10 Most Influential Rock Bands

Rock music seems to be an evergreen genre, with new bands bringing different trends in and out of the public consciousness at will. While these styles come and go, it tends to happen fairly gradually as tastes change in the public eye. When Nirvana broke on the scene though, they single-handedly announced the new regime of rock music.

Coming out of the hair metal 80's, rock bands were starting to get way too over-the-top. Once "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came over the radio, it tore down every gaudy hair-metal band and brought earnestness back into rock music. Kurt Cobain's way of communicating his inner pain into his songs struck a nerve with rock fans around the world who have ever felt misunderstood or outcasts. Even if you weren't quite sure what Cobain was saying, it still held up as the most important thing in the world.

After the firing shot, Nirvana signaled the alt-rock movement to come, with bands that were focused on playing music from the heart rather than being a monstrous musical force. The power was always in Nirvana's intensity, which was a shot of life for the rock faithful. Modern rock music has changed considerably, but still lives in the house Nirvana built.