The best band of the 1990s, according to Billy Corgan
For many, Billy Corgan is the man responsible for the most important band of the 1990s. However, the modest Smashing Pumpkins chief thinks otherwise, and instead, he awarded the honour to Nirvana, a group who were inspired by his work.
Corgan’s relationship with Nirvana is a complex one. On the one hand, he admires their artistry and how they helped grunge break into the mainstream. However, there’s also an element of deep-rooted envy because Nirvana have superseded The Smashing Pumpkins in the history books, and he knows it could have been him.
During an Instagram Q&A with fans, Corgan was tasked with answering the question of the “best band of the 90s?” and named Nirvana. Interestingly, the Smashing Pumpkins singer didn’t elaborate on his reasoning, but they are a group he has discussed at length in the past.
During a conversation with Rolling Stone around the 30th anniversary of The Smashing Pumpkins’ seminal album, Gish, Corgan discussed its influence on groups such as Nirvana. “And through the years, I’ve talked to many, many people who really pointed to Gish as the game-changer in their mind about how to approach guitar and how to record,” he said.
He added: “They gave us a very modest budget and wanted us to get our feet wet, so they were stuck us in the corner with this no-name producer named Butch Vig to make a record that, in their mind, was going to fly under the radar.”
Meanwhile, in an appearance on Amy Jo Martin’s Why Not Now podcast, Corgan explained how Nirvana’s fame affected him. “The Smashing Pumpkins had put out one album, which was very successful, but as we were out promoting our album, the Nirvana album came out, and as everyone knows Nevermind was a massive album, and then Pearl Jam came out too at that time, and they were massive,” he recalled.
Corgan added: “So within a short span of time I went from thinking I was very successful within my given field, to all the rules had changed in my given field. Everything I had built myself up to be and do was no longer as relevant as it needed to be. I went into a very strange depression because I felt like something had been not taken, but the change made me feel kind of inadequate in a way I wasn’t prepared for.”
Although Corgan’s opinion of Nirvana is shaped by him being at the epicentre of the alternative music scene when they shook it up, he can admire their greatness. While he might have become considerably richer if Nirvana had never existed, Corgan believes the grunge trio deserved their place at the top of the pile.
