Not just REM and the beatles, is it? Have you forgotten the Pixies and the Melvins?
I am definitely influenced by him in my guitar playing, but also by SY's techinical-aggro fusion of noise... But without Cobain's passion and pure love for the music, I would never have picked up a guitar in the first place... Screw you Bon Jovi and Guns 'N' Roses.