Originally Posted by million dollar basher

Absolutely, and you're right about Radiohead. They've got longevity on their side.
R.E.M. definitely had a huge influencial pressence in the 90s, but their's was more generic. Buck and Stipe definitely carried on in the Jagger Richards, dual-leading man tradition (and I certainly prefer that duo to Bono and The Edge), and they filled the roles well, but Oasis, in my opinion, really propelled alternative rock to new heights. There was an endless deluge of pop-rock bands following in the tradition of Oasis after they'd exploded, both here in the States and abroad. I mean, you can still hear their influence in the pop/rock stuff on the radio today. But they layed the foundation for pop balladeers--The Pixies set the rules for the underdog groups that eventually came up through the charts...