (an overstatement, but you get the idea). Their stuff holds up and has been really influential in terms of approach to grooved metal and political statements, but no one seems to be able to fill their spot sound-wise…
Sonic Youth.
Maybe more specifically Thurston Moore.
Oh, good call on that one. They can get a little precious for me at times, but I’d definitely call them influential, at least in indie circles.
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.
How about Faith No More? They are credited with inspiring the entire nu-metal movement, including Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Korn, etc.
Well… Alter Bridge, Blue October, Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul, Creed, Daughtry, Dishwalla, Everclear, The Flys, Foo Fighters, Fuel, Goo Goo Dolls, Hinder, Hoobastank, Lifehouse, Live, Marcy Playground, Nickleback, Out Lady Peace, Puddle of Mudd, Tantric, The Calling, Third Eye Blind, Tonic, 3 Doors Down just to name a few.
Pearl Jam an Nirvana came to represent the “Seattle grunge sound” as they were probably the most successful breakthrough artists in 1991. But one should not discount other bands playing that sound that formed around the same time - Soundgarde, Alice in Chains, and so on.
R.E.M. was probably the most influential “jangle” rock sound popular with so many indie and college alt rock bands these days.
Green Day ushered in the resurgance of pop punk (which would eventually evolve into emo) which would include Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, etc.
Phish with their laid back guitar jams paved the way for bands like Dave Mathews Band, O.A.R, as well as mellow jammy singer/songwriters like Jack Johnson and John Mayer
Rage Against the Machine (who were influenced by Faith no More) can be partially blamed for the late 90s onet of “nu-metal” bands like Korn, Limp Bikit, Linkin Park and others.
The Strokes and The White Stripes for the post Y2K indie garage rock sound.
You forgot Seven Mary Three. I’ve been trying to forget them for years. Stone Temple Pilots’ first first album stole from PJ and AIC at the very least.
I agree with you that Pearl Jam was hugely influential (Creed’s existence alone proves that), but some of those bands (Collective Soul, Bush and Eveclear) already existed while PJ was still toiling in Seattle obscurity.
Metallica
I believe you’re wrong on all 3 accounts. “Alive” was a top-20 song in the US and UK in 1992. “Ten” was released in 1991.
First line of Bush’s wiki:
“Bush are a British alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London niteclub.”
First album released in 1994.
Collective Soul’s (wiki) first album dropped in 1994.
Everclear wiki:
“Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992”
First album released in 1995.
It seems clear that Pearl Jam was already an international hit while the bands you mentioned were either just forming or were toiling in relative obscurity.
Existed, yes, but gained visibility and market success due to Pearl Jam’s breakthrough. Not to denigrate the merits of those respective bands (and many other grunge acts) but their mainstream market success banked on the “sounds like Pearl Jam” quality of their music.
Green Day?:dubious:
While it has become something entirely unlike what it originally was, emo did not come from where you think it did.
Read the “early years” section for each band. All of them existed in some form in the late 80s. I have my doubts they all played music radically different from what their sound became or mimicked Pearl Jam after they hit it big.
Out of those three bands (Everclear, Bush and Collective Soul) I think only Bush borrowed heavily from Pearl Jam. The other two sound nothing like them, musically or lyrically.
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.)
I did, and am not finding the evidence that supports your argument.
Everclear’s says they didn’t exist as “Everclear” until 1992, after the lead singer’s old band broke up and he moved to Portland, recruiting Everclear’s other band members.
Bush’s says very clearly that the principals met and formed the band in 1992.
Collective Soul’s says Ed Roland was in a different band called Marching Two-Step until 1992. Collective Soul did not exist prior to that.
I think I’ve proven your original assertion false:
Everclear’s says they didn’t exist as “Everclear” until 1992, after the lead singer’s old band broke up and he moved to Portland, recruiting Everclear’s other band members. - True, but Everclear has always been more or less Art Alexakis and whoever else he happens to have lying around. He even wrote and produced a solo album that became an Everclear album just because he kept asking the other Everclear guys to play on most of the songs.
Bush’s says very clearly that the principals met and formed the band in 1992. - Due to their love of The Pixies. How that equates to “Pearl Jam influenced them” is beyond me.
Collective Soul’s says Ed Roland was in a different band called Marching Two-Step until 1992. Collective Soul did not exist prior to that. - Again, see the Everclear example. Collective Soul is Ed Roland and whoever he’s performing with. The first CS album, “Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid”, is actually an Ed Roland solo album released under the CS name.
I’ve not been debating Pearl Jam’s influence on any of the above bands (I don’t particularly agree with Everclear). I’m debating that they existed at all before Pearl Jam had success. I’m not buying the argument that says, “Art and Ed played in bands back in 198x, so Everclear and Collective Soul essentially existed.” How far back can you plausibly take that argument?
Here’s my argument’s timeline:
- Pearl Jam became a band named “Pearl Jam”. Not “Green River,” not “Mother Love Bone.”
- Pear Jam was signed to a major label deal and released “Ten” in August, 1991.
- Subsequently, Bush, Everclear, and Collective soul became bands with their respective names in 1992.
- In 1994 or later, each of the bands had successful debut albums, including Ed Roland’s “solo effort.”