10 Greatest Band Rivalries In Rock History

The Smashing Pumpkins were having their golden period in the early 90's. While the sound of grunge was still the order of the day, Billy Corgan's use of big guitars and angst-filled hooks made them fit right in among the Nirvanas of the world. However, not every band was willing to join in on the Pumpkins' fun.

A lot of the alternative godfathers of the genre from Bob Mould from Husker Du to producer Steve Albini felt that the band were using the alternative sound as a means for becoming worldwide stars. Though these guys may have had their grievances, no one was as blunt about their feelings as Pavement, who called out the band on their song "Range Life," where they accuse them of not really having a function in the scene.

While the initial jab was meant in good fun, Corgan was actually hurt by the song and threatened to not play their Lollapalooza date if Pavement was added to the lineup. After choosing to play the next year, Pavement ended up becoming the perfect example of alternative music being washed away for the corporate cash-ins of the scene. Corgan may have been pop's antihero, but at this point, he looked like the pampered rock star who didn't have time to confront critiques of his work.