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Originally Posted by tanglewood
Nirvana were more important for what they achived than their music. Their songs were good, but they, for whatever reason, managed to get alternative rock played on mainstream radio and on MTV. Remember, even MTV in the late 80s was not an alternative outlet as it is now, they played the same hair-rock and cheese-pop that commercial radio in the US was playing at the time. Nirvana changed that and kickstarted a movement that got bands that previously would've otherwise toiled for years playing small venues and releasing under-the-radar EPs, out into the mainstream arena. Regardless of whether theur music was masterful or not (I am of the opinion that they were solid but not spectacular) that is why Kobain was so important and why I agree with HA that Nevermind is one of the 10 most important rock albums ever.
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Gotta agree with almost everything in this post.
Nirvana was a solid band whose subsequent reputation for being geniuses rests largely on the pseudo-romantic tortured-artist suicide of Cobain.
They were very much in the right place at the right time, though, playing alternative music that was just melodic enough to make it on the radio and on MTV, and expressing an angst that fit perfectly with 1990-1992.
Their main significance was in opening doors for other bands that sold far fewer records, but that would ultimately be more influential on other musicians (Pavement and Sebadoh come to mind.)