I, like several of you, will say Cobain was overrated. The band wasn't that good live and the third member, Kris Novocelic (sp?) pretty much has evaporated. They wrote fairly simple songs, instrumentation wise, and Cobain's lyrics were nothing special. Over three albums, their sound changed less than New Order's. New Order developed far more than they did: they made their own sound after JD, Barney's vocals improved, they've made albums with a dancier feel and others with more guitars. However, since I grew up in the early '90s in the US and was under the influence of "grunge" culture until I was about 14, I chose Smashing Pumpkins over Nirvana. Not only did Billy Corgan know more than four chords, but he and Jimmy Chamberlin actually did solos! And, over 3 albums, their sound actually changed. I am biased, I will admit, and I think Cobain was severely overrated. But, I will continue to be biased, for I think SP should have been given more of the attention that Nirvana received in the early '90s. After hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit on the radio a month ago, I can say Nirvana sounds dated. New Order does sound dated, but that's inevitable, when they rely on electronic equiptment of the period. But, Siamese Dream, and even Gish, still holds up after 10 years. What more do I need to say? I'm done.