Sonic Youth

These New Yorkers were already underground heroes when Nirvana broke, but the happy coincidence of being on the same label as Kurt and crew helped push them into the spotlight during the '90s.

Current Status: Limbo. Married core band members Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore recently announced they're getting divorced. Guitarist Lee Ranaldo says Sonic Youth are "ending for a while," and the band's label Matador characterizes their status as "uncertain."

Alternative Anthem: 'Kool Thing'