they weren’t as big as nearly any of the other bands discussed. They certainly weren’t influential in a way that moved music or opened doors. You’d really have to make the mountain quite wide to justify them in the image with any confidence they really belonged by any criteria someone could come up with.
that’s not to say anything is wrong with them. Carving out a commercially successful career is a huge accomplishment.
Not reinventing the wheel here but… nirvana and PJ probably have to be there regardless of if they are anyone’s favorite.
also likely need something heavier from Rage, NIN, korn
then you stumble into STP, soundgarden, AIC, RHCP, smashing pumpkins the two heavies not selected above, Radiohead, oasis, a variety of poppy punk stuff I didn’t love -Green Day, blink, offspring etc… - poppy rock like no doubt…. Sublime. Getting towards Goo Goo dolls, you probably have to pass up counting crows as a bigger and more noteworthy in the same vein. Maybe could argue who would win in a fight between hootie, GGD and matchbox 20, right?
and that leaves off a bulk of the multi decade bands like U2, REM, Metallica, Pantera, GNR
Heck it even ignores blur, garbage, black Crowes, sonic youth, Jane’s addiction, faith no more, Manson… I hate to say it but there’s probably an argument that kid rock or Fred dursts face belong on it as the bookend closing out the decade.
it’s incredibly difficult to come up with a criteria where you pull GGD out of that list as the absolute cream of the crop.