1) to correct Joe Notcommons incorrect assumption: Nirvana DID draw on indie punk influences and drag them into the mainstream, influencing a slew of crappy bands. However, you'd be incorrect saying they influenced Pearl Jam. Firstly, Pearl Jam gained noteriety BEFORE Nirvana hit the spotlight. Second, Cobain and Vedder were both publically vocal about their dislike of each others music and styles. Thirdly, Pearl Jam drew upon pretty straight forward classic rock influences (zeppelin, stones, doors) whereas Nirvana drew from the already mentioned pool of indie-punk bands.

2) I've noticed in a couple threads now that Kessaris doesn't like TOOL. I get a strange feeling that either you've never really taken the time to listen to much of their music, or that if you did it was not until long after they had first hit the scene. When TOOL first hit airwaves in the early 90's, the radio and MTV were dominated by alternative, pop, and pop-punk crap like nirvana, gin blossoms, pearl jam, etc. TOOL was the only band at the time that was bringing progressive and technical music into the limelight. I do agree that they inspired a lot of shitty bands (breaking benjamin, earshot, etc...) but I think that if it weren't for the inspiration of TOOL at the time a lot of the young musicians who they got interested in progressive and technical music would have continued on in the no-solos straight 4/4 grunge bullshit direction. I think todays popularity of a lot of technical and progressive stuff owes a lot to TOOL bringing these styles back into focus over ten years ago. Not to mention that in a sea of alterna-teen angst ridden grunge crap, they were one of the few bands that still made HEAVY music appeal to the mass audiences again.