[Groundhog]

What bands like Nirvana did that make them so popular is that they take a music form that was underground and the add the neccessary touches to it that make it accessable to everybody else. Nirvana in no way shape or form created their style of music. Neither did the Sex Pistols. Neither did Pink Floyd. Neither did Radiohead. All they did was present it in a way that attracted people to it.

It reminds me of a quote by some musician I read once (can't recall who). He said, when talking about guys in their basements creating strange sounds on synthesizers, something along the lines of "It's nice to know that someone is doing it, but I don't neccessarily want to hear it". These innovators begin to forge some kind of sound, it goes around the underground scene, and then someone finally refines it enough to make it global... usually by accident.