Having mentioned him right at the start of our list, we were always going to end up coming back to Kurt Cobain at some point. There was no 'grunge scene' in Seattle before Cobain and Nirvana created it. The music was originally intended to be a more 'authentic' rock and roll sound, and an alternative to the over-produced and showy stadium rock which had become popular at the time. In many ways, Nirvana was the antithesis of KISS and Guns n' Roses.
With 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' Cobain wrote an anthem for every angry and rebellious teenager in the world, which remains as suited for purpose today as it was when Nirvana released it in 1991. Eventually, the pressure of the band's success became too much for Cobain, contributing to his decision to take his own life at the age of only 27. In death, he only became a bigger legend, with his music destined to live on forever.