Sonic Youth

As they redefined what noise meant within rock & roll -- and what success meant for a band with experimental roots -- Sonic Youth became one of the most influential, and popular, acts to emerge from the American underground. Their inventive use of alternate tunings, dissonance, and feedback, which they combined with the intensity of hardcore punk and the performance art aesthetic of New York's avant-garde, created a new sonic landscape with an impact that lasted for decades. While 1983's Confusion Is Sex reflected the height of no wave's harsh yet hypnotic influence on their music, Sonic Youth soon added more structure and melody without sacrificing any of their edge. Their trio of independent late-'80s records -- 1986's EVOL, 1987's Sister, and 1988's Daydream Nation -- became touchstones for a generation of indie rockers, thanks to their volatile mix of experiments and accessibility. The band's growing popularity led them to sign to a major label, and with 1990's Goo and 1992's Dirty, Sonic Youth courted mainstream success (most of their albums from the '90s onward charted within the Top 100 of the Billboard 200) while maintaining their reputation as innovators and tastemakers