Who Was Better?

Nirvana by a mile. Vanguard of grunge, creating the space for all the others to follow. The first notes of Smells Like Tee Spirit upended popular music and radio as we knew it.

G&R did none of that. And Cobain was the best poet of his generation.

 

Gonna second this. Teens today still discover and love Nirvana. GNR doesn’t have that cache.

 

Elton John is light years ahead of Joel in terms of strength of catalogue (which I mostly celebrate) and overall influence.

 

Peak Billy Joel is 52nd Street.

I love Billy Joel, he is in the three most important artists to me (with Bruce and Paul Simon). But Elton was more popular, has had a longer career and even his best songs are right up there with Billy’s best.

 

"Allentown" forced? Um, no. There are people from there who still want his rear end in a sling. No way he's stupid enough to do something "forced" to elicit a reaction like that.

"Goodnight Saigon" ... nope. He gets active duty personnel up to help sing it during concerts. Not forced.

"Downeaster Alexa" ... Alexa is his daughter's name. Might have been about the fishermen, might have been a metaphor. But not forced.

Criticize as you wish, but at least know what and why you're criticizing.

 

This one's a Niners/Broncos 1990 Super Bowl rout.

Aerosmith = Niners.

They could have stopped in the late 70s after the drug induced band explosion, and the answer would be the same, just based on their catalog to that point.

 

Cobain a better "poet" than Rose? LOL no fucking way.

Cobain ain't within a thousand miles of this poetry ...

She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by

Furthermore, Cobain lied in his lyrics when he said he didn't have a gun.

He ate the gun for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 

Billy Joel at his peak during this five-album run: "Turnstiles," "The Stranger," "52nd Street," "Glass Houses" and "The Nylon Curtain."

 

And yeah, Nirvana is an all-timer but still not within a thousand miles of this ...

 

What does Nirvana have to match this?

 

Why even ask the question? Given your phrasing, you've given us nowhere to go.

 

I've given the Nirvana>GnR crowd the opening to rebut my phrasing.

I need to hear that crowd offer a song they think is equal or better.