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Nevermind is a total classic. I can't say I am a huge fan of the rest of their stuff but they do have an important place in music. They came up at a time when mainstream music was floundering. The 80's techno based music (which I loved and still love) had begun to wear thin and we all needed a kick in the ass. There were a number of bands that were out there doing the same kind of music, if not better (Pixies have been mentioned ), but for whatever reason, Nirvana made it big. Cobain's lyrics are powerful and often moving and the music just rocks. All this being said, I still say they are overrated. If Cobain had not killed himself and been forced to try to live up to his past it is questionable whether or not they would have continued to thrive. We will never know.
One way I like to judge a band is if they influence other bands. As someone said earlier Cobain was influenced by Bowie(pure genius) and the Pixies(one of the most underappreciated bands of the 80's and 90's) so he had good taste. Bands like Velvet Underground(stunningly amazing) and R.E.M.(still my favorite despite the many highs and lows) are so commonly mentioned as major influences that they must be considered "greats" just as the more obvious Beatles, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Doors etc... are. Is Nirvana in that catagory. Time will tell, but I am not so sure.
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